August 23, 2008

Dear Saratoga Wilton Youth Soccer Families:

I write to you as we begin the 2008-09 travel season to talk frankly about three major issues facing the Club:

• 1) the quality of our soccer product—what we provide our players/teams and how well they progress,
• 2) the cost of enhancing quality and success, and
• 3) the importance of increasing our volunteer base, especially in terms of fundraising. Below, I discuss each of these issues and provide our plans for addressing them.

The Quality of our Soccer Product
Board members have listened over the past several years to those of you who feel generally positive about your child’s experience, but still want more in terms of higher-level coaching/training and competition. We have listened to those of you who worry about the formation of teams that, in some cases, lack depth and consistency in terms of ability levels. We have heard from those of you who simply want more playing opportunities for your children.

So this year, the Board decided at its August meeting to begin the implementation of what we call the Complete Club Model (see the president’s April 3, 2008 letter). This model, the product of more than half a year’s worth of discussion and debate, includes moving toward single-age teams where possible (arguably produces more cohesive, more developmentally appropriate, and more successful teams); naming a Technical Director to shape and oversee the quality of coaching, based in large part on the Club’s manual; increasing the minimum amount of indoor training time from 1 to 1.5 hours per week for more effective practices; and offering athletic and skills-based training to all players to supplement team training. The fall Academy continues to be free to all Club members 12 and under who wish to participate. We are also considering a series of fall skills sessions for Club members only.

The Cost of Enhancing Quality and Success
All of the above, of course, comes with a price tag. At its August meeting, the Board decided to add $25 per player to the registration fee to compensate the Technical Director (Miguel Hoyos) and his administrative support team for the considerable amount of work that the position demands. (I should add that high-level clubs in the Capital Region and elsewhere routinely hire and pay a Technical Director and/or Director of Coaching, in most cases at 2-4 times our pay rate. Latham, for example, pays its Director of Coaching twice our rate.)

The Board also decided to add another $50 per player to the registration fee to do more than simply cover expenses. For years, we have operated essentially on a break-even basis. And while this practice has benefited families by keeping costs lower than most of the region’s top clubs, it has provided no additional funds to upgrade the quantity and quality of our coaching/training. It has also put the Club in jeopardy relative to $40,000 that we are contractually obliged to pay Gavin Park over a five-year period. This contract, which gives us right of first refusal on games and practice time at Gavin and makes Gavin our home field, among other things, was signed two years ago. I should also add that our May Day Tournament, the Club’s major fundraiser, annually nets about $15,000. This $15,000 figure is less than the annual cost of operating and maintaining the Chaz Dake Fields on Daniels Road. (We lease these fields from Skidmore College for $1 a year, but are completely responsible for developing and maintaining the facility.) In short, May Day helps us cover facilities costs; it does not provide us funds to enhance the quality of coaching/training—our goal. For an abbreviated breakdown of the Club’s current financial health, please see the addendum to this letter below.

Thus, this year we have increased the registration fee per player from $150 to $225. This is a major increase, especially in the current economic climate. The Board understands this, since the vast majority of us are also parents of players. However, we are convinced that if we are to move our Club forward and provide our children with higher quality, we cannot stand still.

Increasing our Volunteer Base: Fundraising
Closely connected with the health of our Club is the extent to which we can widen the base of volunteer support. As with many volunteer organizations, a small number of dedicated Board members and volunteers do the vast majority of the work. The Board is eager to change this dynamic by doing a better job of reaching out to and supporting parents and friends in filling a number of important volunteer roles. We know that many of you have both the skills and the desire to help us if we can identify the right roles for you and provide you with the right kind of support. That’s why we have created a new position that reports directly to the Board called Volunteer Coordinator. It is also why, as part of the Complete Club Model, we have created the Advancement Committee, which includes fundraising, public relations, and events management.

At this moment in the Club’s evolution, developing a stronger and more focused fundraising operation is a top priority, second only to enhancing the quality of our coaching and training. In 2007-08, individual teams raised more than $7,000 to pay for increased training, tournaments, equipment, and more. And the Club generated about $5,000 in sponsorship revenue, primarily through May Day sponsors. We can and we must do better in order to increase playing opportunities, lower costs for families, and provide scholarships when needed. Toward this end, we are looking for volunteers who are willing to attend a fundraising brainstorming meeting to be announced in the next couple of weeks. If anyone is interested, please contact Vice President Skip Parry at

I close with an excerpt from an article on building soccer clubs called “5 Tips for Smart Strategic Planning.” Two of the five are particularly instructive: “Do it today” and “Choose aspirational goals.”

As always, please feel free to contact me at Thanks for being part of this Club.

Best,

Peter MacDonald
President, SWYSC

SUMMARY BREAKDOWN ON CLUB’S FINANCIAL HEALTH

Profit & Loss for 2007-08
Total Income: $140,998
Total Expense: $137, 895
*Net Income: $3,255
* does not include $10,000 to be paid to Gavin Park for 2007-08

Currently in the Bank
Checking: $3,255
Savings: $23,000