Club Management

Curious what everyone thinks.  We pick our teams based on coach first, but with all the changes in the soccer world, club management has become increasingly more important.  What club do you think has the best management?  Best vision?  Best communication?  Best suited to adapt to the ever-changing world of youth soccer?  My questions aren't about financial backing, strength of player pool, etc.  I'm interested in the actual decision makers at the clubs and how the vision, or lack thereof, are communicated and implemented.  And while this topic is largely aimed at the Big 4, I'd be curious to hear thoughts about the larger clubs outside of the Big 4 as well.

By "management, vision, and communication" do you mean sending you your invoice each month? Other than that I'd love to hear about how clubs are communication their visions...

db10 wrote:By "management, vision, and communication" do you mean sending you your invoice each month? Other than that I'd love to hear about how clubs are communication their visions...

Lol.  Some don't even do that correctly.

Vision??!?  Communication??!?

Some don't communicate to their coaches, how do you expect them to communicate to their players?

It is now April - how many of the clubs have set their coaching staff for DA, ECNL, etc., for next season?  Maybe it's early - but players are looking now and tryouts begin in a month or less.


Jack is always on here talking about these clubs as a business.  I don't disagree - but most businesses have a 1-year, 2-year, 5-year and 10-year plan.  Most of the clubs don't appear to be being run by people with any real business knowledge.  Can any of the Big 4 articulate their 5 year plan?

Maybe the plan is just "Sign up as many kids as possible.  Hire any warm body to coach them (regardless of license, experience, or the number of clubs they have left in the past 5 years).  Play soccer."


If your plan is just grow big, make money . . . I guess that is working for some.

If your plan is to recruit the next generation of soccer players . . . well then I guess all you need is a name and a recruiter.


If your plan is to develop the next generation of soccer players, let me give you a clue.  One or 2 good coaches in an age group isn't going to cut it.  E licenses doesn't cut it.  Hiring some guy who has been at 4 clubs in 5 years isn't the answer.  
Looking for independent teams/clubs who have excelled to fill your byes each year with outside teams isn't going to do it.

When was the last time your club asked you about their product?

You don't need a business plan with a captive audience. If you're an 03 next year you'll have a D1 choice of Solar, Texans, Sting or 3 teams that will probably end up with one of those clubs. Want "independent" in D2 and D3, you have 3-4 choices combined.

Is anyone willing to support or at least be neutral about their club's management?

Nope,

My DD's club management is awesome! All the other clubs suck...

db10 wrote:By "management, vision, and communication" do you mean sending you your invoice each month? Other than that I'd love to hear about how clubs are communication their visions...

Ah TeamSnap, ice cream socials, and dues were $75 a month. Those were the days. Never to return again.

KeeperCommander wrote:

db10 wrote:By "management, vision, and communication" do you mean sending you your invoice each month? Other than that I'd love to hear about how clubs are communication their visions...

Ah TeamSnap, ice cream socials, and dues were $75 a month. Those were the days. Never to return again.

At least the coaches were licensed.

ForReal wrote:Is anyone willing to support or at least be neutral about their club's management?

I have direct experience of two large Clubs that my DD has been a part of and is a part of.  I have great respect for the Club management in both. They're running a business and need to be mindful of the financials associated with running a club but within those parameters they provide a great service to the Women's and Girls Soccer community. They generally want to develop the Club in the long term interests of it's members and stakeholders. That sounds like corporate speak and it is but there are a lot of variables outside a clubs control and a lot of work to keep everything going. So Support :-)

newbiefornow wrote:

ForReal wrote:Is anyone willing to support or at least be neutral about their club's management?

I have direct experience of two large Clubs that my DD has been a part of and is a part of.  I have great respect for the Club management in both. They're running a business and need to be mindful of the financials associated with running a club but within those parameters they provide a great service to the Women's and Girls Soccer community. They generally want to develop the Club in the long term interests of it's members and stakeholders. That sounds like corporate speak and it is but there are a lot of variables outside a clubs control and a lot of work to keep everything going. So Support :-)

You must live in socal.

newbiefornow wrote:

ForReal wrote:Is anyone willing to support or at least be neutral about their club's management?

I have direct experience of two large Clubs that my DD has been a part of and is a part of.  I have great respect for the Club management in both. They're running a business and need to be mindful of the financials associated with running a club but within those parameters they provide a great service to the Women's and Girls Soccer community. They generally want to develop the Club in the long term interests of it's members and stakeholders. That sounds like corporate speak and it is but there are a lot of variables outside a clubs control and a lot of work to keep everything going. So Support :-)

Ok - let's play NAME THAT CLUB

Funny thing is - I wonder if anyone here can actually name the clubs you are talking about

newbiefornow wrote:

ForReal wrote:Is anyone willing to support or at least be neutral about their club's management?

I have direct experience of two large Clubs that my DD has been a part of and is a part of.  I have great respect for the Club management in both. They're running a business and need to be mindful of the financials associated with running a club but within those parameters they provide a great service to the Women's and Girls Soccer community. They generally want to develop the Club in the long term interests of it's members and stakeholders. That sounds like corporate speak and it is but there are a lot of variables outside a clubs control and a lot of work to keep everything going. So Support :-)

And I've just seen a rainbow unicorn on the Tollway.

ElClassico wrote:

newbiefornow wrote:

ForReal wrote:Is anyone willing to support or at least be neutral about their club's management?

I have direct experience of two large Clubs that my DD has been a part of and is a part of.  I have great respect for the Club management in both. They're running a business and need to be mindful of the financials associated with running a club but within those parameters they provide a great service to the Women's and Girls Soccer community. They generally want to develop the Club in the long term interests of it's members and stakeholders. That sounds like corporate speak and it is but there are a lot of variables outside a clubs control and a lot of work to keep everything going. So Support :-)

And I've just seen a rainbow unicorn on the Tollway.

No kidding....I just hit the damn thing...really messed up my car.

ForReal wrote:Curious what everyone thinks.  We pick our teams based on coach first, but with all the changes in the soccer world, club management has become increasingly more important.  What club do you think has the best management?  Best vision?  Best communication?  Best suited to adapt to the ever-changing world of youth soccer?  My questions aren't about financial backing, strength of player pool, etc.  I'm interested in the actual decision makers at the clubs and how the vision, or lack thereof, are communicated and implemented.  And while this topic is largely aimed at the Big 4, I'd be curious to hear thoughts about the larger clubs outside of the Big 4 as well.

You think D'Feeters communicated the Rush ECNL move to their current 04 team?

SickofSilliness wrote:

ForReal wrote:Curious what everyone thinks.  We pick our teams based on coach first, but with all the changes in the soccer world, club management has become increasingly more important.  What club do you think has the best management?  Best vision?  Best communication?  Best suited to adapt to the ever-changing world of youth soccer?  My questions aren't about financial backing, strength of player pool, etc.  I'm interested in the actual decision makers at the clubs and how the vision, or lack thereof, are communicated and implemented.  And while this topic is largely aimed at the Big 4, I'd be curious to hear thoughts about the larger clubs outside of the Big 4 as well.

You think D'Feeters communicated the Rush ECNL move to their current 04 team?

Just posted it twice didn't they? Communication at its finest! I'm sure they will have a chance to try out just like everyone else.

SickofSilliness wrote:

ForReal wrote:Curious what everyone thinks.  We pick our teams based on coach first, but with all the changes in the soccer world, club management has become increasingly more important.  What club do you think has the best management?  Best vision?  Best communication?  Best suited to adapt to the ever-changing world of youth soccer?  My questions aren't about financial backing, strength of player pool, etc.  I'm interested in the actual decision makers at the clubs and how the vision, or lack thereof, are communicated and implemented.  And while this topic is largely aimed at the Big 4, I'd be curious to hear thoughts about the larger clubs outside of the Big 4 as well.

You think D'Feeters communicated the Rush ECNL move to their current 04 team?

Riiiiight.

That being said, good vision to add some well-needed core to their ECNL teams.

Now hopefully they have some plans to fill the 03 holes.