After putting out a couple of posts this week regarding the links between youth and professional leagues and the ensuing feedback challenging us to put our money where our mouths were, we decided we would go one step further, seek the opinions of clubs around the country and provide data that backs up our subtle hunch on what the issues, needs and desires are for our grassroots clubs around the U.
This is what happens when I think out loud. The last time I did this it was again at the turn of a new year and it was also soccer related. That time we founded a new soccer club that went from an indoor soccer team predominantly full of old high school friends to a club that had under 5's through to senior men's and women's team and two seasons of over 400% growth.
Soccer is a unique product from a business context that is made more complex in the United States due to cultural and structural differences from the rest of the game worldwide.
Technology, and in particular social media, is one of those keys to unlocking the future of the sport. But it's not quite as simple as setting up a Facebook or twitter account, especially those that think they understand it when they simply do not.
Soccer Tech 2012 – Session Overview
The future of US Soccer. Discuss.
The inaugural Soccer Tech Conference features as a partner event of the internationally acclaimed Social Media Week (www.socialmediaweek.org).
The event kicks off on Thursday 27 September from 10am and will see 7 workshops, presentations, forums and roundtable events take place at the LA Creative Space, Downtown LA.
Those who frequently interact with our Twitter account @SoccerSupport
would have noticed recent discussions about an upcoming Soccer Tech Conference in
Los Angeles next month. We are happy to report this is indeed close to becoming a
reality and is in the final phases of organization.
Recently Soccer Speak USA, a humble blog of ideas that was created to help act as discussion
tool and more optimistically, a catalyst for change at the grassroots of U.S. soccer – surpassed
5000 hits.
Not a number that screams ‘listen to my me because my ideas are great' but rather an indicator
that there are indeed people out there that believe soccer can reach its potential in this country
through innovative approaches to help foster a cultural shift in the big four ‘Americanized'
sports of NFL, Baseball, Basketball and Ice Hockey.
One of the most overlooked ways to #GrowTheGame is the sports capacity to embrace new technology
at the grassroots. Most of us have a feel for the various mediums available to us, but most don't
understand the full capabilities of social media and how it contributes to new fans and prospective
revenue streams.
Watching the MLS All-Star game in the heart of the Gaslamp District which for
those playing the game at home is downtown San Diego – the question was asked why San
Diego isn't considered for any of the ‘showcase' games of U.S. Soccer?
Surely a city that is the country's eighth largest, has the country's biggest youth soccer
market and sits on the border of the soccer crazy nation of Mexico was worth a shot of hosting a
game or two?
Soccer Support has just got its hands on the media advisory for this weekends National Premier
Soccer League (NPSL) 2012 National Championships which is pasted below FYI.
The San Diego Flash (together with the San Diego Sports Commission) look like they are putting
together an event with a strong social media focus.
We have mentioned in previous posts that we believe one of the major impediments to the growth
of soccer in the U.S. is that of the costs to play. Talented kids have often fallen through the
cracks due to the fees associated with the transition/progression from recreational to select
soccer and especially those that come from low-socio economic areas.
Today we retweeted a job posted by the San Diego Flash Soccer Club
(@SDFlashSoccer) calling for people to become members of a new street team they are obviously
assembling to help increase their community outreach.
However it was the feedback that we received from users asking about the job and where they can
get more information that really got us thinking – why is no-one aggregating all the soccer jobs
that get posted across the country?
There are many benefits in engaging with your local community and for that reason outreach is
fast becoming an essential component in becoming a sustainable 21st century club.
Being entrenched in your local area not only increases your clubs exposure to potential sponsors
but also your ability to attract new players.
Following on from the success of the #GrowTheGame pilot which was held in San Diego on April 14
& 15 and saw over 500 people participate in a weekend of soccer related activities, it was only a
matter of time before #GrowTheGame picked up its organizing kit and headed to a new host city to
act as a catalyst for grassroots change and new conversations between tits local soccer
community.
...Neymar's final competitive game for Brazil ended in
heartbreak today when the defending champions lost to the Clint Dempsey coached
USMNT 3-1 in the final of the 2027 America's Cup.
The USMNT who are starting to find their rhythm against their new regular opposition from
South America became the first North American nation to win the revamped competition that saw the
Gold Cup and Copa America combine to create a new championship
that now rivals the UEFA Cup for the strongest competition outside of the
FIFA World Cup.
Many club volunteers and board members have asked me directly in one way or another how they get
in front of a politician to plead their case for more fields, better infrastructure and more money.
The simple answer is you don't, but that's because you haven't developed a strategy to get on their
radar yet.
