You know the feeling: the day is over, you’ve finally made it to bed, and your brain refuses to shut off. Instead of resting, you’re replaying worries you know aren’t worth your energy. Small club leaders face this all the time, falling victim to spinning their wheels over things they can’t control. That wasted energy takes focus away from your members and puts you on the fast track to burnout.
So what exactly should small clubs stop stressing over? Here are four concrete worries our experts say small club leaders should drop for good:
Other clubs: “At the end of the day, you’re providing a service, and if you don’t provide it at a high enough level, people will go somewhere else,” says Sean Cochran, Executive Director at Keystone FC. “You can’t beat what everyone has to offer, so stop worrying about it and focus on what’s in your control: doing what’s right for your club. That will take you further.”
Mark Ryan, Chief Executive Officer at Loudoun Soccer, agrees, especially if it’s something truly out of your control right now. “Keeping up with everyone around you and thinking you need to have a presence in every national league is a curse,” he says. “Sure, it’s natural to want to win and be the best, but that isn’t everything. Try not to chase something that may be unattainable for your club at this time, just because others are doing it.”
Achieving perfection. Shelley Forrest, Head of Administration & Director of Operations at Far Post Soccer Club, reminds leaders not to get too hung up on appearances. “Sometimes people get fussy about how their uniforms look - do they look special, do they look expensive?” she says. “Same with fields - we’d all love to be able to practice on perfectly gorgeous grass and turf fields, but just having the space to practice at all is what’s most important.”
In other words, flash and glitz may not move the needle that far when it comes to retaining players and growing your club. It’s the time and investment you put into developing your players that counts.
Holding onto every player. Just because you nurtured some players and turned them into exceptional athletes doesn’t mean you are entitled to keep them in your club forever. While retention is important for those worried about maintaining viable teams, holding players back from reaching their full potential is not the way to keep your numbers up.
“Stop treating players and families like possessions. If you have a player who has really developed well, be happy for them,” says Hamm.
Pleasing everyone in your organization. Matt Barry, Director of Coaching at Highland FC, cautions: “You will never make everyone happy 100% of the time, and trying to do that may come at the detriment of your club, or worse, your own health.”
By focusing on what your club can control, small clubs free themselves from unnecessary stress and position themselves for more sustainable growth.
Note: This post is part of a larger series called “Small Clubs, Big Wins” where top youth sports leaders share their wisdom with smaller clubs. For this purpose, smaller clubs are defined as organizations with 100 players or fewer.
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