5 Basic Aspects Of Club Management

The Key Aspect

Players are one of the most important aspect of every football club. Most clubs use the standard methods of calling/messaging/internet messaging to interact with the players as well as coaches. These methods are standard and are efficient but are costlier than others, which makes it difficult for smaller clubs to communicate with the players and the coaches.

Let us assume that we need to inform the two squads (Senior and Reserve) about a change in practice session schedule due to unavailability of staff; to do so using the standard methods would become quite cumbersome as it takes quite a lot of manual effort to add each member’s contact information and send the message. If one is to take care of the same task via phone calls, one may face the same issues as sending bulk messages along with the problem of added costs.

It would be easier to use internet messaging and communicate as the online chat clients provide the options to make groups, internet calls in addition to the feature of messaging personally. Connectivity to the internet can be considered as an issue as the delivery of the message depends upon the internet.

The Support Structure

Every Club has staff members who are constantly helping the members of the team in each and every manner possible.

The methods of communication used for interacting with the players are the same as the ones used to interact with the board members. Calling/messaging are the most popular methods of communication along with Emails and letters to communicate with the Board Members.

It is important to keep all the members on the same page. This can only be done when one uses multiple ways of communication to handle the same. The internet is a powerful tool which is has broken many barriers of communication and one which allows users to communicate with only two key elements, Internet connection and a device which supports it. Chat clients and specific web portals which are specifically designed for the same can be used for communication amongst board members.

The Public Image

Football is the most popular sport across the world and has been so for a while. A club in today’s date is not just evaluated on the basis of its performance on the field but off the field as well. PR activities like interacting with the press, interaction with the fans and supporters groups, giving back to the society in the form of actively participating in charity events, all help the club gain positive image.

It is easy for big clubs to gain positive PR but for smaller clubs, it is difficult as it not only costs them monetarily but these may affect the balance of the club. It is difficult to do so as multiple platforms are required to interact with the fans, press, etc.

Strategizing

A club needs to plan every activity to ensure that there are no clashes. Practice sessions should be held in a manner which gives players sufficient rest, Team Management in the terms of strategy, formations, squad selections, assigning roles (captain, free-kick and penalty takers) are all key elements which are all possible due to planning that help a team win games. PR and other off field activities need to be scheduled in a manner where in they do not shift focus from football altogether.

Big clubs can afford to plan activities in a manner which will not affect their budget but it is essential for smaller clubs to use tools to plan activities in a manner where in their budget is not affected, free tools like Google Calendar help in doing the same. All club members can use Google accounts and share a calendar which is free and simple to use.

Synchronization

Coordination amongst the members is required as it ensures fluidity in the working of the club. Be it day to day activities like organizing practice sessions or once-in-a-while activities like organizing trials during the transfer season; if coordination within the club is not up to the mark, the club and all members associated with it will suffer due to same eventually. Coordination cannot take place if there is no understanding between the club members and players; which not only requires time but also effective communication.

Every club needs to communicate internally as well as externally. Communication is the most essential element which ensures the successful operation of the club. Any club has a few basic elements to look after, regardless of its size. Coordination amongst the club’s staff and the players, planning the club’s player related activities (trails, practice sessions, physiotherapist sessions, practice matches, etc.), the interaction between the board members and the management, PR and media related activities, Match and tournament related updates; all of which will function smoothly only if communication is effective.

If a club needs to interact with the Fans, club members, give updates to the fans, interact over social media; they would require different tools to do the same. One can publish match reports, provide fans with live updates about the game, handle the press releases, communicate internally as well as externally and can scheduling fixtures and practice sessions at one location, The Football Mind portal. The ultimate decision lies upon the club, regardless of its size to take care of all the aforementioned elements; however, it would be easier to handle all at one location.