Athens Soccer Academy Final Schematic

Athens Soccer Academy
Presented to:
Tad Albano
Tod Brokaw
John Keifer
Kate Keifer
John Kiger
Presented by: Team 1B AM101
Seth Ashley
Ruyang Dong
Phil Furbay
Aaron Wheatley
Ashley Workman

Executive Summary
Current Approach
Athens Soccer Academy’s focus is to train and develop soccer players at a young age and teach them to enjoy the game. ASA
offers a youth league as well as adult recreational and competitive leagues. ASA’s home fields are located at the Athens Soccer
Complex. ASA markets itself by flyers, website promotion, word of mouth, and contact with both present and former clients.
Competitive Landscape
Athens Soccer Academy’s main competition in Athens comes form the Recreation center’s leagues, as well as the Intramural
leagues at OU. The Recreation Center offers similar services to the youth while the Intramural league is competing with ASA’s
adult league.
Key Issues
Athens Soccer Academy has several key issues that need attention. These issues include visibility, participant satisfaction, and
building adult leagues. Athens soccer academy needs to focus on improving in these areas In order to ensure the organizations
success.
Recommendations
In order for ASA to improve on the issues that need attention, we have made several recommendations. These
recommendations include: creating a logo, seeking OU volunteers who can earn practicum credit, securing more sponsorships,
developing a marketing strategy, raising the price of training sessions, hosting a soccer tournament, becoming more organized,
and continuing to hold soccer camps. With these recommendations ASA will have volunteers assisting in all aspects of
business, and will be able to address the key issues they are facing.
Financial Forecast
With the implementation of our recommendations, we believe ASA will see a significant increase in revenue. We believe the
before tax profit margin will increase approximately 48%. With the increase in the profit margin ASA will have more funding
available for expansion enabling the hiring of more employees.

Table of Contents
Introduction...............................01
Current Strategy………...…………..02
Goals………………………………...…………..…..03
Staff & Locations……………..….………..……04
Teams & Tournaments…..….…................05
Co-ed Youth League…….……...................06
Adult Leagues…………………..……….……...07
Camp & Training Sessions….…….………..08
Sponsors & Uniforms………….….………….09
Market…………………..……………..…………..10
Marketing Strategy……………..……………..11
Liability & Waiver………………..…………….12
Financials…………………. ……….……………..13
Operating Profit Margin ….………………..14
Competitive Landscape…............15
Competition………………………..................16
Competitive Advantage……..…...............18
Key Issues…………………...............19
Visibility Issues…………………....…………….20
Satisfaction Issues……………....................21
Adult League Issues……….…...................22
Recommendations…………………..23
Logo…………………………....……..…………….25
Additional Coaches…….……………………..26
Practicum Credit……….…………...............27
Volunteer Positions…..……………………….28
Recommendations Continued………………..
Advisory Board…………………..…………………..….…….32
Organization…………………..…………………..…….……..33
Apparel Store………………………………………….……....36
Marketing Strategy……………………………….……….…37
Sponsorship..……………………………………….……….….40
Training Sessions……………………………….………....….41
Host a Tournament………………………….…………….…42
Tournament Registration/Release Form…….…….45
Improve Camps…………………………………….…….......46
Recommendations for Youth Leagues…….………..49
Forecasted Performance…………..………..50
Conclusion……………………………..…………58
References……………………………..………….59
Appendix ……………………………..…………..60
Appendix A: Letter of Transmittal……………………..61
Appendix B: SWOT Analysis….……………….............62
Appendix C: Adult Survey Results…….………………63
Appendix D: Adult Survey Results....…………………64
Appendix E: Practicum Credit…………………………..65
Appendix F: Sport Management Department.....66
Appendix G: Tournament Information…………..….67
Appendix H: Tournament Information……….........68
Appendix I: ISFS & CSSA Information……………..….69
Appendix J: Soccer Flyer………………....……………….70

Introduction
1
Athens Soccer Academy was established in 2008 by Tad Albano.
Tad’s goal for ASA is to bring soccer into the lives of others at an
early age which will provide a healthy lifestyle model. One of ASA’s
main objectives is to teach good sporting practices and above all,
have fun. Sam Craig and Simon Sidi are ASA’s only employees, there
responsibilities include coaching and refereeing for the Academy.
ASA has fifty players involved in the youth teams, sixteen adult
recreation teams and two adult competitive teams composed of
approximately ten players each.
There are a number of issues that are preventing the Academy from
potential growth. By incorporating Tad Albano’s current strategy,
and reinforcing it with new procedures, Athens Soccer Academy will
increase revenue, awareness, and exposure in the soccer
community. The issues that will be addressed include
differentiation, visibility, staffing, and scheduling. In order to address
these issues, we have developed recommendations that will allow
ASA to prosper.
The major recommendations that will help ASA accomplish its goals
include creating a logo, hosting a soccer tournament, accepting
volunteers, searching for sponsors, starting a social network,
increasing training session prices, re-organization of the website, an
apparel store, and continuing soccer camps.
With the implementation of these recommendations ASA will be
able to develop, grow, and succeed in the future.

Current Strategy
Current Strategy Competitive Landscape Key Issues Recommendations Forecasted Performance
2

Current Goals Future Goals
Recruiting
Begin soccer skill instruction at an
early age
Pull in a regular stream of
players to become affiliated
with a national soccer
association
Skills
Improve players’ technical and tactical
skill development
• Increase the number of adult
practices
• Specialized training for all
athletes
Long-Term
• Teach sportsmanship and have FUN
• Establish a market
• Provide an outlet to all age
groups
• Sell equipment in the region
• Build a facility
Staff
Prepare players’ for competitive games
and promote players through coaching
and counsel
• Draw in more players
• Gain a larger coaching and
referee staff
Goals
Athens Soccer Academy is establishing many goals that it would like to achieve in the near future. ASA’s current goals
include beginning a soccer skill instruction at an early age while providing a healthy lifestyle, improving players’ technical
and tactical skill development while learning good sporting practices. The development of facilities, drawing more players,
increasing the number of coaches and referees, and selling equipment in the region are long term goals of ASA.
Mission Statement:
Athens Soccer Academy
exists to train regional
soccer players interested in
developing their soccer
skills. Players apply tactical
and technical concepts in
game situations during
small-sided games. Teams
will play in the Southeast
Ohio Soccer League (SOL)
and in regional tournaments.
3
Source: Athens Soccer Academy

ASA plays games at a variety of different locations, which
include:
•Albany Indoor
•Alexander
•Athens Soccer Complex
•Elite Sports Center-Parkersburg, WV
•Marietta Soccer Complex
•Mingo Park-Logan, OH
•Tri-C/RVSC Fields-Parkersburg, WV
Staff & Locations
Each of the staff members are coaches for the youth
competitive teams as well as referees youth competitive,
adult recreational, and adult competitive soccer.
Tad Albano
Sam Craig Simon Sidi
Staff
Locations
4

•Co-ed youth teams
•50 players
•Adult recreational teams
•This includes co-ed, women’s only and men’s only
•16 teams
•10 players on each team
•Adult competitive teams
•This includes one men’s team and one women’s team
•3-4 tournaments in the Winter between November-March
•This year is the first year adults are attending a tournament
Teams & Tournaments
Teams
Tournaments
Upcoming Tournament:
Turkey Bowl
• November 20th & 21st at Elite Sports Center in
Parkersburg, WV
• Participants include; U10, U12, U14, U16, U18, and
Adult teams
• $65 for youth, which includes 4 training sessions and
tournament entry fee
• $35 for adults, which include 2 training sessions and
tournament entry fee
5

• ASA offers teams for U8, U10, U12, U13, and U14 age
groups.
• There is a minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 kids on a
team.
• Teams have two practices a week when fields are available.
• ASA is designed to begin soccer instruction and skills at a
young age providing children with a healthy lifestyle.
• ASA also teaches good sporting practices at a young age.
Co-ed Youth League
Costs
•The cost of registration is on a per season basis
•The registration fee for U8 and U14 is $60
•The registration fee for U10, U12, and U13 is $100
Allows kids to
play in a
competitive
atmosphere
Teaches them
good
sportsmanship
Healthy
lifestyle
Teaches kids
how to work
as a team
Brings kids
together to
have fun
6

•This league has 8 teams
•There are two divisions of four teams
•Teams play 7 vs. 7
•This includes co-ed, women’s/men’s recreational and
women’s/men’s competitive teams
•These games have the offside rule
•This league has 10 teams
•There are four women’s recreational teams and four men’s
recreational teams
•There is one team of women’s competitive and one team of
men’s competitive
•Teams play 6 vs. 6
•This includes men’s recreational, men’s competitive,
women’s recreational, and women’s competitive games.
•These games do not have the offside rule
•These costs are calculated per season
•$35 for individual player
•$325 for a team
•Or $325/number of players on the roster
Adult Leagues
Saturday League Sunday League
Costs
7

Camps & Training Sessions
Camps
• Summer Solstice Soccer League
• This is a six week camp that meets once a week for three
hours.
• This past summer there were three groups of U10 and
under, a group of U12, a group of U14, and a group of
teens that participated.
• The camp has received positive feedback from
participants.
• ASA has offered two goalkeeper camps as well.
• The cost of the camp is $75 for 15 hours of training
Training Sessions
• 50 minute one-on-one training sessions.
• Participants will receive a written assessment after
their third session.
• ASA will also provides suggestions for improvement.
• For three training sessions the cost is $45
•For one training session the cost is $17
8

Sponsors & Uniforms
•ASA offers uniforms for youth teams but not for adult teams.
•They do provide penny’s for the adult teams if they are
needed.
•Tad supplies these uniforms himself as well as takes care of
them.
•Players cannot keep these uniforms.
•The sponsors listed above supply uniforms (t-shirts) for two
youth teams.
Uniforms
Sponsors
ED MAP is a leading provider of course
materials for schools, universities, and
other institutions in the education
market. ED MAP ships course
materials to over 500,000 students
located throughout the world.
Zones offers many services which
include screen printing, embroidery,
and garment printing. They also offer
promotional products that help
businesses spread the name of their
brand/company.
Gerig & Gerig is a private company
that provides legal services in the oil
well drilling business. It was
established in 1983. It has an
estimated annual revenue of less
than $500,000.
9

Under 6
6% 6 through 17
13%
18 through 24
31%25 through 44
23%
45 through 64
18%
65 and Older
9%
Athens County Demographics
Market
The highlighted sections of this pie chart indicate
the targeted age groups for ASA. This portion of
Athens County demographics is made up of 53, 572
people. According to the 2010 Leisure Market
Research Handbook, 6% of the total U.S. population
is involved in either recreational or competitive
soccer. This means that an estimated 3,214 people
in the targeted age range of Athens County are
involved in soccer (Miller, 2010).
Athens Soccer Academy currently has 230 participants (50 youth and
180 adults) which equals 7% of total market share. ASA’s low market
share is a direct result of competition from other providers, such as
OU and Athens Recreational programs and high school soccer.
Sources: Athens County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau
10

Marketing Strategy
1. Handing out
Flyers
2. Using the website
to promote new
programs
3. Word of Mouth
Strategy or “Buzz
Marketing.”
4. E-mailing
current and former
clients
Athens Soccer Academy utilizes these four techniques in their marketing strategy. Since there is no intermediary between ASA and
the consumer, they must implement their own marketing tactics to appeal directly to the customer. The only expense ASA incurs for
marketing is $60/quarter, or $240/year. This is merely .7% of revenue and 1.6% of total expenses. The only expense of ASA’s current
marketing plan is printing flyers. It is also the only tactic designed to capture new customers (besides word of mouth), because using
the website and emailing clients is designed to introduce new programs and offers for existing customers.
ASA is struggling to find an appropriate marketing strategy because of budget restrictions. This becomes an issue because marketing
is such an important tool for generating profit and failing to market effectively will keep ASA’s growth relatively stagnant. ASA’s main
priority is to promote their individual training program, followed by the women’s league, youth league, and finally the men’s league.
11

Liability & Waiver
By signing this form, I voluntarily assume all risk of
personal accident, injury, damage and/or loss as a
result of participation in the Athens Soccer Academy
program. Therefore, I agree to release Athens Local
Schools, the Athens Community Center, the Athens
Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Athens
Soccer Academy, including its officers and any local
individuals acting on behalf of these entities, from
responsibility for any and all damage or injury of any
kind as a result of my participation.
This is a copy of the first page of the adult registration form
for Athens Soccer Academy. The highlighted section of this
form releases ASA from any liability due to injury or any
other risk. Participants must sign this waiver in order to be
eligible for participation. This is a very important detail of
the registration form because liability could be a potential
problem, especially with sports.
ASA is currently a policy holder of Athens Insurance
Services. Athens Insurance Services provides business
insurance for ASA at a cost of $1,054/year.
12

REVENUE EXPENSES PRE-TAX INCOME
WINTER
• Adult League
• Youth Travel League
• Refereeing
• Training and Fall Tournament
• Youth Camp
SPRING
• Adult League
• Refereeing
• Youth Camp
SUMMER
• Adult League
• Refereeing
• Youth Camp
FALL
• Adult League
• Refereeing
• Youth Camp
$4,660
$6,858
$7,735
$15,195
TOTAL $34,448
•Equipment and Supplies (600)
•Staff (500)
•Dining and Travel (200)
•Fields and Indoor Facility Fees (1,250)
•Youth Travel League Fees (300)
•Insurance (64)
•Advertising (60)
Equipment and Supplies (600)
Staff (1,000)
Dining and Travel (420)
Youth Travel League Fees (300)
Insurance (64)
Referees (270)
Advertising (60)
•Equipment and Supplies (600)
•Staff (500)
•Dining and Travel (200)
•Insurance (64)
•Advertising (60)
•Equipment and Supplies (2,100)
•Staff (1,000)
•Dining and Travel (1,680)
•Fields and Indoor Facility Fees (500)
•Youth Travel League Fees (460)
•Insurance (864)
•Referees (540)
•Youth Tournament Fees (250)
•Advertising (60)
(2,974)
(2,714)
(1,424)
(7,454)
(14,566) =$19,882
$1,686
$4,144
$6,311
$7,741
Operating Profit Margin = 36.2%
Financials
13

$0
$2,000
$4,000
$6,000
$8,000
$10,000
$12,000
$14,000
$16,000
Winter Spring Summer Fall
Revenue
Expenses
Operating Profit
This graph illustrates the
relationship between different
operating seasons for Athens
Soccer Academy. Fall is the most
profitable in terms of revenue and
income at $15,195 and $7,741,
respectively, but also incurs the
most expenses at $7,454. Expenses
73%
Operating
Profit
27%
WINTER REVENUE
Espenses
62%
Operating
Profit
38%
SPRING REVENUE
Expenses
55%
Operating
Profit
45%
SUMMER REVENUE
Expenses
66%
Operating
Profit
34%
FALL REVENUE
These pie charts display ASA’s operating efficiency in
relation to each season. It explains how much revenue
is used for covering expenses per season. This can tell
us which seasons are most efficient in terms of
generating operating profit:
•Winter = 36.2%
•Spring = 60.4%
•Summer = 81.6%
•Fall = 50.9%
Operating Profit Margin
14

Competitive Landscape
15

 Offers a youth league for ages 5-12, a junior league ages 13-15,
and an adult league ages 16 and up
 Offers pick-up games, camps, and indoor leagues
 The participation fee is $32
 Season is September 22- October 26
 Recreation soccer plays at the Athens Soccer Complex and Ohio
University Intramural fields.
 Associated with the Ohio South You Soccer Association
 Offers discounts for families that have more than one player
playing for the recreation center
 Partners up with OU Intramural soccer to create indoor leagues
 Parents volunteer to help supervise
 Uses a blog to update information
 Offers an online website store for those would are interested in
purchasing Greater Athens Soccer Association (GASA) gear.
Recreation League
Competition
16
Source: GASA

Competition
 Ohio University offers both a recreational league and a
competitive league
 Teams consist of women’s only, men’s only and co-ed
 The competitive league has three regular season games,
with post season games depending on their performance.
 Entry fee is $40
 The recreational league has six regular season games with
no playoffs, while the competitive leagues does have playoffs
 Uses intramural league database to organize
 Outdoor soccer takes place at the Intramural fields, located
on Mill street
 Offers outdoor soccer in the fall
 7 vs. 7
 Must have 4 men and 4 women at all times if co-ed
 Offers indoor soccer in the spring
 5 vs. 5
 Must have 2 men and 3 women or 3 men and 2
women on the field at all times for co-ed
Competitive:
•Men: 24 teams
•Women: 4 teams
•Coed: 20 teams
Recreational:
• Men: 8 teams
•Women: 0 teams
•Coed: 20 teams
Intramural League
17
Source: OU Intramural Sports

Competitive Advantage
Recreation League Intramural League
Advantages for ASA
• Offers a variety of training sessions
• Top quality coaching and referees
• Opportunity to play other teams regionally to
increase competition
• Allows players to compete competitively
within the region
• Offers Adult leagues
Disadvantages for ASA
• Recreation soccer is cheaper
• Not an affiliated league
• Recreation soccer has many parents volunteer
•Offers a discount for families that have more
than one participant
• Intramural soccer is cheaper
• Intramural soccer is more convenient for
students at Ohio University
•Uses an online database to organize the
league
18

Key Issues
19

Visibility Issues
Differentiation
ASA’s website and the
Greater Athens Soccer
Association’s website
are nearly identical.
Since the websites are
so similar people will
expect similar
experience in both
leagues. The website
fails to set ASA apart
from the recreation
league.
Website Logo &
Image
Organization
ASA’s website is
currently unorganized
making it easy to get
lost when browsing. As a
result users can be
turned away. A website
says a lot about an
organization; a well
structured website
suggests a well
structured program.
Differentiation
ASA fails to separate
itself from Athens
Recreational and
Intramural Soccer.
ASA has no symbol
or icon that is
recognizable to the
public.
20

Satisfaction Issues
Coaches
When surveying the
women's league many
of the competitors
complained about the
lack of training they
receive. They expressed
a desire to improve but
ASA is currently
understaffed to provide
additional coaching.
Referees
More are needed to
avoid overworking the
current referees.
Unreliable
A major complaint in
the adult league was
scheduling. Teams
complained about
showing up to play a
game and being the
only team there. The
scheduling is lacking
organization, which
is causing
dissatisfaction.
Staffing Scheduling Competition
Performance
When talking to parents
and participants a main
concern was
performance. Many
women in the adult
league wanted to be
better prepared when
facing competition.
Parents worry their
children will get
discouraged and quit
playing soccer.
21

Adult League Issues
Visibility
When speaking to a
participant in the men’s
league he did not even
know if he was playing
in an ASA league. ASA
fails separate itself from
its competition
decreasing even word of
mouth advertisement.
Marketing
ASA is failing to reach
OU students. There is a
significant amount of
potential players at OU
who have never heard
of the academy.
Reaching
OU
22

Recommendations
23

Recommendations
Lack of Visibility
and Ineffective
marketing
Create a new logo
New marketing
strategy
Host a soccer
tournament
Limited Resources
and Poor
allocation of
resources
Obtain
Sponsorship
Utilize volunteer
positions
Tough
Competition
Offer a well-managed
and competitively
priced summer camp
Limited Business
Experience
Utilize
practicum credit
Re-organization
Poor
Communication
Newly
structured
website
Key Issues Key IssuesRecommendations Recommendations
24

Create a New Logo
There are several important aspects to the design of this logo. The shape is
very well-known and widely used in the soccer community. Several popular
clubs and academies use these styles, as you can see below. The shape is
important because it automatically associates ASA as a soccer organization.
Another important piece of this visual is that it represents ASA’s
commitment to serving both men and women. Several clubs are either all
men or all women– but ASA positions themselves to offer boys and girls, or
men and women, an equal opportunity to enjoy the game of soccer.
One of the most important success factors in any industry is brand
recognition. Although ASA is a service provider, they still need an easily
recognizable and effective logo.
A company’s logo is often the first thing that any audience sees – and first
impressions can leave a lasting impact in the minds of potential consumers.
It can be used as a marketing tool to help ASA become more distinguished.
The logo should be all over Athens and surrounding cities– website, flyers,
emails, t-shirts, banners, etc.
25

Additional Coaches
The Athens Soccer Academy should consider hiring two new paid
coaches in the spring. Doing this will allow each of the youth
teams to have their own coach. There are many benefits of having
more coaches. This will allow the players to receive more hands
on instruction from someone that will see them improve and
make progress throughout the season. It will also allow the youth
players to become more competitive between each other.
Having a variety of coaches will expand the program allowing
them to network within the soccer community. This will also
make ASA more appealing to the public. The current participants
will be more satisfied with additional coaches for ASA teams.
Costs
• Youth fees will increase by 20%
• Spring season will cost $1,000
• Summer season will cost $500
• Fall season will cost $1,000
• (2011/2012) Winter season will cost $500
Benefits
Make teams more competitive
• Each youth team will have their own coach
• Hands on instruction
• Make ASA more appealing to the public
26
We figured it could take time to find coaches so we started forecasting
the financials of having new coaches in the spring of 2011.

Practicum Credit
The Sport Management Department will allow students to
receive practicum credit through volunteering for ASA.
•Students can receive 1-5 credits hours of practicum on
a quarterly basis. Each students needs one credit to
graduate but can receive up to five credits during their
undergraduate career.
•For every 20 hours of work students perform, they will
receive one credit towards practicum.
These positions would not only be for Sport Management
students, but also for any student who would like to volunteer
their time to contribute to the success of Athens Soccer
Academy.
In order to set up a program for students to receive practicum
credit for volunteering, we will need to define what the
students will be doing. ASA will provide students the
opportunity to receive practicum credit by obtaining a position
as one of the following; marketing coordinator, finance
coordinator, sponsorship coordinator, media coordinator,
concessions coordinator, merchandise coordinator, volunteer
coach or volunteer referee. (See Appendix E for contact
information)
Marketing Coordinator
Finance Coordinator
Sponsorship Coordinator
Media Coordinator
Concessions
Coordinator
Merchandise
Coordinator
27

Volunteer Positions
Marketing
Coordinator
• The marketing coordinator will be
in charge of increasing the
awareness of Athens Soccer
Academy in the Athens
community, Ohio University
community, and surrounding
cities.
• Responsibilities include:
• Develop a marketing plan to
promote ASA
• Conduct marketing research on
how to target different age
groups
• Create handouts and flyers to
distribute around Athens and
surrounding cities
• Coordinate events that will help
increase awareness such as a
possible fundraising event
Sponsorship
Coordinator
• The sponsorship coordinator will
be responsible for contacting
businesses to sponsor ASA.
• Recruit businesses to sponsor
ASA uniforms
• Find sponsors who would like to
promote their businesses on
ASA’s website as well promote
their business by purchasing
signage that will appear on the
home field of ASA
• Recruit businesses to sponsor
tournaments, camps, and
training sessions that ASA will
hold
28

Volunteer Positions
Business
Operations
Coordinator
• The business operations
coordinator will be
responsible for all of the
business aspects of ASA.
• Maintaining up-to-date
financial information
• Assist in creating a budget
for ASA for each individual
season
• Keep all financial records
• Ensure all payments are
made
Media Coordinator
• The media coordinator will be
in charge of maintaining the
website.
• Manage website as well as
make sure it is kept up-to-date.
• Create advertisements for the
website to market upcoming
seasons and/or tournaments
• Maintain a player information
database separated by teams
29

Volunteer Positions
Concessions
Coordinator
• The concessions coordinator
will be in charge of providing
participants and fans with
food and beverages during
the games.
• Set-up, maintain, and tear
down the concession stand
during home games
• Maintain a database with
concession inventory, costs,
and sales
Merchandise
Coordinator
• The merchandise coordinator
will be responsible for
merchandise design and
orders.
• Design merchandise for players
and fans to purchase
• Order new merchandise when
necessary
• Distribute the merchandise
orderings to customers
• Maintain a database with
information containing order
information, inventory, costs,
and sales
30

Volunteer Positions
Coaches
• Coaches help the youth to
develop their soccer skills,
promote teamwork,
encourage sportsmanship,
and most importantly allow
the kids to have fun.
• Regularly attend games and
practice sessions
• Maintain a safe
environment for the youth
• Be responsible for children
until back in their guardians
care
• Attend necessary coaches
meetings.
• Be able to administer basic
first aid
Referees
• Referees are the arbiters of
the game, they are
responsible for making sure
players are following the
rules.
• Knowing the rules of soccer
• Making sure that all players
follow the rules
• Have the endurance to
referee a full soccer game
• Keeping track of game time
31

Advisory Board
On a voluntary basis, parents and volunteers from the
community can meet with Tad to provide advice and
guidance to the ASA program.
This will make the organization stronger as a whole
because parents and volunteers will be able to offer
input on what they believe is going well in the
organization, what is not going well, and what needs to
be changed in order for ASA to be successful.
To gain a greater understanding of the
organization
To give input on decisions
To participate in developing goals for
the Academy
To become an active member of the
organization
To educate parents
To assist with rules, training programs,
fundraising, sponsorship, and
marketing of ASA
To provide a way for ASA to solve
problems
Purpose of
the
Advisory
Board
32

Organization
Building a field maintenance schedule
Creating a referees/volunteers sign-up sheet
Parents organizing snacks for the kids at games/practices
Organize volunteers for fundraisers
Practice times for adult and youth leagues
Reduce last minute changes
There are many different ways Athens Soccer Academy can
improve their organization. These include changes to: scheduling,
practices, volunteering, and last minute notifications. Improving
the organization of ASA will create new opportunities for parents
and friends to help volunteer in different areas. Some of our
suggestions to improve the organization of ASA are:
One of the main suggestions that was given to us by a
member on the women’s adult recreation league was to
decrease the last minute changes. This can be done by
having people subscribe to the website and join an email
list. A mass email will be sent out to team members to
notify them of upcoming events, informing them when
practices/games are cancelled. As a result, participants
and parents will become more satisfied with last minute
changes.
33

Organization
The current website is unorganized. The
overload of information on the website
makes it overwhelming. It is also very
cluttered, which makes it hard for users to
navigate throughout the website. This can
turn people away from the organization.
One of the main problems with the website
is the navigation bar. It does not organize the
information as well as it could. Instead of
separating the adult leagues into Saturday
and Sunday leagues, it should be categorized
as recreational and competitive.
There is also unnecessary information on the website’s navigation bar
that is taking up too much space, such as the maps. Instead of listing
maps, with all of the locations, the website should list maps and
make the link clickable, which will then show outdoor and indoor
maps. From there, viewers can see maps of all the locations. This
would not only make the website look cleaner but would make it
much easier to navigate. An example of this is located on the right.
Youth Leagues
Adult Leagues
Training Camps
Tournaments
Outdoor Maps
Indoor Maps
Maps
34

Organization
There should also be a navigation bar for training, camps,
and tournaments. Instead of relaying this information
throughout the website they should have their own
categories, this would make training, camps, and
tournaments easier to locate.
Each team should have access to a printable schedule. This
will not only help organize ASA, but will also help players and
their parents organize their schedules.
A roster would not only make ASA’s website more professional,
but will also make players feel more like they are a member of
the organization.
35

Apparel Store
Women’s Long-sleeve compression
T-shirt
$29.99
Short-sleeve compression T-Shirt
$24.99
Children’s 100% Cotton T-shirt
$9.99
Children’s Ultra Cotton Ringer
T-shirt
$9.99
Men’s Dry-Mesh Sport Shirt
$29.99
Pullover Hooded Sweatshirt
$29.99
Participants, parents, and fans of participants can now wear
clothing with the ASA logo. They will now be able to
represent their soccer organization by sporting one of these
fantastic t-shirts!
An apparel store will also create greater brand awareness of
the Academy, resulting in more participants. Those who do
not know about the Academy will now get the chance to see
who ASA is by the marketing of ASA’s very own participants.
The more people that know about ASA the better chance of
having more participants there will be.
Located on the right are samples of articles of clothing ASA
Apparel store can sell. Since it is only the beginning of ASA
apparel, we chose just a few simple articles of clothing.
There is a t-shirt for each gender as well as age. If the
Apparel store experiences success, then future articles of
clothing and accessories will be made.
The prices are marked up by 50%. This is taking into
consideration the purchase of the clothing as well as the cost
of printing the logo onto the t-shirts.
36

Marketing Strategy
ASA’s target market should focus on adult participants,
especially for competitive teams. Since there is only one adult
men’s competitive team and one adult women’s competitive
team, this is the area that needs to recruit the most
participants.
In order to do so we will do the following:
Using sponsorships to market and brand the Academy
Create fliers and handouts to distribute throughout Athens
and surrounding cities (See Appendix J to view example flyer)
Use social networking to get information out
Create handouts and flyers to post around campus as well as
in businesses in cities around Athens
Reach out to people in the Athens community as well as those
at Ohio University. These will include:
Clubs at OU (especially Sport Business Association, see
Appendix F for more information)
Companies
Churches
High Schools
Current youth participants parents
OU faculty and staff
Intramural participants
International students
37

Marketing Strategy
Social Networking
There is also an opportunity on facebook to advertise ASA
using facebook ads, which is available at whichever cost ASA
chooses. The only limitation is the minimum budget, which is
$1.00 per day.
Located below is what facebook ads can do for ASA:
Source: Facebook Advertising
Reach Your Target
Customers
Connect with over 500 million
customers
Choose audience by location, age, and
interest
Image or text based ads are available
Deepen Your
Relationships
Promote ASA by the use of a
facebook page or fan page
Users will be able to “like” the group
ASA or like your posts on the page
Build an ASA community within
facebook
Control Your Budget
Set budget daily
Adjust budget daily
Pay facebook when people click on your
page or see your add
Facebook is one of the top social networking websites
with millions of users that share information everyday.
Creating a facebook page is easy and available to ASA at
no cost. This is an especially easy way to target college
students. Users will be able to obtain the latest news,
interact with ASA on a personal basis, and provide
feedback to ASA on their facebook page.
38

According to our survey, which is located on the right, 91% of male
international students like to watch soccer games and 82.5% of
male international students would like to play soccer
International Student & Faculty Services (ISFS) usually holds soccer
games during the international students orientation. However,
since they do not have contact with the Athens recreation center,
they could only hold small and informal games in Ping Center. It is a
good opportunity to co-organize the soccer games with ISFS to gain
greater awareness for ASA.
By reaching out to members of Chinese Student and Scholar
Association (CSSA), ASA could enlarge their current market. Several
international students said they would be interested in playing more
competitive soccer in a well-organized league such as ASA’s winter
indoor league in Albany’s indoor facility. (See Appendix I for contact
information)
Marketing Strategy
你爱看足
球赛？你
爱踢足球
么？
Target International Students
39

Sponsorship
Perk’s is interested in sponsoring Athens Soccer Academy. As we met the
General Manager of Perk’s, he told us that he would be interested in
helping because it is part of the Athens Community, but he was not sure
how much he will be able to contribute. We gave him a flyer to help
show the different ways they could help sponsor. Some of the ideas we
offered included:
•Providing uniforms for a team, which will have your logo on the shirts.
• Donate food/beverages for a tournament
• Host a tournament in Perk’s name
• Create a banner with Perk’s logo to hang up at the soccer field
Below is an example of the sponsorship letter we
gave to a variety of different businesses in Athens.
Perk’s Coffee House & Roastery
49 South Court Street
Athens, OH 45701-2811
(740) 594-7375
40

Training Sessions
Session Price Sessions
Taught
Profit
Current $17 45 $765
Recommended $25 45 $1,125
Increased Profit $360
When considering a training session $17 for a 50 minute
session is underpriced. If the price for and individual session
was raised to $25 there would be a $360 increase in the
individual session profits. Because $25 is still a reasonable
price for a 50 minute session we do not believe it will have
an adverse effect on the number of participants.
Session Price Sessions
Taught
Profit
Current $15 45 $675
Recommended $22 45 $990
Increased Profit $315
Individual Session Three Session (Discounted)
The current price for one session when purchasing the
three session package is $15. If the package price was
increased from $45 to $65 ($7 more per 50 minute
session) there would be $315 increase in the three session
package profits. We do not expect a decrease in
participants because the sessions are reasonably priced.
Total increase in profits of
$675
Financials
41

Host a Tournament
Athens Soccer Academy can host a youth tournament
at the Athens Soccer Complex. This will allow for ASA
to create greater brand awareness and network with
other Soccer Clubs and Academy’s in the area. It will
also bring in revenue for ASA.
We have contacted Marietta Soccer League and SAY
Soccer to get their input about tournaments. Each of
those Soccer Associations are willing to come to
Athens for a tournament. Also, they are each willing to
help Athens Soccer Academy organize and recruit
participants. (See Appendix F&G for contact
information)
Youth Soccer
Tournament
Increase
awareness
Competitive
environment
for players
Increase
revenue
Broaden
ASA’s
network
Tournament Information
42
Youth Soccer Tournament Layout
• $300 per team
• Gender: Male and Female
• Age Group(s): U10,U14
• Facility Type: Indoor/Outdoor
• Application Deadline: February 28st 2011
• Tournament Date: March 2011
• Contact: Tad Albano
tad@athenssocceracademy.com

Host a Tournament
Group A Group B
TEAM 1
• 10:00am Vs. Team 2 (Field 1)
• 12:00pm Vs. Team 3 (Field 1)
Team 2
Team 3
TEAM 4
Team 5
Team 6
20 minute half’s, two 2 minute time outs, one 1 minute timeout, shootout if game is tied
Tournament Structure
43
4pm--- Winner of Group A Vs. Winner of Group B (Field 1)
4pm--- 2nd place of Group A Vs. 2nd place of Group B (Field 2)
6pm--- 3rd place of Group A Vs. 3rd place of Group B (Field 1)
U10 will play on Saturday and U14 will play on Sunday
This will be the same structure for both days

Host a Tournament
Revenue:
Team Fees (a) $3,600
Sponsorship (b) 200
Expenses:
Referees (c) 520
Field Rental
Maintenance
T-Shirts (d) 840
Brochures (e) 30
Trophies (f) 280
Total Expenses 1,670
Operating Profit: $2,130
(a) $300/team X 12 teams
(b) $200 for logo on t-shirt, brochure, banner
(c) $20/referee/game X 26 referee slots
(d) $6/shirt X 10 players/team X 12 teams
(e) $.25/brochure X 120 brochures
(f) $7/trophy X 40 trophies (1st & 2nd place)
This tournament will not only generate revenue, but it would also help
ASA begin networking with other clubs in the soccer community. It
would require a great deal of responsibility and professionalism, but
would provide excellent exposure for ASA as they continue to grow.
The tournament would also provide ideas for future recommendations
and business strategies. As you can see, profit is not the only benefit
for hosting this tournament, but the experience and insight will be
priceless.
(b) (f)
Tournament Financials
44

Tournament Registration/Release Form
Youth Tournament Registration/Release Form
Hosted By: Athens Soccer Academy
March 19, 2011
Participant Information
Participant’s Name ___________ Birth Date__/__/__
Township______________ School______________ M/F
Team/Club_______________ Home Phone__________
List any soccer skills you want to improve: __________
____________________________________________
Parent/Contact Information
Mother’s Name______________ Cell Phone__________
Father’s Name_______________ Cell Phone__________
Mother/Father Email Address _____________________
Emergency Contact (other than parent)_____________
Emergency Contact Phone Number _____________
Participant Medical Information
List any physical or psychological conditions which ASA should be
made aware of:
____________________________________________________
I hereby agree that the information provided above is accurate:
Parent /Guardian Signature ______________________ Date __/__/__
Print Name ____________________Relationship __________________
Youth Tournament Registration/Release Form
Hosted By: Athens Soccer Academy
March 19, 2011
RELEASE STATEMENT
NOTE: THE STATEMENT SHOULD BE SIGNED BY PARENT/GUARDIAN FOR MINOR
PLAYER; AN ADULT PLAYER FOR HIM/HERSELF.
I, the parent/guardian of the Registrant, a minor, or adult Registrant of legal
age, agree that I and the Registrant will abide by the rules of the ASA and their
sponsors. Recognizing the possibility of physical injury associated with soccer
and in consideration for the ASA accepting the Registrant for their soccer
tournament, I hereby release, discharge and/or otherwise indemnify the ASA,
their affiliated organizations, sponsors, employees, officers, directors, and
associated personnel, including the owners of the fields and facilities utilized
for the Programs and the drivers who provide transportation for the Programs,
against any claim by or on behalf of the Registrant or brought by any third
party as a result of injury to the Registrant, as a result of the Registrant’s
participation in the Programs and/or being transported to or from the same,
which transportation I hereby authorize. I further certify that my son or
daughter has my permission to participate in the Programs and that he/she is
covered by personal health/accident insurance. Additionally, I hereby give
permission for any and all medical attention necessary to be administered to
the Registrant in the event of an accident, injury, sickness, etc. under the
direction of the Registrant’s coach or assistant coach, until such time as I may
be contacted. I hereby release, discharge and otherwise indemnify ASA, their
owner, employees, and directors, for any medical attention or treatment
provided to the Registrant by them, any claim against them for reasonable
medical treatments which they have authorized, and any claim against them
for the failure to provide medical care. I also hereby assume the responsibility
for the payment of all such medical treatment.
Parent/Legal Guardian Signature___________________ Date__/__/__
Print Name _____________________________________
Front Back
45

Improve Camps
Athens Soccer Academy received positive feed back from this
past years Summer Solstice Soccer League Camp. Since they
received positive feedback, ASA should host more soccer camps
throughout the year.
The camps that could be offered can emphasize goal training,
foot skills, and speed/agility. These camps can help recruit
players that have never played soccer before. Offering different
skill level camps will allow participants to learn soccer at a pace
that they can keep up with and still feel comfortable. Some of
the benefits a soccer camp will offer for Athens Soccer Academy
include:
Increase revenue/profit margins
Increase visibility in the soccer community
ASA will become more multi dimensional by offering more services like camps, tournaments, and leagues
Allows players to learn how to utilize skills during a game
Receive quality instruction with players on the same skill level
Camp Information
46

Improve Camps
DAYS: Monday - Thursday
TIMES: 6-10 yr. olds 9am-12pm
11-14 yr. olds 12-3pm
DATE: July 2011
LOCATION: Athens Soccer Complex
HOUR 1: Basic skills, lessons, technical and tactical motions,
and drills to get warmed up
HOUR 2: Dribbling, passing, shooting, and goal keeping
15 MINUTE BREAK: This will allow the kids to get a drink of
water and eat a quick snack
HOUR 3: Scrimmage to work on the skills and fundamentals
that were incorporated in the camp
*Please provide your own shin guards, cleats, balls, water, and snacks.
The Summer Solstice Soccer League will help benefit the players
in the Athens Community. It allows players to develop and utilize
their skills in a controlled environment. This will help players and
teams prepare for competition. This is a good way for youth to
receive instruction with groups of participants on the same
playing level.
Camp Structure
47

Improve Camps
(a) $100 X 40 participants
(b) $150 X 2 coaches for 24 hours work
(c) $90 for 20 cones, 5 youth balls, and 8 penny’s
(d) $6/shirt X 30 kids + 5 extra
(e) $200 for miscellaneous awards/raffles/etc
(f) $.25/brochure X 40 brochures
An Athens Soccer Academy summer camp is a great way to
generate profit, especially since there’s only one other
youth camp in the area (which is the recreation’s camp,
competitively priced at $110). With the growth of ASA, we
feel as if Tad can get at least 40 participants with the help
of proper marketing and promotion.
SOCCER CAMP PROMOTION
•ASA should promote this camp with special offers such as:
•Sign up 1 camper, register the 2nd for half-price
•Register before July 1 and receive $20 off.
MARKETING
•ASA should target campers who:
•Are in Athens elementary/middle schools
•Also sign up for the Athens Recreation camp
•Currently participate in ASA or REC leagues
Revenue: (a) $4,000
Expenses:
Coaches (b) 300
Equipment (c) 290
T-shirts (d) 210
Trophies/awards (e) 200
Brochures (f) 10
Total Expenses: 1010
Operating Profit $2,990
Camp Financials
48

Recommendation for Youth Leagues
Youth needs more practices before the start of the season
Parents feel that other teams are more prepared
Have home games during the season
Youth teams are playing too many games in one day.
When the game is away, have only one unless it is a tournament
If there has to be two games in one day, try to make some of those take place at the home field
Keep information up-to-date on the website
Less last minute changes
More practices and better organization
Plan to build a facility the future
Through designing and implementing a survey to give to the parents of players on the ASA Youth Leagues, we discovered that
there are many things that the parents would like to see changed or improved. The parents of the Youth League had many
suggestions for ASA and how they should change in the near future. Below are suggestions from parents that can contribute to
the success of ASA:
49

Forecasted Financial Performance
50

Pre-Recommendation Financials
E2010 Budget 2011
Fall Winter Spring Summer Fall TOTAL
Revenue:
Adult League 5,145 1,500 2,573 3,860 5,145 13,078
Youth Travel League 3,990 2,660 2,660 3,990 9,310
Refereeing 4,500 1,125 1,125 4,500 6,750
Training & Fall Tournament 1,560 500 500 500 1,560 3,060
Youth Camp 2,250 2,250
Net Revenue 15,195 4,660 6,858 7,735 15,195 34,448
Operating Expenses:
Equipment & supplies 600 600 600 600 2,100 3,900
Staff 1,000 500 1,000 500 1,000 3,000
Dining & travel 1,680 200 420 200 1,680 2,500
Fields & indoor facility fees 500 1,250 500 1,750
Youth travel league fees 460 300 300 460 1,060
Insurance 864 64 64 64 864 1,056
Referees 540 270 540 810
Youth tournament fees 250 250 250
Advertising 60 60 60 60 60 240
Net Operating Expenses 5,954 2,974 2,714 1,424 7,454 14,566
Pretax Income 9,241 1,686 4,144 6,311 7,741 19,882
51

Winter Spring Summer Fall TOTAL
Revenue:
Adult League 3,400 4,250 5,950 8,500 22,100 (a)
Youth Travel League 2,660 3,300 5,000 10,960 (b)
Refereeing 1,125 1,125 4,500 6,750 (c)
Tournaments 3,800 1,560 5,360 (cc)
Training 750 750 750 750 3,000 (d)
Web Site Sales 390 325 130 390 1,235 (dd)
Youth Camp 4,000 4,000 (e)
Net Revenue $11,000 $9,750 $11,955 $20,700 $53,405
Operating Expenses:
Equipment & supplies 600 600 890 2,100 4,190 (f)
Staff 500 2,000 1,000 2,000 5,500 (g)
Dining & travel 200 420 200 1,680 2,500 (h)
Fields & indoor facility fees 1,250 500 1,750 (i)
Youth travel league
fees 300 300 460 1,060 (j)
Insurance 64 64 64 864 1,056 (k)
Referees 520 270 540 1,330 (l)
Youth tournament fees 250 250 (m)
T-Shirts 1,400 700 1,190 1,400 4,690 (n)
Miscellaneous 310 210 520 (o)
ASA custom apparel 195 163 65 195 618 (p)
Advertising 150 150 150 150 600 (q)
Net Operating
Expenses $5,489 $4,667 $3,769 $10,139 $24,064
Pretax Income $5,511 $5,083 $8,186 $10,561 $29,341
(a) An additional 3 teams in Winter to account for the international
students interested in ASA indoor league. An additional 2 teams in
other seasons to account for increased marketing towards adults.
Also an increase of $10 per player for custom team shirts.
(b) An increase of $20 per player for hiring additional coaches
(c) Remains the Same
(cc) Fall tournament remains the same – Additional revenue from
hosting Winter Tournament ($3,600 team fees + 200 sponsorship –
see pg. 44 for specific tournament financials
(d) Increased training fees to $25/session and $65/3 sessions while
keeping number of sessions constant
(dd) Estimated 10% of total participants purchase sweatshirt in winter,
compression shirt in spring, t-shirt in summer, and long-sleeve
compression shirt in fall.
(e) $100/participant X 40 participants
(f) Increase of $290 in summer for purchase of soccer camp
equipment package including soccer balls, cones, and penny's
(g) Double the expense to account for hiring additional youth coaches.
(starting in Winter to allow time to find coach)
(h) Remains the Same
(i) Remains the Same
(j) Remains the Same
(k) Remains the Same
(l) Increase to account for hosting Winter Tournament (refer to pg. 44
for specific tournament financials)
(m) Remains the Same
(n) $7/person for custom-made team t-shirts in adult leagues +
$7/person for Winter Tournament & Summer Camp
(o) Trophies and Brochures – refer to pg. 44 for specifics
(p) Cost of ordering custom ASA apparel per amount ordered
(q) $100 for flyers/season + $50 for Facebook advertising
Forecasted Post-Recommendation Budget 2011
52

Revenue:
Adult League 3,400 5,100 6,800 9,350 24,650 (a)
Refereeing 1,125 1,125 4,500 6,750 (c)
Tournaments 3,800 1,560 5,360 (cc)
Training 750 750 750 750 3,000 (d)
Web Site Sales 390 325 130 390 1,235 (dd)
Youth Camp 4,000 4,000 (e)
Net Revenue $11,000 $10,600 $12,805 $21,550 $55,955
Operating Expenses:
Equipment & supplies 500 500 500 500 2,000 (f)
Staff 500 2,000 1,000 2,000 5,500 (g)
Dining & travel 200 420 200 1,680 2,500 (h)
Youth travel league
fees 300 300 460 1,060 (j)
Insurance 64 64 64 864 1,056 (k)
Referees 624 324 648 1,596 (l)
T-Shirts 1,400 840 1,330 1,540 5,110 (n)
Advertising 180 180 180 180 720 (q)
Net Operating
Expenses $5,523 $4,791 $3,549 $8,817 $22,680
Pretax Income $5,477 $5,809 $9,256 $12,733 $33,275
(a) An additional 2 teams in Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons to
account for increased marketing towards adults. No additional
increase in Winter due to limited facilities
(f) Reduction in equipment and supplies expense back to normal
because soccer camp equipment can be re-used as well as
indoor/outdoor soccer goals
(l) Increase 20% per quarter to account for increased adult league
participation
(n) Increase in T-shirt expense to account for increased adult league
participation ($7/ 2 new teams of 10 members)
(q) Increased 20% to support marketing efforts/promotions
53

Revenue:
Adult League 3,400 5,950 7,650 10,200 27,200 (a)
Refereeing 1,125 1,125 4,500 6,750 (c)
Tournaments 3,800 1,560 5,360 (cc)
Training 750 750 750 750 3,000 (d)
Web Site Sales 468 390 156 468 1,482 (dd)
Youth Camp 4,000 4,000 (e)
Net Revenue $12,818 $12,615 $13,681 $23,578 $62,692
Operating Expenses:
Staff 1,250 2,500 1,250 2,500 7,500 (g)
Dining & travel 200 420 200 1,680 2,500 (h)
Youth travel league fees 300 300 460 1,060 (j)
Insurance 64 64 64 864 1,056 (k)
Referees 749 389 778 1,915 (l)
T-Shirts 1,400 980 1,470 1,680 5,530 (n)
Advertising 216 216 216 216 864 (q)
Net Operating Expenses $6,473 $5,564 $3,988 $9,662 $25,687
Pretax Income $6,345 $7,051 $9,693 $13,916 $37,005
(a) An additional 2 teams in Spring, Summer, and
Fall seasons to account for increased marketing
towards adults.
(b) Increased Winter fees $20 for coaches +
revenue from an additional youth team in each
season as ASA grows
(dd) Increase 20% as ASA’s brand recognition and
popularity increases
(g) Increase staff for coaches in winter + additional
coach for new team
(l) Increase 20% as ASA’s adult league continues
growing
(n) Increase to account for 2 additional adult league
teams
(p) Increase 20% to account for increase in web site
sales
(q) Increase 20% to market individual training
sessions and ASA brand
54

(d) With diminishing growth in the adult and youth
soccer leagues, ASA
should be able to generate more profit from
individual training sessions
(g) Staff expense will increase because another coach,
in addition to Tad,
will be needed to fill the demand for training
programs
(q) Increase 20% to market individual training sessions
and ASA brand
Revenue:
Adult League 3,400 5,950 7,650 10,200 27,200 (a)
Refereeing 1,125 1,125 4,500 6,750 (c)
Tournaments 3,800 1,560 5,360 (cc)
Training 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 6,000 (d)
Web Site Sales 468 390 156 468 1,482 (dd)
Youth Camp 4,000 4,000 (e)
Net Revenue $13,568 $13,365 $14,431 $24,328 $65,692
Operating Expenses:
Staff 1,500 2,750 1,500 2,750 8,500 (g)
Dining & travel 200 420 200 1,680 2,500 (h)
Youth travel league fees 300 300 460 1,060 (j)
Insurance 64 64 64 864 1,056 (k)
Referees 749 389 778 1,915 (l)
T-Shirts 1,400 980 1,470 1,680 5,530 (n)
Advertising 259 259 259 259 1,037 (q)
Net Operating Expenses $6,766 $5,858 $4,281 $9,955 $26,860
Pretax Income $6,802 $7,507 $10,150 $14,373 $38,832
55

$0
$10,000
$20,000
$30,000
$40,000
$50,000
$60,000
$70,000
Current 2011 2012 2013 2014
Revenue
Expenses
Profit
2011 2012 2013 2014
Revenue 55% 4.8% 12% 4.8%
Expenses 65.2% (5.8%) 13.3% 3.8%
Profit 47.6% 13.4% 11.2% 4.9%
This graph illustrates the forecasted financial trends
through the year 2014. Revenue and profit are
nearly proportional in growth, while expenses tend
to fluctuate. The initial growth in the first year
(relative to the current budget) has the highest
margin increase because our recommendations
were formulated to make an immediate impact.
Implementing our recommendations will promote a
growth strategy that provides both short-term and
long-term solutions. After year 4, however, the
growth rate begins to diminish due to an insufficient
market size.
Forecasted Post-Recommendation Trends
56

30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Current 2011 2012 2013 2014
OperatingMargin
Operating Profit Margin Trends
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
This line graph illustrates the operating profit
margin trends over the forecasted years through
2014. Spring and summer decrease while winter
and fall increase. Our recommendations will help
distribute profit and spending more evenly
throughout the 4 quarters. It also shows us that
ASA must spend more money, especially in the first
year, in order to generate higher margins.
Winter Spring Summer Fall
Current 36% 60% 81% 51%
2011 50% 52% 68% 51%
2012 50% 55% 72% 59%
2013 50% 56% 71% 59%
2014 50% 56% 71% 59%
Post-Recommendation Financial Analysis
57

Conclusion
The Athens Soccer Academy was established in 2008 with no clear direction or
future outlook. The Academy was created in order to foster the growth of men’s
and women’s (youth and adult) soccer in Athens and surrounding areas. Tad
Albano’s passion for soccer is the driving force behind this organizations mission.
However, passion alone is not enough for ASA to succeed and grow in the soccer
community as a profitable establishment. We realized that ASA has several
issues, including: lack of visibility and ineffective marketing, limited resources
and poor allocation of those resources, minimized profit margins, tough
competition, and limited business experience.
We determined that Athens Soccer Academy hasn’t capitalized on many of the
success factors commonly associated with this business. Therefore, we analyzed
the issues and success factors and developed effective recommendations to help
ASA capture more of the market share to generate higher profit margins. We
also believe that our recommendations will provide lasting benefits to the
organization that will help them become better acquainted with the soccer
community, while also offering immeasurable amounts of experience.
Our recommendations include: creating a new logo, utilizing practicum credit
and volunteer positions, obtaining sponsorship, implementing a new marketing
strategy, hosting a soccer tournament, offering a well-managed youth soccer
camp, and reorganizing the website. These recommendations will have both
short-term and long-term benefits that ASA can prosper from. Finally, we
believe that our team has accurately forecasted possible financial trends that are
directly correlated with our recommendations. Athens Soccer Academy has
potential to create the foundation for a long-lasting, community-oriented and
successful establishment.
58

References
"Athens County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau." State and County QuickFacts. 16 Aug. 2010. Web. 9 Nov. 2010.
<http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/39009.html>.
“Athens Soccer Academy.” Athens Soccer Academy. 2010. Web. 9 Nov. 2010. <http://www.athenssocceracademy.com/>.
"Facebook Advertising." Welcome to Facebook. 2010. Web. 9 Nov. 2010.
<http://www.facebook.com/advertising/?campaign_id=194417723019&placement=broad&creative=6446369412&keyword=adve
rtising facebook&extra_1=457cda7d-0be0-0748-e368-000046f558ec>.
"GASA." Athens Ohio Soccer. 2010. Web. 9 Nov. 2010. <http://www.athensohiosoccer.com/gasa>.
"Intramural Sports." Campus Recreation. 2010. Web. 9 Nov. 2010. <http://www.ohio.edu/recreation/intramural/>.
Miller, Richard Kendall, and Kelli D. Washington. The 2010 Leisure Market Research Handbook. Loganville, GA: Richard K. Miller &
Associates, 2010. Print.
59

Appendix A: Letter of Transmittal
61

Appendix B: SWOT Analysis
62
S
T
R
E
N
G
T
H
S
W
E
A
K
N
E
S
S
E
S
O
P
P
O
R
T
U
N
I
T
I
E
S
T
H
R
E
A
T
S
 Experienced and
knowledgeable staff
 Fields available for use
 Individual training
sessions
 Summer Solstice
Soccer League
 Connections in soccer
through refereeing
 Understaffed
 Lack of visibility
 Organization
 Ineffective marketing
 Lack of uniforms for
participants
 Limited resources/poor
allocation of resources
 Limited business
experience
 Recreational soccer
 OU Intramural soccer
 Regional competition
 Other sports
 Limited market
size/population
 Low per capita income
 Ohio University
students, staff, and
faculty
 Develop sponsorships
with businesses in
Athens and surrounding
cities
 Training sessions
targeted towards all
athletes

Appendix C: Adult Participant Survey Results
A survey was conducted to determine how satisfied ASA’s
adult participants were. We surveyed around 30 participants
that are members of both the competitive and recreational
leagues. We asked a variety of different questions the
participants answers included:
How satisfied are you were ASA on a 1-10 scale? (1=the least
satisfied, 10=most satisfied)
Does ASA need more coaches and referees?
Are you satisfied with the pricing of ASA?
Are you satisfied with the management structure?
Are you satisfied with the communication of ASA?
Would you like to participate in more tournaments?
Would you like to have more practices?
3
4%
6
8%
7
20%
8
20%
9
16%
10
32%
Participant Satisfaction
On a 1-10 scale, the majority of ASA adult participants were
satisfied. As you can see in the chart, almost 50% of adult
participants chose a 9 or 10 on a 1-10 scale.
Although these participants are satisfied with the program, they
did agree that it needs much improvement. With this survey, we
gained valuable feedback from participants, which allowed us to
develop our recommendations for the Academy.
63

Appendix D: Adult Participant Survey Results
YES
60%
NO
40%
More Practice
YES
28%
NO
72%
More Tournaments
YES
80%
NO
20%
Satisfaction with
Communication
When asked if participants would like
more tournaments, the majority of
participants replied no.
more practices about half of them
replied yes.
When asked if the participants were
satisfied with the communication
between them and ASA, the majority of
the replied yes.
YES
92%
NO
8%
Satisfaction with Price
YES
72%
NO
28%
More Coaches and
Referees
YES
84%
NO
16%
Satisfied with
Management
When asked if participants were
satisfied with the price of participating
in ASA the majority of them replied
yes.
more coaches and referees the
majority of them replied yes.
When asked if participants were
satisfied with management the
majority of them replied yes.
64

Appendix E: Practicum Credit
It has been approved that Sport Management students
will be able to receive practicum credit for volunteering
with Athens Soccer Academy.
Located on the right of this page is an example of the
practicum contract. You can also find this information on
the College of Business website under Departments,
Sport Administration, Undergraduate Sport Management
Program, and Practicum Files.
If you have any further questions, feel free to contact
Professor Packy Moran. He is charge of practicum and
internship credits for Sport Management Majors.
Patrick Moran
Professor in Sport Administration
moranp1@ohio.edu
(740) 593-0108
Grover Center
E118
65

Not only could the Sport Management Department give
students the opportunity to receive practicum credit for
their major, but they could also help market ASA.
The Sport Management Department has a list serve
(mass email list to all Sport Management students)
where they send out emails everyday about internships
and practicum/volunteer opportunities. I spoke with
Packy Moran about adding ASA to the list serve and he
said he would be more than happy to. He said that they
could also add ASA to the list of contacts to receive
practicum credit.
This would be a great way to get the word out to
students about the Academy.
The Sport Management Department also has a club called
Sport Business Association. This club volunteers for many
athletic events Ohio has to offer. Students get points for
volunteering and helping out athletic events and could
receive points in the club by volunteering to coach or
referee games for ASA. They also may potentially even be
interested in signing teams up to play for ASA.
Sport Business Association
Below is an example of an email from the Sport Management list
serve. This example is from Athens Recreation Soccer looking for
volunteer coaches.
Appendix F: Sport Management Department
66

Appendix G: Tournament Information
E-mail to other organizations
My name is Aaron Wheatley. I am currently in the College of Business at Ohio University. I am working on a consulting project for
Athens Soccer Academy (ASA). I recommended that ASA host its own soccer tournament in the future. My purpose for emailing
you is to see if you and your club/academy would be interested in participating in a youth tournament in Athens in the future? My
goal is to help promote youth soccer in the area. In order to do so, we proposed that the Athens Soccer Academy host its own
tournament. Please let me know your thoughts about participating in this youth soccer tournament.
Thank you
SAY Soccer
Doug Wood
One North Commerce Park Dr.
Suite 306 – 320
Cincinnati, OH 45241
dwood @saysoccer.org
800-233-7291
Aaron,
Thanks for reaching out. I checked out the ASA website and did not find an affiliation
other than Southeastern Ohio Soccer.
Soccer Association for Youth aka (SAY Soccer), is a US Soccer Federation Affiliate and we
would be more than capable of helping you with promotions in your area. I am not sure
how well versed you are in soccer organizations but they mean a lot when you are
organizing events. If you would like to talk or learn more about Say Soccer, give me a call
800-233-7291. We are nationally based in Cincinnati, OH
Douglas Wood
National Marketing / Operations Director
Soccer Association for Youth, USA
800-233-7291
In order to host a youth soccer tournament in Athens, we had to contact soccer clubs around the area in order to gather
information about potential interest. Below is our email to the soccer organizations, their responses, and contact information.
Reponses to E-mailContact Information
67

Appendix H: Tournament Information
Marietta Soccer League
Shane Hartshorn
U-14
E-mail: cody22alan@yahoo.com
Phone: 740-336-4467
*Interested depending on when we
host the tournament
Eric Johnson
U-13
E-mail: ericandstacy@suddenlink.net
*Interested depending on when we
host the tournament
Bill Mannix
U-11 and U-9
Email: bmannix@suddenlink.net
*Interested, but has many questions
We would be interested depending on when u want to host it and myself and my
tournament director
Shane hartshorn
We would most likely be interested in playing in a tournament in Athens. The only
restriction would be that it not interfere with the tournament that we host at
Marietta. This tournament is the Marietta Soccer Classic, which supports the Marietta
Soccer League. The Marietta tournament is usually held in May of each year.
Eric Johnson
Head Coach
Marietta Flames 97 Boys
Reponses to E-mailContact Information
Aaron,
Sorry it has taken my so long to reply. I would basically say that we would certainly
consider playing in a tournament held in Athens. It would depend on many factors for us
but sure we would consider coming. Athens teams have come to the Marietta
tournament for years, Some of the things to consider prior to setting up the tournament:
Cost, What season and date, Venue, Sanctioning, competition, Level of play, Availability
of refs, Who to recruit, Number of brackets per age, How many teams per bracket,
Hotels, Patches or other giveaways, Etc.
We look at all of the factors prior to voting.
Thanks,
Bill Mannix
Marietta Flames
Director Marietta Soccer Classic
68

Appendix I: ISFS & CSSA Information
Sandy Fu
Sports & Recreation Department
lacky3521@gmail.com
Add CSSA mailing list by
http://listserv.ohio.edu/mailman/listinfo/cssa-l
After signing in the mailing list, you will be able
to send out emails for upcoming events to all
of the students that are a part of the
organization.
We contacted Ohio University International Student and Faculty Services (ISFS) and Chinese Students and Scholar Association (CSSA) to see if
they would be willing to organize some soccer games during the orientation. Here is the contact information for these two organizations.
Kara Kauffman
Graduate assistant
One Park Place
Baker University Center 348
Athens, Ohio, 45701
kk147810@ohio.edu
T: 740-593-4330
F: 740-593-4328
ISFSCSSA
69

Appendix J: Soccer Flyer
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN PLAYING
COMPETITIVE SOCCER??
JOIN ATHENS SOCCER
ACADEMY!
ASA is seeking players who would
like to play on a competitive
women’s only, men’s only, or co-
ed travel team! Players can either
join a team or create their own.
We are now recruiting players for
the indoor season located only ten
minutes away at Albany Soccer
Complex!
The cost is only $35 for an
individual player or $325 for a team
which consists of 8-12 players.
Join today and get a discounted
price for registering early!
ASA将于12月至1月组队去
Albany 比赛，诚邀您的加入。
If interested please contact:
Tad Albano
tad@athenssocceracademy.com
Or check out the website at:
Athenssocceracademy.com
In order to target adult participants for the competitive
adult league, we will need to market ASA.
A flyer would be a great way to do so. Flyers can be
posted in building around Ohio University, companies
around Athens, companies in surrounding cities, and
even handed out to students.
This flyer explains exactly who ASA is marketing to,
which are men and women, who are interested in
playing competitive soccer.
We want to get students attention that are interested in
playing competitive soccer which is why that is the title
of the flyer. Also, one way to get college students
attention is discounts. If students sign up today they will
get a discounted registration price.
A little description about what ASA is looking for, cost,
and contact information are explained on the flyer as
well.
There is also information in the Chinese language to
reach out to those students as well. A flyer that also has
information in Chinese will be a great way to reach out
to those students. It will show that ASA is encouraging
participation from different types of cultures.
70

Athens Soccer Academy Final Schematic

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

Tendances

Tendances (20)

En vedette

En vedette (20)

Similaire à Athens Soccer Academy Final Schematic

Similaire à Athens Soccer Academy Final Schematic (20)

Athens Soccer Academy Final Schematic