With All Due Respect…
By Joe Ulm

I have conversations with other soccer clubs and youth sports organizations regularly. In those discussions we share ideas, knowledge, and talk about ways we can lead our respective organizations well. In a recent conversation with the President of another youth organization we discussed member surveys – how to structure them, how often to do them, what to ask, etc. As we got deeper into our discussion, he revealed that his organization limited how often they asked the opinion of their members to just once per year. His reasoning was that he didn’t want to inundate members with questions, polls, and surveys; that it would be bothersome to his members if he did so. I don’t personally know his members, so his approach may be right for his organization. I’ve thought about our discussion quite a bit since we spoke, and with all due respect to him and his organization, I disagree with his general premise. Here’s why:

1. You and your kids are the ones we serve. To try to do so in the best possible way without asking for your opinion would be presumptuous – maybe even arrogant. Every leader here at PSU – Lati, Cari, Erin, Mark, me, and the Board – works hard to know every coach, parent, player, program, and event in our Club well. Yet for all of our effort, it will never be a replacement for your direct opinions. 
2. Sharing your opinion doesn’t need to be bothersome. Yes, here at PSU, it’s true we request that every member respond to our fall and spring surveys. And the feedback we receive from those is incredibly important. But I disagree that participating in a survey has to be bothersome. Rather, shouldn’t surveys be created in a way that isn’t bothersome? 
3. There’s more than one way to receive feedback. To me, this is the crux of the matter – how members can provide their opinions.

Specifically, for us to receive your opinions in a respectful way that’s convenient for you, I believe we need to:

1. Provide multiple and diverse options for you to share your opinion
2. Provide those options often
3. Provide those options with no expectations

In this way, if you have an opinion on a topic you would like to share, you have the opportunity to do so. If not, then just let it pass. No pressure.

So, as we move forward into 2021, we’ll provide multiple avenues for you to share your opinion on a variety of topics, and we’ll do so regularly. But please know that we don’t expect you to take the time to provide your opinion unless it works for you. We’ll do our best to make it easy for you to share your opinion, and you can do what works best for you. No bother. 

Because as always… we’re better together. United.