What would the NSCAA Convention be without the added excitement (and pressure) of speaking? For the second year in a row, my good friend and peer Ryan Knapp and I presented together. Ryan and I met in 2009 at Tweet – Blowing the Whistle on Social Media and have bantered back and forth on all things digital and social media since.

Follow @ryanknappFollow @vandey01

While last year’s session was focused on social media, Ryan and I broadened the scope in 2012 to include Five Secrets to Successful Soccer Websites.

The idea for this session came about thanks to our work together on the new NSCAA.com. The project began in August 2010 and was a labor of love for the two of us. We just launched the site in November 2011.

Throughout the build, Ryan and I researched sites far and wide to hypothesize what makes successful websites tick. We combined this research into five secrets (aka takeaways) to share. Ryan also posted about the presentation on his blog, be sure to check it out.

Slides from session, Five Secrets to Successful Soccer Websites w/ @vandey01 are up. bit.ly/AxiJlO #NSCAAConvention

— Ryan Knapp (@ryanknapp) January 23, 2012

Click here to download the PDF. (opens in a new window)

Successful websites are:

1. Part of a larger business plan
It’s important that your website is built with your company’s business goals in mind, aka how do you make money? For many companies – especially in the soccer industry – your website is the front door to your business… and you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Ensure you know what success looks like first, then build your site to support that.

2. Built with the user in mind
There are two categories of users that we recommend you consider. The first is people, both those that use the site for business purposes (team administrators, webmasters) and those that visit it as a user (looking to purchase goods/services, players, parents). The second type of user to consider is a search engine (like Google, Yahoo or Bing). Both find, interact with and use your site differently. Recognize this and build your site to accommodate both.

3. Embrace content
As cliche as it may seem, content has been, and remains, king. By identifying what you want to communicate about your company/brand, how you should distribute this information, and when it will be most effective, you’ll set yourself up for success.

4. Sharable and social
While this may not have always been so in the past, today’s Internet has all but been consumed by social integration. “Being online” continues to evolve as more personal and socially-driven, and websites that embrace feedback, social media sharing and two-way dialogue will find success in this new dimension.

5. Analyzed and adjusted
Would you field a soccer team every weekend without analyzing and adjusting your lineup? No? Well, you shouldn’t do this with a website either. There are a ton of free and easy to use tools that you can use to learn what’s happening on your website. Use this data and tie your website back to your business goals, which you of course identified in secret number 1.

Click here to download the PDF. (opens in a new window)

Where do I start?

Everybody has to start someplace, because websites don’t just happen. Here are some tips to get you moving on the path to success.

1. Find a website you like.
Do a bit of research to find sites that match your company’s vision. If you can’t find an exact match, find something similar. It’s also good to identify what you don’t like in a website as well.

2. Call/email the contact listed on the site.
Usually there’s a link for “About Us” or “Contact Us”. You’ll also often find a link at the very bottom of the site that will take you to the developer directly.

3. Ask around.
If doing the homework on your own is proving daunting, ask around. Chances are that somebody in your social circle has had a part in building, updating, maintaining or using a website they’d recommend.

Click here to download the PDF. (opens in a new window)

What do I ask?

Here are some questions to ask that will help you get a good feeling for the company or web developer you’re considering.

1. Have you had experience building the type of website we want?
2. What will you do if we suggest a dumb idea?
3. When your projects run behind schedule, what is a typical reason?
4. What will the finished product include and what will it contain?
5. What other vendors and/or tools are we expected to obtain?
6. How long will you guarantee your work?
7. What do you consider to be a successful project
8. What is the cost of the website build, and what is the ongoing maintenance?

Click here to download the PDF (opens in a new window).

We hope you find this information useful. For us, giving this presentation was the culmination of a lot of months of hard work, and we were honored to be able share this at the NSCAA Convention.

If you have questions, suggestions or follow-ups, please feel free to write in the comments below or tweet us @RyanKnapp and/or @vandey01.

The 2012 NSCAA Convention could once again be called: The busiest week of my life. Here’s the play-by-play, through a few select photos from the camera on my iPhone. I’ve posted the photos in chronological order, enjoy!

Tuesday, January 10

Arrived in Kansas City and made my way over to the Kansas City Convention Center to check things out. The NSCAA National Office did such a great job with the set-up!

Wednesday, January 11

Woke up to a beautiful Kansas City sunrise and started my day with the NSCAA Board of Directors meeting. After four years, this would be my last meeting as the Women’s Committee representative to the Board of Directors, since I would become Secretary on Friday.

The cold weather couldn’t keep me away from the MLS Digital Social at Cashew Restaurant. What a great opportunity to meet people from around the league that I work with daily but rarely get to see face-to-face! In the photo above, Jarrod Morgenstern and Shawn Francis.

Thursday, January 12

The Red Aprons, honored and distinguished members of the NSCAA, led an early-morning training session with the Convention Registration volunteer staff.

The MLS team got together hours before the SuperDraft to ensure everything was organized and ready to rock. Judy Concha and I snapped a quick one with the MLS Digital sign.

If you watched the MLS SuperDraft, you may have noticed that when a team selected a player, a runner brought the card to the front of the room behind a black curtain… that’s where I was sitting so I could prepare the Official Tweet.

The Exhibit Hall Grand Opening, which happens every year on Thursday at 7pm, had a super-cool Coaches Lounge presented by MLS. We even had a Foursquare check-in special.

I snapped a pic when current President Paul Payne, incoming President Ralph Polson, Director of Education Administration Allison Pronske, College Services Manager Pat Madden, and College Women Representative to the Board of Directors John Daly, were chatting at the NSCAA booth.

The Social for Coaches of Female Athletes presented by the NSCAA Women’s Committee and Sponsored by Women’s Professional Soccer, offered a great opportunity for coaches to meet, mingle and network in a relaxed environment. It was also the perfect place for WPS CEO Jennifer O’Sullivan to address a room full of women’s soccer advocates.

Friday, January 13

What NSCAA Convention would be complete without the stress of an early-morning presentation? Ryan Knapp and I presented, “Five Secrets of Successful Soccer Websites.” And before you ask, yes, we’ll post the slides soon :-)

MLS Digital Day brought together digital, communications and marketing folks from the League and Clubs to talk about 2012 platforms and plans. I’m so excited for things to come!

After the NSCAA Annual Business meeting (where I was elected Secretary of the NSCAA!), I hustled over to the WPS Draft to catch my friends and former WPS co-workers at the tail end of their event. Above, Melanie Fitzgerald, Lisa Cole and myself.

If you’re part of the NSCAA community, the Annual Awards Banquet is a must-attend every year. Here’s our valiant CEO, Joe Cummings, at the podium.

Saturday, January 14

The NSCAA Women’s Committee hosted the Women’s Soccer Breakfast on Saturday morning with Australia Women’s National Team Coach Tom Sermanni as our Featured Speaker. Above, Lisa Cole and I with Sue Ryan, who was presented the Women’s Committee Award of Excellence sponsored by WAGS.

The Women’s Committee Open Meeting was an opportunity for coaches, administrators and managers in the women’s game to get involved in the Association.

The NSCAA VIP reception offered a thoughtful yet light-hearted goodbye to long-time Convention manager Robby Robinson and Awards Manager Jeff Farnsworth. Yes, that’s a real Kansas City barbershop quartet.

Sunday, January 15

My first official NSCAA Board of Directors meeting as Secretary of the Association resulted in absolutely no photos all day Sunday… My fingers were exhausted from all the typing. Okay, I did manage to catch this final shot of my direct flight back to SFO.

See you next year in Indianapolis!

I’m currently running for Secretary of the NSCAA. The election winner will be announced at the annual business meeting at the NSCAA Convention in Kansas City on Friday, Jan. 13, so as we’re getting closer to the event, I thought it would be good to share my answers to the 12 questions the NSCAA asks each candidate to file. This was also published in the Fall 2011 issue of Soccer Journal.

1. Years as a member: 10

2. Current position/involvement in the game of soccer: Social Media Strategist at MLS

3. Please list NSCAA Board, Committee or Academy experience: Women’s Committee Chair from 2007-present, Board of Directors from 2008-present and Premier Diploma Graduate in January 2011

4. I want to serve on the NSCAA Board of Directors because: I firmly believe in the NSCAA’s mission to advance and support the coaching of soccer for the greater good of the game. The NSCAA has been there every step of my soccer career – from coaching education to networking events and international trips. It’s been the foundation upon which so many organizations I’ve been a part of have built their livelihoods, and I welcome the opportunity to give back to the membership association that has given so much to me.

5. I feel my strongest qualifications for this position are: my deep knowledge of the Association from the board level and national office to constituent groups and general membership. I also have a strong working knowledge of the NSCAA Academy, Events, Digital and Marketing programs. I’m well versed in the American soccer community, having worked in Digital Media for both the MLS and WPS league offices, coached in the college game as the Head Coach at NYU and Graduate Assistant at The College of New Jersey, played collegiate soccer at the University of Wyoming, and spent many years coaching within the youth game. But most importantly, I’m passionate about the NSCAA.

6. During my tenure on the NSCAA Board of Directors I would like to see: the Association grow in revenue so that we can offer more extensive programming for our membership.

7. What steps would you propose the NSCAA take to improve its image and influence within the U.S. soccer community? I believe the NSCAA currently upholds a strong reputation within the U.S. soccer community, and building upon that by engaging more members in a meaningful way will increase the Association’s influence. Ways we may accomplish this include developing more non-residential courses across the country, increasing attendance at the annual convention and developing programs and events for a larger and more diverse coaching community.

8. What steps would you propose the NSCAA take to enhance its position as a leader of coaching education in the U.S.? The NSCAA has built a tremendous coaching education program. A key to enhancing its position is offering more courses and educational events that people can attend, and then effectively sharing information, dates, times and locations. I think word of mouth is our best marketing tool, for I know that every time I complete an Academy course or attend an annual Convention, I’m reenergized and excited about tackling anything this game can throw at me.

9. What steps would you propose the NSCAA take to better serve its members? The NSCAA works incredibly hard to serve its members with the resources at hand, but I think creating digital assets like online registration and internet-based educational programming is one of the greatest services we can provide for our members at present.

10. Given the current economic climate, what types of creative fiscal strategies have you observed that might be transferable and thus positively impact the NSCAA’s economic planning? At both WPS and MLS I’ve seen the true value in every dollar earned and have found that financial resources are best spent on committed and passionate people. Then, giving those employees the proper tools and support to succeed is paramount. Of course, sometimes we have to make difficult financial choices, and I’ve learned to base decisions on analytics and return on investment (ROI) whenever possible.

11. What learning experiences have you had in other organizations that you will bring to your work as a member of the NSCAA Board of Directors? I think the biggest learning experience I can bring to the Board is my diversity and empathy having worked both on the pitch and in the front office in both the men and women’s games. I’m a coach – first and foremost – and I believe in the coaches’ influence on the game at all levels. However I will do my best to support the education and enrichment of all those involved in the global game.

12. What other types of organizational experiences will you bring to your position that might be unique and contribute to the continued progress of the NSCAA? As a result of my extensive work in digital and social media I believe I can support the development of effective marketing and communications strategies, but I welcome the opportunity to help in whatever way is best for the Association.

Over the past six weeks, I’ve been on the road a ton, so just a quick check in here as my various digital/soccer journeys continue. In early March, I was in Washington D.C. where I met the fine folks at DC United and saw RFK stadium. Then I was off to Seattle for MLS First Kick and some QT with the Sounders digital team. (Check out my blog post from that trip.)

April brought a daytime journey to Earthquakes practice and lunch with their new President, David Kaval. A couple days after my April 2 birthday, I flew to Kansas City for some work with the NSCAA and time with my friends Joe, Tammy, Ryan, Chris and the rest of the gang. I was excited to get a tour of Livestrong Sporting Stadium and a 1/1 with Kyle Rogers, Kurt Austin and the Sporting communications team. Kyle is the brains behind the @ochocinco tweet that brought the NFL star to Sporting KC for a trial.

I took a Sunday morning flight to Newark for the WPS Sunday on Fox Soccer game, Sky Blue FC vs. Philadelphia Independence, at Rutgers. I even got a cameo behind the goal as Casey Noguiera whipped a free kick into the upper V.

The next week I was in New York City at the MLS league office. Worked hard, played hard with the digital crew, Chris, Greg, Bettin, Shawn, Saghini and more. Saturday night, my friends Jen, Josh, Enyo, and I braved the PATH train and ensuing downpour in Harrison, NJ, for Red Bulls vs. the Earthquakes. Even though my hometown team was downed 3-nil, I’ll go ahead and confess my obsession with Thierry Henry – I was thrilled that he scored a diving header only 50 feet away from me.

Anyhow, I’m back in San Francisco now, rocking and rolling. Here are some pics.

This blog post was originally submitted to the NSCAA blog, so this is just a summary. Click to read the original post, see more photos, and read more opinions from other candidates.

NSCAA Premier Diploma – A coach’s perspective

I attended the NSCAA Premier Diploma from January 3-9, 2011, in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and recapping the week is no easy task. From the instructors to the facilities, the NSCAA does an incredible job organizing and teaching what is the pinnacle of their Coaching Diploma program. Moreover, the learning environment is like nothing else on earth. After the course, I feel energized, inspired and excited to get back out on the pitch.

The Instructors

Binghamton University head men’s Paul Marco‘s leadership was second to none all week long. Flanked by former U.S. Men’s National Team coach and player Bob Gansler, Middlebury men’s head coach Dave Saward, Skidmore men’s head coach Ron McEachon, Embry-Riddle men’s head coach Dave Gregson and FC Dallas head coach and 2010 MLS Coach of the Year Schellas Hyndman, this group could easily be classified as a walking wikipedia of soccer knowledge. We learned strengt hs, weaknesses, opportunities and historical significance of the 4-4-2, 3-4-3, 3-5-2, and 4-3-3 systems of play.

Calgary Rangers Technical Director and fellow candidate Peter Malakoane said, “The level of the instructors is phenomenal, unbelievable really. You’re talking guys who have been in the game for a long time, and it’s not textbook knowledge. It’s real, and you can’t pay for that. It’s priceless.”

Beyond the brains and information, the instructors were certainly a dynamic crew – always available, easy to talk to and open to new ideas and thoughtful discussion. Classroom sessions with former NC State women’s head coach Laura Kerrigan and UNC Greensboro women’s assistant coach Bill Steffen rounded out an already comprehensive course dialogue with Ethics and Psychology.

Click here to read more quotes from my fellow candidates about the instructors.

The Facilities

There couldn’t be much to complain about anyway even if I tried, since our pitch was just a few steps from the door of the Holiday Inn hotel in Ft. Lauderdale.

The lush green grass, palm trees and sunshine provided the perfect backdrop for innumerable sessions where we learned and practiced systems of play in an 11-a-side setting. The food was great, and the waitstaff attended to us like five-star diners.

Ryan Hodgson, Director of Coaching and Player Development at Coon Rapids Soccer Association said, "The facilities at the Holiday Inn, Fort Lauderdale and Benedictine College, Kansas were fantastic. The meals were great and the sleeping arrangements were literally world class."

Click here to read more quotes from my fellow candidates about the facilities.

The Environment

The crux of the Premier Diploma experience is more about the incredible environment you’re engulfed in as a participant than anything else. During my week, I felt like a kid in a candy store, living, breathing, eating and sleeping soccer. It’s truly inspiring.

Faulkner women’s assistant coach Glenn Townsend said, "Not being one of the younger coaches I always ask myself, why do I keep doing these courses? And once again the course lived up to its hype. The Premier Course is different from the others as every coach in the course comes from a pretty solid soccer background. A special visit from the US Men’s U20 coaching staff and a field session from Tony DiCicco topped it off. What other word could you use then Premier?"

On Tuesday night the Academy hosts a social, offering candidates and staff the opportunity to meet and greet in an informal environment. The opportunity to share a tasty adult beverage with fellow participants and get to know the instructors one-on-one is a great ice-breaker.

Click here to read more quotes from my fellow candidates about the environment.

Summary

Every course I’ve ever taken holds a place in my memory, but the Premier Diploma truly captured a special place in my heart. I have plenty of quotes from my fellow candidates, pop over to the NSCAA blog to read more.

The 2011 NSCAA Convention, held from January 12-16 in Baltimore, MD, reach all-time attendance highs with over 10,000 registrants! This selection of photos tells my story from the week.

Wednesday, January 12

Thursday, January 13

Friday, January 14

Saturday, January 15

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind since presenting, “Social Media for Coaches,” at the 2011 NSCAA Convention in Baltimore with the one and only Ryan Knapp. A huge thank you to the NSCAA Convention Committee for inviting us to give this session, my fellow association members and convention attendees who came to watch, and all of the folks who offered insight and ideas ahead of time.

Special thanks to Mariel Wilner for always offering comprehensive feedback and inspirational ideas, and to Matt Ansbro for going out of his way to let us borrow his 4G wireless hotspot. If you’d like more information about the session, or have follow-up questions, please don’t hesitate to email me or send a tweet to @vandey01. Ryan is available too @ryanknapp.

As a follow-up to the session, I’ve uploaded the presentation which you can scroll through below. You’ll notice that most of the slides are graphic in nature (as opposed to a bunch of text), because we focused more on the discussion at hand than reading off bulleted slides. Ask Ryan what the methodology is called, he’s the king of presentations. And I’ve got to give a shout out to my first Apple Keynote deck, whereby Ryan and I controlled the slides remotely and simultaneously through our iPhones while on stage. A.MA.ZING.

To give the project a bit more flavor outside the classroom, we’ve also uploaded a .PDF that includes our presenter notes. Most of the discussion points are in here, although I will confess we went off track a couple times… I guess that’s why everybody should book their trip to the 2012 Convention in Kansas City now, to catch the real-time fumbles, folleys, feedback and fun. Enjoy!

Today is testing day at the NSCAA Premier Diploma in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

We woke up early this morning for an 8am start on the pitch and got right into it. Each candidate is given a topic they have to coach, and 15 minutes to both run a practice session and then coach that topic in an 11-a-side game. We went all the way until 5:30pm with about an hour and a half for lunch. It’s definitely the most physically taxing day here.

My topic was “coach three forwards to make runs that unbalance the defense in a 3-4-3 system of play.” I think it went okay, but I was the last person to go – so you can imagine the energy level on the pitch was really low. I was lucky though because my group worked really hard for me and I can’t thank them enough for making runs when they didn’t have anything left in the tank to give.

Also, not having coached in a while I felt a bit rusty stepping out there – but those nervous butterflies are an important part of the experience… it means you care :-)

I’m waiting in line to do my Oral Exam as I type this. Basically I’m about to go into a room with the legendary Bob Gansler and explain what system of play I like and why. It should be interesting! When I’m done, you can bet I’ll be bellied up to the bar with a cold one.

Today is picture day at the NSCAA Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. and I’m like a kid in a candy store running around taking photos. Below I’ve posted the National, Advanced National, Premier and Goalkeeper Diploma Candidates. We also got a photo with all the women, and of course more candid shots will follow when I have a moment to get them up. Enjoy!

Premier Diploma Candidates

Female Candidates among all the Courses

Goalkeeping Diploma Candidates

Advanced National Diploma Candidates

National Diploma Candidates

Above, NSCAA coaches watch a high school boy’s team for our Match Analysis session on Tuesday night.

The times are a-changin’

Even though we’ve been crazy busy at the NSCAA Premier Diploma course in Ft. Lauderdale, it’s important to note that there have been some developments in women’s soccer in the last two days.

First, April Heinrichs and Jill Ellis have been hired by U.S. Soccer to lead the overall technical program and technical development on the women’s side of the game. April is the technical director and Jill working with her as the development director. Better than the press release, check out U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati’s quote sheet where he talks about their relationship with WPS, the potential for an Academy system and roles and responsibilities of each new position.

We haven’t talked about these developments in a classroom setting yet, which I think is interesting as they’re both huge developments in the women’s side of the game. (My guess is that I’m probably the only one who’s connected to the internet 24-7 right now at a coaching academy.) But it has become bar banter since many of the coaches on the course coach girls’ or women’s teams. Generally, I’d say folks seem pleased about these developments, and optimistic about the direction the U.S. is headed with April and Jill in place.

Second, the retirement of a true soccer icon, Kristine Lilly – one of the most legendary figures in the history of women’s soccer and holder of the world record with 352 international appearances.

The Rest of Day 2

To give a wrap-up of everything that’s happened since Schellas Hyndman’s 4-4-2 would be like trying to write my life story. The NSCAA really packs a punch with this schedule, and I’ve barely even had time to Facebook (uhm, hello!? Priorities people! j/k). So here’s a quick run down for ya’all of the rest of Day 2. After I get a snooze and some grub, I’ll check back in to get you Days 3 and 4.

	Bill Steffen Team Dynamics Discussed ideas relating to group dynamics -Moving from group to team -Elements of a team -Assessing team climate -Production and performance -Team cohesion
	Bob Gansler Match Analysis – You’ve got to have Fingerspitzengefühl – When to start watching – Celebral, collective, cohesive, consistent – Three guys to know about: Dettmar Cramer, Walt Chyzowych and Rinus Michels Coaching the 3-5-2 – 1989 US U-20 (Keller, Henderson, Burns) – 1990 US World Cup (Meola, Balboa, Ramos) – 1990 German World Cup (Klinnsman, Brehme) – 2000 Kansas City Wizards (Preki, Meola) "You don’t get beat by systems, you get beat by people." – Bob Gansler
	Paul Marco Match Analysis John A. Ferguson Boys Soccer vs. St Thomas Aquinas Boys Soccer – Roles of the players – Attacking team observations – Defending team observations – Recommendations for practice session – Full session outline
The kids taking a bow post game (it ended in a 3-3 draw). Premier Course candidates and instructors