The Effort Behind Running a Soccer Club

Most people see a soccer club on game day. They see the players lined up in their kits, the coaches on the sideline, and maybe a logo or banner representing the team.

The starting eleven for this season games so far.

What they don’t see — and may never realize — is the sheer amount of effort that goes into making that picture possible. Running a club is not just about kicking a ball on the field. It’s about all the invisible work that happens before the whistle even blows. At Berryville FC, we know this better than anyone.

The first challenge is finding players and coaches. Not just anyone, but people willing to dedicate their time, often as volunteers, with no guarantee of wins, glory, or payment. It’s not easy to convince talented players to commit to something still building. And it’s even harder to find coaches who will give their time, experience, and energy to help shape a group of players into a team. Every addition to the club takes effort, conversations, and trust.

Once you have players, the next question is what league to play in. Do you start small in local leagues like APL, VSSL, WPL, NVSL, or FXA? Or do you take the big step into UPSL? Every league comes with its own registrations and fees. Nothing is free.

You fill out forms, chase deadlines, pay dues, and hope the league delivers on its promise of structured competition.

Behind every game played, there are hours of paperwork to make it possible.

Then there’s the never-ending need to find sponsors. A club cannot run without financial support, and that means knocking on doors, sending emails, making phone calls, and convincing businesses that supporting a soccer club is worth their time and money. Most will say NO. A few will say YES. But each sponsorship is a victory that helps pay for kits, league fees, and the basics that players often take for granted.

And let’s not forget about communication with players. In theory, it should be simple: send a message, get a reply.

In reality, it is one of the hardest parts of running a team. Getting players to sign waivers, register with leagues, and actually respond to availability questions often takes multiple reminders. Getting them to show up to practices and games consistently — and not back out at the last minute — requires constant management.

Without communication, a team collapses before it even steps onto the field.

There are also legal and administrative hurdles. Insurance has to be in place to cover the club and players. Without it, the risk is too high. Fields have to be found, reserved, and secured. That means talking to local cities and counties, filling out rental agreements, and often competing with other groups for time and space. More often than not, we find ourselves up against high school sports, marching band practices, and local recreation soccer leagues — all of which get first choice on fields. Too many times, we lose out simply because demand is higher than supply. Every practice and every game field comes with conversations, approvals, and sometimes last-minute changes.

Nothing is guaranteed, and the effort to secure space for the team is often one of the most stressful and unpredictable parts of running a club.

On top of that, a club has to look like a club. That means new kits for players, a proper website, a logo, and social media that tells the story of the team. Each of these takes time and effort — designing, ordering, shipping, managing online posts, and trying to engage a community that may not yet know you exist.

Then comes one of the most overlooked roles: being the objective voice for parents, players, and coaches.

Every issue, every disagreement, every moment of frustration eventually lands at the feet of the person running the club.

It means being the mediator when conflicts arise between players, between players and coaches, or even between parents and the team. It means keeping a level head, even when emotions run high, and finding solutions that keep the club moving forward.

All of this has to be channeled into something positive. The stress doesn’t go away — it gets redirected. Running a club means learning to take frustration, pressure, and exhaustion and turn it into energy that builds something lasting. Decisions have to be made constantly:

• Should we add a second team?

• Should we create a youth academy to provide a pathway for younger players?

Every new idea is exciting, but every one comes with another layer of responsibility.

And through it all, the day-to-day work never stops. Working with coaches on rosters, helping with player disputes, being the one to mediate problems — it’s endless. And let’s be honest: we all still have full-time jobs outside the club. That means long nights, late practices, weekends full of games, and hours of planning in between regular work responsibilities. The balance is never perfect, and the sacrifices are real.

So why do it?

Why take on this mountain of work for something that doesn’t always give back what you put in? The answer is simple: the vision. We believe in building more than a soccer team. We believe in building a place where players can come together, grow, and compete. A place where our community can gather around the game. A place where the work behind the scenes is worth every ounce of effort because it creates opportunities for players now and in the future.

Hector getting ready for the long ball.

Running a club is complex. It’s stressful. It’s exhausting. But it’s also meaningful. And for every hour spent chasing waivers, for every moment of frustration when players don’t show up, for every late-night field booking or sponsorship meeting, there’s a bigger picture. Our vision is bigger than the hassle. It’s about leaving something behind that will last longer than a single game, a single season, or even a single team.

That is why we do it. And that is why we’ll keep going.