2. or combination of these elements). Brand also
personifies company or product philosophy,
situating it in relation to its key constituencies –
customers, staff, partners, investors and the wider
community.
USYS is just one organization that’s recently
embraced branding and marketing. President David
Messersmith reports it’s been an overwhelmingly
positive move, taking the national organization
to a higher level of professionalism. “Our core
business is and always has been to serve our state
associations in the business of administering and
developing youth soccer in their respective states,”
he said. “This initiative is the end of one era and the
beginning of another. Two years ago, we discussed
marketing; last year we funded and hired a capable
marketing staff; now we have funded a marketing
initiative to enhance and promote existing programs
while building brand awareness and increasing
sponsorship revenue at all levels into the future.”
All clubs want to improve and grow through
increased membership, community support and
financial resources. A well-crafted brand is a
powerful tool that can help accomplish ambitious
organizational goals. Goals such as building a new
turf field or a concessions stand at your facility. A
brand tells the larger community who you are and
Does your soccer club, team or town have a
brand?
Chances are, you haven’t given much thought to
the concept. Most soccer coaches, team managers
and volunteers are overly busy people, juggling
numerous tasks and concerns. Strategizing about
branding might not exactly top their to-do lists.
Out of 55 state-level U.S. Youth Soccer (USYS)
organizations nationwide, for instance, only four
states have dedicated individuals assigned to
marketing.
But this is a missed opportunity. Building a
successful and reputable soccer organization is
about more than wins and losses on the field. The
experts – the coaches and administrators who’ve
grown leagues from grassroots community clubs to
large regional organizations – know there’s more to
it. They know that branding and marketing are key
elements in any successful club’s game plan.
So what exactly is a brand?
Interpreting the American Marketing Association’s
definition, brand is the personality that identifies
a product, service or company and differentiates
it from the goods of other sellers (as expressed
through a name, term, sign, symbol, design
Why Brand Matters

3. Brand is the personality that identifies a product, service
or company and differentiates it from the goods of other
sellers (as expressed through a name, term, sign, symbol,
design or combination of these elements). Brand also
personifies company or product philosophy, situating it
in relation to its key constituencies – customers, staff,
partners, investors and the wider community.
helps attract like-minded members and supporters
to your organization. Competition amongst youth
organizations for in-town field space is a growing
concern. Losing members to emerging clubs is
another challenge. Branding can be the powerful
first step towards securing membership and
community visibility.
There are a number of best practices and strategies
soccer organizations and clubs can implement to
build a winning team off the field, as well as on.
These activities are important for branding the
organization and creating awareness. Experience
shows a well-built brand can help organizations
recruit the best players, coaches and volunteers,
lead successful fundraising campaigns, build
community and elevate the level of play. In the end,
all of those attributes create a richer and more
positive experience for our valuable youth players.

4. the process as if you were developing a product
and identifying customers. Start by thinking
through your mission and values. Brainstorm on
your marketing, communications and financial
objectives and suss out what sets you apart from
any competitors. Are you a highly competitive
club or recreational? Focused on education and
skills or committed to winning? Known for your
commitment to social service, strong parent
involvement, teaching or stellar sportsmanship?
What strengths do you want to emphasize?
Identify your top three goals and then relentlessly
align your actions with these aims. Every action
item or plan should be assessed through this prism:
is it on message? On brand? Don’t allow your team
to get distracted with efforts and ideas that are not
in-line with your core organizational goals.
Once you know who you are, you should create
a Brand Guide to get everyone on your team
– coaches, managers, parent volunteers, even
players – on the same page. Your message must
be consistent, from the top down. Everyone must
tell the same story.
What’s in your Brand Guide? This is a marketing
toolbox that contains – at the basic level – the
following: a logo design, design and font choices,
your colors, your mission statement and your
“Elevator Speech,” the 15-second explanation
Creating a brand for your club, town or team is an
exciting, creative proposition. It’s a chance to tell
you are and what you believe in and then run with
it. Whether you’re a competitive, premier club or a
family-oriented recreational club, your organization
trust, it’s a commitment internally and externally
to a unique identity and set of principles. And it’s
expressed through every facet of your organization –
from your logo design to your staff.
As Washington Premier Football Club President
Jeff Harper sees it, “Brand is what conveys your
club identity. Washington Premier teams play at
the highest competitive level of soccer. We’re
about excellence in everything we do – from player
development to community service.”
Brand gives your product – in this case, your soccer
former Microsoft CFO and Nike and Korrio Board
Member John Connors. “Every aspect of branding
is important to telling a concise message to a broad
audience. There is a magic chemistry that occurs
when brand aligns with a superior product.”
Creating a brand is easier than you think; it simply
requires self-knowledge, thought and some
strategic work. It is helpful in this regard to think
of your organization as a business, and approach
You Represent Your
Community

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Logo design
Colors
Font choices
Tagline
Mission statement
Elevator speech
Boilerplate
Website
Communication outline
The pride and self-respect that players – and by
extension, their families – draw from being part of
a tight, well-branded organization is immeasurable;
it elevates the whole game. Everyone’s mindsets
expand from the play on the field, to the strategy
off the field. Everyone feels part of something larger
and that feeling of belonging encourages stronger
commitment. Player, family and staff relationships
grow through dedication to shared ideals and goals,
and the experience becomes more rewarding for
everyone involved.
everyone in your club will give when asked what
your organization is about. Your guide should also
contain your “Boilerplate,” a few paragraphs of
official language that explain your organization
succinctly. This statement may appear in the About
Us section of your website and should be included
at the bottom of all public documents, such as
press releases and partnership proposals.
Creating a Brand Guide is a process that your
entire leadership team should participate in;
there should be consensus, so everyone delivers
the agreed-upon message with passion and
commitment. Everyone on your team should
champion your brand.
Your brand is also expressed through your team’s
appearance, from the coaches to the players.
Assess your uniforms, bags, coach jerseys and even
balls to present a cohesive, neat and professional
look. Premier teams plan every detail, down to their
socks. The more thought you give to every element
of your presentation, the more effectively you’ll
communicate your brand. Ideally, if you’re successful
in your branding campaign, your colors and logo will
become widely recognized in your community. In this
arena, a little bit of branding goes a long way. You
can look like a million dollars for a small cash outlay.
It’s more about thought, planning, organization and
consistency than the size of your budget.

6. at every level. Does your current reputation help
you draw coaches, players and volunteers?
People talk, especially in smaller communities.
Teams with reputations for dirty tactics and poor
sportsmanship will not attract upstanding players,
families and staff.
Think about your reputation and whether it
accurately reflects your brand. If you’re not sure
how you’re perceived, ask your players’ parents or
other knowledgeable people in your community for
an honest assessment. Your reputation is crucial
for developing and maintaining the integrity of your
brand. Is your reputation where it needs to be? Or
does it need some work?
Once you identify who you are and plan how
you’re going to communicate your message,
take a step back and assess your reputation in
the community. Reputations can be intangible, in
terms of how they are formed, but they are very
real and they shape who your organization attracts
and the expectations of your players and their
parents. Building strong characteristics on and off
the field is also key to developing young soccer
players into good citizens.
Take another run through your self-assessment;
how are you perceived by your community and
target members? Is your club fun or competitive?
Perceived as affordable or expensive? Well-
organized or low-tech? Characterized by good
sportsmanship? Are you known for sending players
on to higher levels of play? How are your coaches
perceived? They are key to your brand. Your
referees are also crucial. Are they reputed to be fair,
knowledgeable and professional?
Have you had any negative incidents, and if so
– how did you handle them? Are you trying to
rebuild your reputation or improve a reputation
that has been damaged? If so, you need to think
strategically about how the message you’ve
created – through your Brand Guide – can help
you re-establish a positive reputation in your
community. The quality of your reputation is crucial,
because it will shape who your organization attracts
Your Reputation Matters

7. Families Are Your
Customers
an unwieldy process that requires parents to sign
up in-person or mail forms, you could be driving
less-committed parents and players away. This is
where automation can be extremely useful. Most
people are now accustomed to doing business
online; many even expect that option and are
frustrated and suspicious when they can’t. Online
sports automation platforms, such as Korrio, can
provide a user-friendly one-stop home for all club
business, including registration and payments. And
we all know busy parents love anything that makes
their lives easier and allows them to complete
cumbersome tasks more quickly. So take a look at
your system. Do you need an upgrade?
Remember, too, that retaining loyal members is
as important as bringing in new ones. It does no
good to bring new members into your organization
if current members are leaving in equal measure.
Look at your numbers. What’s the big picture? A lot
of effort is spent on building young athletes, but the
reality is that by the U-10 or U-11 level, kids start to
drop out. As the play becomes more competitive,
less skilled or committed players might leave. What
can your club offer players and families who are on-
the-fence? A strong, community-building brand can
be a powerful motivator to stay involved.
Next, look at your membership numbers. Are you
growing? Do you have to spend aggressively to
market your club through advertising or does your
brand naturally draw people to you? Obviously, the
latter is preferable. A good brand sells itself and
savvy marketers know that word-of-mouth is more
powerful than any paid advertising.
Now that you’ve really thought through your brand
– your message, goals and reputation – you can
assess whether you’re attracting members. And are
they “your kind of people?” When you know who
you are, you know what kind of players you’d ideally
like to attract. Broadcasting your message to the
community will ensure that you reach and attract
your preferred player demographic – whether it’s
highly-competitive or fun-loving.
Again, make sure people can find you easily online,
with a well-designed and current website. Anyone
who hears good things about your club should
be able to Google you and have your site up in
a few easy clicks. A solid website makes your
organization look professional, something people
want to be part of.
At this point, you should also consider your
registration process and whether it discourages or
encourages new members. If you’re hanging on to

8. It doesn’t take much to make families feel valued,
it’s the little things. Coaches and managers should
communicate with parents, drawing them into
the organization. Updates, notes and even little
gestures like recognizing players’ birthdays or
reaching out to siblings can make families feel
plugged in and cared for. With the technology we
all have readily available these days – texts, emails,
cell phones and team websites – it’s easier than
ever to stay connected and communicate with
players and parents.
Brand is what conveys your club identity.
Washington Premier teams play at the highest
competitive level of soccer. We’re about excellence
in everything we do – from player development to
community service.
Washington Premier Football Club President Jeff Harper
Your club should look for ways to support the entire
child, recognizing their lives outside soccer. There’s an
are swayed positively by organizations that support their
children and promote their overall well-being. And loyal,
supportive parents can make or break your organization.

9. A solid brand also helps you raise more money on
a number of levels, as everyone is more excited to
support an organization that appears professional,
tight and goal-oriented. Parents are more likely to sign
their kids up for – and pay the necessary fees to –
teams and clubs that offer the most value.
Likewise, local businesses are eager to support
clubs and teams with solid reputations. A well-
designed website with room to plug your sponsors
sponsors in branding or media opportunities. Think
about the value proposition you present to local
businesses that support your club and make sure
you are communicating your message to potential
community knows about your status. This will help
you elicit donations from fans, parents and even
charitable organizations; remind all donors that
you’re a tax write-off.
Creating and conveying a strong brand has served
Washington Premier Football Club in very tangible
ways, reports President Jeff Harper. “WPFC had
been able to attract sponsors because our brand
attributes of excellence, fun and service align with
our sponsor aspirations,” he said. “We’re passionate
about what we do and put a lot of energy into
marketing our program.”
More Money, More
Resources
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Assign a staffer or volunteer to media outreach
Obtain parents’ permission to use players’
photos (all players should have a signed photo
Make a list of local newspapers and websites
that publish community photos and news
handles photo submissions, calendar and
event listings and news items (these may be
different people)
Assign a parent or volunteer to shoot high-
resolution photos at games and events
with captions that include full player names,
ages, hometowns and event details (date,
place, name of the event, etc.)
Follow-up to make sure photos are received
Assign staffers or parent volunteers the task
of writing press releases, calendar listings,
event and registration announcements and
news items
Email written releases and announcements
to identified contacts at local newspapers
and websites
If you have a larger story – a player feature
or extraordinary news – propose it to local
newspaper and web reporters via short,
concise email “pitch” letters

10. A strong brand is a powerful recruitment tool,
helping you attract the best players and coaches.
Again, if you’re known for highly-skilled, competitive
play, those players will be drawn to your club.
Likewise, quality coaches will gravitate towards
clubs and teams they know will support their
philosophies and strategies.
Whether working to attract the best paid coaches
for your premier-level club or recruiting the
most committed and caring volunteers for your
recreational club, your brand should bring “your
people” to you. If you’re having trouble recruiting
the staff you want – paid or volunteer – ask
yourself why such people would want to join your
organization. Then make sure you’re telling that
story to your community and professional and
personal networks.
Excited, inspired leaders attract people who want
to work together on shared goals – enthusiastic,
hard-working people who want to join quality teams
They want to be part of something reputable, strong
and growing. You can attract the right staff and
volunteers by creating buzz and convincing them
you have a solid game plan. Organize and mobilize
them according to their interests and expertise.
well-run organizations that make good use of their
Recruiting the Best
generously-donated time. They often work 25-plus
hours per week in community soccer organizations,
so honor their time and make that commitment
coaches, for instance – who wield vast power on the
whether your young players enjoy the sport. And
the lessons they learn in youth soccer – positive or
negative – can last a lifetime.
From a pragmatic standpoint, again, a strong brand
will also help you raise more money. So if you’re
looking to recruit sought-after paid coaches, you’ll
have additional resources to do so.
Every aspect of branding is important to telling a concise
message to a broad audience. There is a magic chemistry that
occurs when brand aligns with a superior product.
Nike and Korrio Board Member John Connors

11. Does your community know you exist? Do you
enjoy the support you need to thrive and build?
Make sure you’re using the local media to help
communicate your message to people outside
your direct circle of players and families. While the
words “media plan” might sound intimidating, it’s
not hard to fire up an ongoing media effort. It’s just
a matter of finding out who at your local daily or
weekly newspapers and websites handle photos
and news items, and then submitting material to
them on a regular basis.
This is an excellent task for an ambitious parent
volunteer. To get started, all that’s needed is
someone to take high-resolution photos at games
and events and then email them to local papers
with “caption” information, which includes the
full names and ages of all players – along with
the town they live in – and details about the
game (the who, what, when and where factoids
that all news items must include). You can also
send press releases with news about your team,
calendar listings and announcements regarding
registration and events to your local newspapers
and news websites.
This might seem like extra work, but it
accomplishes important goals. It raises your
profile in the community, showing donors and
local businesses that you’re an organization to
be reckoned with and that affiliating with you
could bring them positive recognition. It creates
team and community pride, showing local youth
doing something positive and fun. (A major
complaint often voiced about the media is that not
enough good news is featured.) And it provides
your players and their families with invaluable
recognition – newspaper clippings they’ll keep for
a lifetime. These are all outcomes worth investing
a little extra staff or volunteer time in.
Your website is also an invaluable tool for
spreading your message – it can’t be stressed
enough. It is your face to the world. If you don’t
have a website already, create one. A strong online
presence is imperative for brand identity in this
day and age. Your “customers” – players and their
families – will expect this of you. And if you don’t
deliver, they might conclude your organization is
not professional, up-to-date and together. Your
website is where your players and parents will look
for real-time information and updates on a number
of topics, so it must be easy to administer and
update. You don’t want maintaining your site to be
an unwieldy chore. Look for current web hosting
technology with user-friendly and intuitive tools for
easy editing and updating.
Last, but not least – communicate, communicate,
communicate. Make sure everyone is aware of
Visibility Breeds
Respect