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Post by Futsal Gawdess on Aug 25, 2017 13:26:04 GMT -5
I met a parent last week who is thinking of putting her kid in soccer. She asked me a series of questions about the soccer landscape in metro Atlanta. I tried to be as honest and forthcoming with what I know based on the experiences of me, my family and friends. It got me thinking, what are some of the things that one should look for or a club should have in place that will definitely put that club in a better position to succeed? With all the years of experience on this forum on all sides of soccer(parents, coaches, management, fans) in your collective opinions what makes a good club? What does it take to succeed, be profitable, provide opportunities for average to great players, etc? If possible, please list your top 10(or more) must haves. It could apply to a brand new club or an established club. Put on your DOC for the day hat and lay out your master plan. I will start with a few 1. Have a robust rec program. 2. Have an associated field/home park. 3. Accessible contacts for the club. 4. Robust and informative website(social media). 5. I will now sit back and see what you all come up with.
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Post by rifle on Aug 25, 2017 17:33:30 GMT -5
1) well maintained fields including futsal courts
2) a written age based player curriculum with clear metrics for achievement
3) must effectively communicate objectives, and provide feedback before, during, after seasons. Silence is deadly
4) administrative support - If a new sucker, oops - team manager comes along, don't make them figure it out themselves
5) transparency with regard to financial aid.
6) coach salaries based upon team level, coach certifications, etc - not subjective
7) board meetings that anyone can attend, and minutes publicly available
8) require every family participate in club work. No option to buy your way out.
9) cool uniforms that don't cost $364
10) corporate sponsors
11) field Marshal's that don't tolerate parent coaching and sideline jerkoffskis
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Post by soccerparent02 on Aug 26, 2017 16:03:02 GMT -5
Agree with all those things but also parents who don't question everything a club does as not every player is on the same level.
Good luck to everyone this season.
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Post by footballer on Aug 26, 2017 19:14:38 GMT -5
^^What rifle said.
Also
Clubs should either cut prices of top teams into half or make it totally free. It will make it more competitive and give the players something to strive for. Players will have to work hard to keep their top team status.
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Post by rifle on Aug 26, 2017 22:53:59 GMT -5
Agree with all those things but also parents who don't question everything a club does as not every player is on the same level. Good luck to everyone this season. I agree. More straight talk about evaluation (player level) would be helpful. A periodic "check-in" from the coach could avoid a lot of drama on the opposite sideline
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Post by TheMadOx on Aug 28, 2017 7:57:00 GMT -5
Sounds like a very robotic club that is being dreamed up....coaches that don't interject their style, parents that shouldn't exist, clubs that must write everything down and have zero personality (because members don't/can't trust the leadership of the club?), oh, and make it cheap (although they have to have a park of their own and pristine fields, high level coaching, etc). I personally like how clubs are different, I like having coaches with different styles. If I come across something I don't like, I'll move on to a product that better meets my needs.
No club is perfect, all have their strengths, all have their weaknesses. Just like all the products we consume in this world...enjoy the ride!
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Post by Soccerhouse on Aug 28, 2017 11:47:30 GMT -5
We are lucky that we have competition and we as parents for the most part can choose and make decisions where our kids will play. Many other cities do not have this level of flexibility.
Honestly, in my opinion, I beat it to death, but communication is key and parents needs to be communicated with on what the expectation of them, their children and the coaching staff is. Even the great Atlanta United should be communicating --- no kid should be surprised with their fate come May and tryouts, it should be understood where they stand. Either the communication has to be with the player or the parent! Cutting parents off in my opinion isn't the answer unless you truly communicate with the players. Yes parents don't need to be overbearing, talking to coaches after every session, but parents aren't the enemy. Every month, the players should know what they need to work on and improve.
coaches should be allowed to play different styles vs a forced standardized way of play. A club can have a general over arching principle, but coaches do need some flexibility in how they play that way. I do think at the younger ages, there should be some standards in how teams warm up for example. Given you often have random coaches help coach teams at these ages, it should be pretty easy and standardized what a club expect and how they warm up for games.
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Post by Futsal Gawdess on Aug 28, 2017 12:29:48 GMT -5
All great ideas and suggestions. Keep them coming.
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