Mike Winograd Talks What Needs To Change and What We’re Doing Right, at the GotSoccer Conference
Soccer Coverage: The race for president of U.S. Soccer:
Got Soccer kicked off the U.S. Soccer presidential race with a highly professional forum allowing several candidates to express their views and answer questions — Streamed Live on Saturday 11th November.
Here is the recorded forum — and a special close up interview with candidate Mike Winograd — a USSF presidential candidate for the upcoming election.
Soccer News: Mike Winograd, a corporate attorney in New York City, is running for US Soccer Federation president in the upcoming election. Recently at the GotSoccer Conference, we interviewed Mike.
Christina Scavuzzo: If elected USSF president, what are two things you would change about youth soccer in the USA?
Mike Winograd: Alignment and the collaboration. In many cases, youth soccer has become a conglomerate of so many competing and discrete businesses that the consumer no longer knows which product is for what.
Different leagues within the same state overlap or even compete with one another. And they are not always governed by the same rules and requirements, which can create uneven playing fields.
There is no one size fits all solution to this issue.
This country is too diverse geographically, demographically to think that will work in North Carolina is the same solution that will work in California or Maine or North Dakota.
On a state by state basis, we need to rely on and work with the state associations to determine a structure in each state that will be most effective and efficient for that state, with U.S. Soccer ensuring that basic, minimum rules and standards are applied fairly and evenly throughout the structure.
And, we need to communicate that structure clearly.
We need clarity for the consumer – the parent, player, and coaches – as to where each league or component fits into the overall structure and in the process of developing players.
Also, regardless of structure, we need get all parts of the youth landscape rowing in the same direction. We must foster collaboration and coordination within and across our youth levels.
Christina Scavuzzo: What is working well?
Mike Winograd: Passion and organization. I am always so impressed with the people I know and continue to meet who volunteer their time to build players, teams, clubs, leagues, and associations. They are smart, organized, and driven.
They are part of the deep human resources in this country that I repeatedly have said must be included in U.S. Soccer’s process for making critical decisions, and they must be given the trust and freedom they have earned to continue to develop players, administer soccer, and grow soccer in this country.
Christina Scavuzzo: What key insights did you take away from the GotSoccer conference, that you would like to share with our viewers?
Mike Winograd: U.S. Soccer is at a key crossroads and we need to get this election right. It has made great strides in some areas but has lagged behind in others.
U.S. Soccer is now entering a critical next phase of growth.
It was clear at the Got Soccer conference that we all share a common passion and love for the game.
There are good ideas out there, and we need to corral them, get everyone on the same page, and forge a productive forward together.
Listening to others and responding to so many thoughtful questions at the conference was inspiring and informative. The conference left me more passionate than ever about earning this position.
