Build It

In this edition of the Build It podcast, Bruce Bodie joins us discuss Bruce’s impressive background as a soccer player, referee, and event producer. Bruce is the co-founder of the Illinois Referee Alliance, an organization dedicated to supporting and training referees in the state. The hosts also dive into Bruce’s new role as the Executive Director with the United States Adult Soccer Association and the work he is doing to support adult soccer players across the country. The conversation also discussed several issues that the US Adult Soccer Association (USASA) faced at their annual meeting. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buildit/support

Javi Bautista was a college soccer player at Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa. During his sophomore year, he realized that coaching was going to be what he wanted to do full-time. Nik and John welcomed him to the Buildit Podcast to discuss his brand, presentation, and why he chose to focus on certain things.  Javi explained that he has been passionate about soccer ever since he can remember and has been fortunate enough to play college soccer. He is now pursuing a career in coaching.  Javi discussed his experiences of playing for Detroit City FC in 2015 and 2016. He was part of the very first group to be offered housing by the club and was lucky enough to spend a couple of seasons with them. After completing his masters degree, Javi returned to Detroit to help start the youth program and assist with the men's team. In 2019, he was asked to become the full time assistant coach of Detroit City FC, a role he held until 2022 when he moved over to the Michigan Hawks. In 2021, he won the Midwest Premier League Conference championship with Detroit City FC's under 23s in their first season.   In this conversation, Javi discusses his experiences coaching and working with the Midwest Premier League. He was the assistant for the first team, and then they decided to do a U 23 team in the Midwest Premier League. When the club announced they were going into the USL, they ended up just doing the USL Academy instead. Javi also talks about his time on the MWPL disciplinary committee that first season, helping with how the league operates. He enjoyed the experience of coaching, but also thought it would be beneficial to get involved in something on an unpaid basis. With his friend George Chomikoff he had the idea of starting their own soccer team in Michigan. They had the knowledge of the game and the landscape needed to do it, but due to their busy schedules they never had the time or resources to do it until the move to the Michigan Hawks and had more free time. With their combined experience, they decided it was possible and began the process of building their team from the ground up. Despite the difficulty of the task, they remained determined to make it happen and were confident that, with their knowledge and experience, they could make their dream a reality. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buildit/support

Jonathan Rednour is the President and CEO of Crescent City Football Club and Vice President of operations for the Gulf Coast Premier League. He talks about his passion for soccer and how he got into promoting and developing the sport in the greater New Orleans area. He and John discussed the challenges they face in their local regions, and both agreed that grassroots level clubs are the best way to start building a strong foundation in the community. They highlighted the importance of investing in local clubs, emphasizing the need for strong foundations in order for clubs to be sustainable in the long-term. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buildit/support

John, and Nik speak with Joe about their preparations for the upcoming soccer season, discussing their progress and plans to create an amazing experience for players and fans alike. Nik, the marketing team leader, has been busy generating interest in the club through Twitter, podcasts, and photo shoots, and emphasizes the importance of community involvement. With 19 players returning and local kids in the pipeline, the coaches and technical staff at Dekalb County United are excited about the team's roster coming together. Nik and John also discuss the possibility of utilizing interns over the course of the season, encouraging anyone interested to reach out.  The energy is high and excitement is building as they look forward to the start of the season in May. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buildit/support

Exploring Entrepreneurial Growth Through Community Engagement Nik and John interview Troy Talaga, the owner of Realize Athletics, a sports performance facility in DeKalb, Illinois, which caters to ages six to twenty-six, and discuss the importance of injury prevention and sports performance. During the interview, John explains their partnership with Troy's organization, which was built on a shared passion for sports, and Troy discusses his background in sports and his dedication to helping kids reach their goals. Troy's plans include growing his business and getting more involved in the community, with the ultimate goal of opening a facility in Florida. He is currently focused on starting a youth flag football league. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buildit/support

Christos SC Sporting Director Larry Sancombe: A History of Soccer Success Christos FC is a semi-professional soccer club based in Baltimore, Maryland. The club was founded in 1984 by a group of local players who wanted to continue playing at a high level after their college careers ended. Christos FC has won seven Maryland Major Soccer League titles, three USA SA National Amateur Cup titles, and two USSA USA SA Verna Fricker National Open Cup titles. The club is also known for its strong community ties. In the conversation, we discuss the history of Christos FC and the club's various successes over the years. W also talked about the importance of community partnerships, and how the club has been able to remain successful despite the ever-changing landscape of American soccer.   Larry discusses the club's recent success in various competitions, as well as their plans for the future. He notes that the club has been able to produce a number of professional-level players, thanks in part to their strong connections with local youth soccer programs. The club is known for its connection to the MLS and for its ability to produce high-level players. Christos brothers are on coaching staffs of many teams in the Maryland area, and the club has a core group of players that come back every year. Christo's tries to make it so that the only thing their players have to pay is their initial due, and they are sponsored so that they don't have to rely on player's money to operate. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buildit/support

Fanbase is a new app designed to help with marketing and media for lower league clubs. We discuss why Ali and his team decided to create the app and how it can be used by clubs at our level to level up marketing and media content.  John, Nik and Ali discuss how the tool can help sports teams with ticketing, memberships, communications, and data management. Crawley explains that the tool is meant for teams that are wanting to take themselves more seriously and be more professional. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buildit/support

Nik and Neil talked about the digital and social media sports podcast and how it is a catch little title. Neil is always up of the mindset to that as they learn what they are learning. Neil talked about the podcast and how it allows them to reach out to people they admire and wants to meet. Neil talked about the pain of asking for podcast numbers and said that every time someone says they listen to an episode or a podcast, it blows them away. Nik and Neil talked about the most recurring theme that has been recurring through the last ten years of best practice in social media. Neil talked about needs and behaviors that always resonate and that ultimately it comes down to driving that emotional connection between fan and player or team. Neil and Nik talked about the principles that guide them even when they are ten fifteen twenty years old. Nik and John are discussing the authenticity of social media and how it does not allow you to hide north east. Neil talks about developing super fans and develops a fan spectrum. Neil is talking about getting a better feel for the team and wants to learn more about them. Neil talked about how to bring casual fans up the fan spectrum by finding ways to connect to passionate fans. Neil talked about ways to get fans interested in learning more about the event and then the sport. Neil talked about buying them into the fold and mobilizing them. John is trying to figure out how to give away the store and give fifty brand ambassadors season tickets. Neil talked about the importance of finding groups that already exist and finding who is the leader of those groups. Neil talked about using your sport as a connective tissue and using it to connect them even further. Neil is talking about the social activity they do and John is curious about your opinion of it. Neil talked about the different ways to look at the community first model and how it can create emotional connections with people. Neil talked about the impact that deep engagements have on a fan's psyche. Neil and Nik discussed the impact of human touch and handcrafted spoke. Nik and Neil talked about two things that do not scale. Neil talked about jobs that were based in a hockey team in el paso. Neil talked about the perspective of a kid and how it is easy to lose that perspective. Nik is curious about the difference between a real and a short form video and Neil explained the goals that people are trying to accomplish. Neil talked about the monetization of youtube shorts and tick talk reals. Neil talked about the difference between the audience on instagram and tick talk. Nik and Neil discussed the value of saying they are quote a tick tock brand and that it is better to spread themselves thinly. Neil talked about the value of being the best on a platform. Neil and John are discussing the sustainability of the club. Neil likes to pick the brains of the youngsters who come with some great stuff. Neil talked about tracking their marketing spend and using basic surveys and talking to their super fans. Neil is trying to take qualitative knowledge and make it into quantitative. Neil talked about figuring out who are the influencer people in your community and how to reach them more effectively. Neil talked about how takers are in the community so that they can leverage them to become super fans. Neil said that it starts with auditing your channels and understanding the community that you are up against. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buildit/support

Rosevelt soccer club have humble roots and lofty ambitions. From a seed of an idea borne from travels in Iceland, John Morgan has earned his stripes coaching youth soccer in all manner of places, before starting up his own club in Gorham, Maine, 30 minutes outside of Portland. Disillusioned with the exclusive nature of local youth operations, John has worked tirelessly to grow his club to nearly 200 players across all age groups. The club's 2050 initiative is the latest step on the path to bringing competitive adult soccer in Maine into the US system. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buildit/support

Nik, John and Dave spoke about the biggest challenges facing college graduates entering the sports management field, and how lower league soccer clubs can come to a mutually beneficial partnership with local educational institutions to provide experience in the field. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buildit/support