Managing a youth sports club means being a jack of all trades, and it’s easy to forget a few key priorities along the way. Experts say these five things cannot be overlooked if you want your club to succeed:
Don’t forget about your youngest players. Your most junior players are the future of your club. “There are too many clubs that put too much emphasis on the thing that’s hot at the moment - college, pros, the next level. With that, they only focus on the top 5% of players, leaving 95% of the kids out,” says Fuzzy Steeno, Executive Director at Indiana Impact SC.
“If you don’t have a juniors program or a recreational arm, I don’t think you’ll be able to be successful,” Matt Tunis, Partner & Director of Operations at Chicago Empire FC, asserts. “The youth sports industry is essentially a subscription-based model. Every year, when tryouts come around, you start with zero subscriptions. You can’t guarantee that anyone is going to come back, so you have to continue to grow younger players and make them fall in love with the game to fill your pipeline.”
Highland FC Director of Coaching Matt Barry adds: “Building your rec program is imperative. And having good people running it makes all the difference.”
It’s not just focusing on the players, but also arming them with experienced coaches who can truly help them grow. “I would even go as far as to say that your leadership should be out there coaching your youngest players because that coach is going to be the face of your club,” continues Tunis.
Prioritize communication. “Establish your standards and processes, communicate them effectively, and apply them fairly and consistently. This is true whether you’re communicating to staff, players, or families,” says Cory Munro, Chief Business Officer at Charlotte Independence.
Steve Danbusky, Executive Director at Beach FC, echoes this. “Expectations from families are much higher now due to how everyone communicates in this day and age, so your ability to respond and to respond meaningfully is massively important.”
Munro adds: “I’ve found that parents and players will thrive when they feel you’re being transparent. They may not like the message, but if they understand it and it’s communicated clearly, they’ll respect it.”
Focus on mission, culture, and stability. Overall, it’s staying true to your club’s culture and values that will take you far. Sean Cochran, Executive Director at Keystone FC, notes: “Club culture is often overlooked, but can play a big role in defining a family’s expectation of your club. Your culture reflects who you want to be, the mission of the club, and your values. You want to attract people who fit within your culture.”
Steeno advises: “Don’t fake it ‘til you make it. Do focus on what your mission is and remain mission-driven in everything you do. You never know what doors will open from there.”
Munro also agrees, sharing that developing a stable base for your club will aid you in your future pursuits. “You have your footprint, you have who you are. Build who you want to be.”
Plan for growth and offer extras if you can. Mark Ryan, Chief Executive Officer at Loudoun Soccer, stresses the importance of having a long-term growth strategy. “Smaller clubs tend to live in the present, worrying about what they can do and what they have now. This is important, but you can’t lose sight of the long term.”
Forrest adds that unique offerings - like multi-age or multi-gender programming - could also set you apart and provide a positive experience for all players. “If you have access to the field space for an additional hour, offer something unique and fun for players. It’s better to offer a multi-age team than not to offer a team at all because you’re still delivering a positive experience for those kids.”
Keep the focus on the kids. Steeno says it best. “Put the kids first. Make sure they have a good experience. Great kids, kids that need the most development - they all should get the same experience. They should all get the fun development, pizza party, jump in the pool type-experience.”
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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