As some of you might have seen in my posts or photo's, my son's both play soccer at our local soccer-club. It is quite big club with about 1100 playing members. So there is a lot to organise. My opinion for a club of that size is that it almost needs professional management and that you can't do it with volunteers only, at least not in the Executive Committee.
My oldest (who's now 15) is already at the club from his 4th year, so that is quite some time. Within those years I have done some activities as a volunteer myself.
For the first 4 years I was the coach of my son's team, although I am no soccerplayer myself we (a other father and myself) managed quite well with the kids and we had a lot of fun at practicing and the matches. then i decided to quit the coaching because I had to little knowledge of the technique of soccer and the kids deserved to have coach who can actually learn them something.
I then got into coordinating the teams for the age category between 8 and 11. This meant I was involved in creating the teams, make arrangements with the trainers and communicate to all the parents as the spokesperson for the club. It was in one way great to do but at the other it was sometimes exhausting because you get shit over you from both sides... Parents who weren't happy with the team their kids were put in or from the club that they got some bad mails from parents about trainers and so on... So I was always the man in the middle...
That was the first time I noticed that running a club as big as this club demands more then just some spare time, it's almost a company.
during the two seasons I had met the net technical director, he was a great guy age 28 (I believe). He was responsible to bring the club to the next level regarding soccer. The most teams played below their power so it was decided that the higher teams had to play in higher competitions.. I thought it was ambitious, but it is good to have ambition. That was the first time that the technical board was really pointing out a roadmap.
The boardmembers where complaining that a lot of teenagers where leaving the club early and they said it was because of the age of the teeners. They had other intersts (a side job, a girlfriend perhaps) and not the club's fault (obviously ;) )
I then talked to the members (together with the technical director) to give my vision on this trend. My vision was that the club put's to little (visible) effort in players, individual and as a team. It was always matter of course and no signals or commitement from out the club... At least that is what I have seen myself during the first years at the club.
They had almost only eye for the first team and not for all the other teams. At least that is how it showed...
This is a complaint I heard more often, also at other clubs. The selection (first team) is the most important for a club while I think everyone at the club is important.. It shouldn't make a difference if you play in the first, second or even tenth team...But that is probably to easy thought :)..
I saw little to no change in the way the club functions so I also gave up coordination of teams, and beside that it was at that time a bad combination with my work at that time. I did volunteer, which I still am doing now every year, for the yearly soccer-camp. 3 days with all youth until the age of 13 to a campfarm and play all kinds of games together. This was also something, the first year I did go with the soccer-camp but as a mentor for one of the teams. At that time the camp was even 4 days.
So the kids were away from home for 4 days and we all ate together on the campside. My first impression of the food that moment was that I even wouldn't give it to my dog... It was terrible, tasteless and without any fresh vegetables. And this is no badmouthing towards the people in the kitchen at that time, because they weren't chef's and had never cooked for 100 persons before. So everything was instant food just to get the thing done... SO it was with all good intensions, but it din't work...
From origin I am a cook, so I studied for creating some food in the kitchen...Never did something with it after I left school, but I do know how to cook.. So I said to the people in charge of the organisation of the camp that next year I would like to run the kitchen, so I did (together with my brother). We made a menu for all days completely made out of fresh ingredients and we do that now for 5 years in a row... And i must say, the kids evertime love the menu.. And we love to do it, so next year we are again going to design some great dishes...
For now that is the only thing I do at the club, plus the communication within the team of my youngest.
At the moment there is a short of volunteers at the club for all kinds of functions, you see people are getting more individualistic in stead of the 'togetherness' that's for me obvious about clubs.....
and it is a shame because the starting point is all about the kids...at least for me.....
Have a great day
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