Journey Sports Consulting will listen to your story and conduct a thorough analysis of your organization. This analysis will be based on both current scientific best practices and sport research, as well as taking into consideration the artistic expression of youth and children using sport to develop life skills and performance enhancement. Consider how expert advice in the following areas might enhance what you are currently doing in your club and/or team.

Dynamic System Modeling of Sport Club Programming

• Does your club have an integrated and coordinated program that accounts for the entire range of the possible domains (psychosocial, nutrition, fitness, technical skills, etc.) of performance preparation?
• Does your club’s mission statement include the promise to “allow children and youth athletes the opportunity to develop to their full potential”? If so, is that statement really possible? How can your club best approach such fulfilment?

Philosophy, Methodology of Club Offerings

Does your club have a coaching philosophy and guidelines? If so, are they reviewed and updated regularly?

• How does your club group training squads? Chronologically, by skill level; what is the reasoning governing this decision?
• Does your club have a coaching and teaching philosophy for each age group that has consistent coherence across age groups?
• Do the methodologies employed by coaches and other staff reflect and support that philosophy?
• Do you employ consistent learning progressions?
• Does your club conduct in-house staff training in technical and tactical aspects of your specific sport?
• Does your club have a comprehensive motor skill development program for U12 (under 12 years of age) and under?
• Does your club have a conditioning and physical fitness program for your specific sport requirements for U14 (under 14 years of age) and older?

The Mental Aspect of Sport

• Does your club offer psychological or mental strength training?
• Does your club offer and help develop strategic planning skills for athletes?
• Do your athletes develop competitive game skills purposefully?
• Does your athletic programming promote life skill development on purpose?
• Do you know what cultural aspects of sport (values, honesty, work ethic, etc.) are being instilled through participation in your club’s program?

Ethical Guidelines

• Do you have ethical conduct and sportsmanship expectations that all coaches, staff, and athletes acknowledge and agree to?
• Do staff and coaches have clear guidelines for supervisory responsibility?
• Do you have specific staff training for adult supervision of minors?
• Are there clear travel policies and guidelines?

Sport Parent Development and Education

• Does your club have the needed publications to provide knowledge for proper parent participation?
• Are there specific, detailed sport knowledge handbooks, as well as details of your club’s programs developed for each age group’s parents?
• Are general athletic topics explaining specific information on pedagogy (the science of teaching), learning styles, and training methods readily available? Are they current and complete? This helps to create an informed, and supportive parent culture for your club.
• Are topical guidelines such as nutritional information and rules explanations readily available?
• Are conflict resolution and dispute arbitration procedures clear?

Governance & Management Issues

• Mission and Vision reviews
  • When was the last time you reviewed your club’s mission, vision, and core values statements?
• Do you know what the ethical standards and values that your club emphasizes are?
• Has your club embraced the USOC concept of “safe sport”? Do all of your staff, employed or volunteer, undergo background checks?

Business Policies and Procedures

• Are your employment policies current? Do they need to be updated?
• Do position descriptions reflect expectation?
• Are performance reviews an effective tool?
• Does the club’s accounting and other fiscal policies prevent fraud and financial ruin? Can your club survive rouge employees?
• Do you know where your athletes are? What are your club’s travel policies?

Development and Fundraising

• What are effective ways to raise money? Is it by having a Gala, Athletic Event, Direct Mail, etc.?
• How and why does someone make a donation?
• Who will support a Capital Campaign? Why? For What?
• Are you communicating to your donors and parents of athletes the importance of your organization in the community?

Enhancing Communication

• Have you conducted a 360 degree review with all staff on the effectiveness of the current leadership in place, as well as effectiveness of program offerings, scope, content, and delivery?
• What publications does your club need? How detailed do these publications need to be?
• How do you create club schedules (training, travel, and competition)? When and how often do they need to be updated and distributed?
• What is the role of social media? Do you and your athletes use it effectively?

Enhancing Team Cohesion

• Enhancing team unity, team communications, and team cohesion
• Preparation strategies for team members in dealing with external influences (weather, parents, pressure)
• Utilizing team dynamics to facilitate successful coping skills
• How to effectively deal with travel and the logistics that are required when travelling to competitions out of town, state, or even the country.

Advesarial & Unexpected Events

• Crisis management
• Code of conduct and disciplinary issues
• Criminal behaviors
• Injury and rehabilitation procedures and support for injured athletes. Roles of the club and coaches
• Serious injury
• Termination of an athletic career