Posted: 03 Jul 2012 01:33 PM PDT ripped from 3four3 soccer blog
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Meaning, go well beyond being an organization that just houses soccer teams. Compliment that by offering a membership with real benefits.
Here’s some things to consider:
Voting rights
Club hosted parties and activities
A gym
Field access
Multiple sports
Real city / neighborhood connection / outreach / integration
Real business partnerships and integration
Real school connections and integration
We should have a culture formed around being a club member. It should mean something to be part of Barcelona-USA, or Real So Cal, or Weston FC, or Galaxy. Right now, it means absolutely nothing!
When someone says they’re from Compton or Beverly Hills, something comes to mind right?
Republican vs Democrat?
East Coast vs West Coast?
You don’t have to necessarily differentiate across the typical geographic, political, economic, ethnic, or religious lines. Or you can (see the USL’s Charlotte Eagles or PDL’s Seahorses).
Or consider what comes to mind with:
A Trader Joe’s employee vs a Walmart employee.
We need something similar happening at the club level.
Some thoughts on how …
First
Create regular activities / parties of various types for the membership to stimulate relationships across and between:
* the entire membership
* local government
* school officials and teachers
* businesses
Second
Let’s create tangible perks and benefits around being a club member. And open membership up (not just for parents with kids on a team).
I should be able to join (hence support) Acme Club with a monthly or yearly membership fee. In exchange, I might receive some use of their fields, discounts to all kinds of business partners, invitations to their parties, relationship opportunities with city and school officials, low-friction networking opportunities, voting rights, …
You get the idea.
All this can generate so many things! Here’s just five:
Expansion and more money for the club.
Development of club culture.
Differentiation.
Loyalty.
Sense of – and real – ownership.
Imagine you’re a member of Real So Cal. You present your card to AAA, and you get 10% off your car insurance. Do the same at the Marriot or Olive Garden or Southwest Airlines. Is this outrageous? Am I thinking too big?
How about walking into your local supporting soccer shop and getting hooked up? Or getting a great deal at 24-hour fitness? How about free college, USL, NASL game admission? MLS game discout? Want to play some pick up games … maybe the club has some open field access available for members. How about discounted private math tutoring? So on and so forth. The possibilities are endless.
The details and business model up to the club.
Over time a niche culture that tightly bounds the membership can form. Different clubs can really come to be known for something. And real, not manufactured, rivalries can form.
Now being part of a club really means something! Can you see it?
That’s a money-generating, culture-enriching solution for the game in our country:
Let’s start tackling the challenge of building real clubs!
----------
Meaning, go well beyond being an organization that just houses soccer teams. Compliment that by offering a membership with real benefits.
Here’s some things to consider:
Voting rights
Club hosted parties and activities
A gym
Field access
Multiple sports
Real city / neighborhood connection / outreach / integration
Real business partnerships and integration
Real school connections and integration
We should have a culture formed around being a club member. It should mean something to be part of Barcelona-USA, or Real So Cal, or Weston FC, or Galaxy. Right now, it means absolutely nothing!
When someone says they’re from Compton or Beverly Hills, something comes to mind right?
Republican vs Democrat?
East Coast vs West Coast?
You don’t have to necessarily differentiate across the typical geographic, political, economic, ethnic, or religious lines. Or you can (see the USL’s Charlotte Eagles or PDL’s Seahorses).
Or consider what comes to mind with:
A Trader Joe’s employee vs a Walmart employee.
We need something similar happening at the club level.
Some thoughts on how …
First
Create regular activities / parties of various types for the membership to stimulate relationships across and between:
* the entire membership
* local government
* school officials and teachers
* businesses
Second
Let’s create tangible perks and benefits around being a club member. And open membership up (not just for parents with kids on a team).
I should be able to join (hence support) Acme Club with a monthly or yearly membership fee. In exchange, I might receive some use of their fields, discounts to all kinds of business partners, invitations to their parties, relationship opportunities with city and school officials, low-friction networking opportunities, voting rights, …
You get the idea.
All this can generate so many things! Here’s just five:
Expansion and more money for the club.
Development of club culture.
Differentiation.
Loyalty.
Sense of – and real – ownership.
Imagine you’re a member of Real So Cal. You present your card to AAA, and you get 10% off your car insurance. Do the same at the Marriot or Olive Garden or Southwest Airlines. Is this outrageous? Am I thinking too big?
How about walking into your local supporting soccer shop and getting hooked up? Or getting a great deal at 24-hour fitness? How about free college, USL, NASL game admission? MLS game discout? Want to play some pick up games … maybe the club has some open field access available for members. How about discounted private math tutoring? So on and so forth. The possibilities are endless.
The details and business model up to the club.
Over time a niche culture that tightly bounds the membership can form. Different clubs can really come to be known for something. And real, not manufactured, rivalries can form.
Now being part of a club really means something! Can you see it?
That’s a money-generating, culture-enriching solution for the game in our country:
Let’s start tackling the challenge of building real clubs!
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