With personal guidance and a detailed owner's manual, forming a futsal league with USYF involves less trial and error, a greater certainty of success

By David Knopf

USYF Newsletter Editor

When United States Youth and Adult Futsal was formed -- we used to be called Super F League -- one of the goals was to provide league owner-operators with more guidance than they were receiving from what was then the principal futsal organization in the U.S.

We knew from personal experience with the established league, that league owners would come on board, pay their fees (largely for insuring players) and then be left to sink or swim on their own. 

There was little personal contact after the initial sales pitch and owners were left to find a facility, purchase goals and balls, educate and recruit outdoor teams and find qualified referees to be part of the new league. Phone calls and e-mailed questions were answered weeks later, if at all.

It's not the way we wanted to do business.

Our philosophy has been that we all succeed if, with guidance from an experienced league owner, the process of a league start-up becomes as efficient and focused as possible. The less time devoted to wandering in the futsal wilderness, the more there is left to operate a successful, profitable league and turn more people on to our great game.

Development Director John Sciore

New owners find the direction they need through John Sciore, USYF's director of development. Based in St. Louis, where he operates the highly successful Gateway Futsal, John walks prospective new owners through all the steps of becoming affiliated with our organization. From phone calls, follow-up questions and answers by e-mail to detailed step-by-step affiliation kits and owner's manuals, he takes the mystery out of the process of league ownership and provides the tools for success.

The benefits are all laid out for you on our Web site: http://www.usyouthfutsal.com/startaleague/benefitsofaffiliation/index_E.html

We provide player/coach insurance -- a must when renting a facility -- but that's really a bare minimum, a benefit our chief competitor provides before offering little else. If you check the Starting a League page at the link above, you'll learn that USYF furnishes league owners with much more -- an updated, easy-to-use Web site for member leagues; a simple Online registration process; the Zero to 100 Marketing Plan™ that John developed to help leagues quickly grow from zero teams to 100 (his own league annually registers 200 to 250 teams); a brochure template and much more.

All of these benefits are designed to get you up and running -- and reaching a successful, profitable operating pace faster than you would on your own or through another organization.

And remember, US Youth Futsal is the only National Futsal League affiliated with US Soccer. The prestige and marketing potential of this alliance is almost limitless.

The link above will get you started. If you have questions about league ownership, you'll be put in contact with John Sciore. Simply complete the information request form that's provided at the link. You'll receive an 18-page affiliation kit and can begin asking questions and getting prompt replies from a development director who knows the territory.