The Regista Room

Episode Ten - Sport Sponsorship & Fund Development

Amateur soccer clubs are always looking for revenue! Especially outside of charging parents more money for program fees. But so few organizations do a good job of raising this 'non-fee based' revenue. In this episode, Paul dives deep into this important often misunderstood world, speaking with best-in-class sponsorship program at Seacoast United Soccer Club, and talking to experts in the field at KidSpired Media and Relate Social Capital. 

Episode Nine - Working With The School System

In this compelling episode, Paul Varian examines the challenging issue of soccer in the schools system. Why do so many amateur soccer clubs have difficulty forming relationships with their local schools and who is doing this well?
Hear how West Vancouver Field Hockey Club have developed an integration program on Vancouver's north shore that has put field hockey sticks in the hands of over 3,000 elementary school kids! Listen to how Beechwood FC in Dublin, Ireland, have expanded their schools relationships to include important facilities relationships and targeting of local French schools. And explore how Saskatchewan Soccer is launching a provincial-level program that focuses on the in-school soccer playing experience rather than just trying to links schools to their member clubs.
This is an episode filled with great real world case studies and expert commentary from Paul Varian. Listen right now and see how you can unlock the schools question in your soccer club!

Episode Eight - Soccer Volunteerism

Volunteers are the life blood of amateur soccer - but they are getting harder and harder to find! In this episode, Paul Varian confronts the growing challenge of volunteerism in amateur soccer head on. Where have all the volunteers gone? And more importantly, what are we going to do about it?
Hear two great case studies on how organizations at either end of the volunteer spectrum are tackling the challenges modern sport volunteerism presents. One, a small amateur soccer club in Pemberton Youth Soccer Association near Whistler in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. The other, the mighty Canada Games Council, which had to source and recruit approximately 4,000 this past summer for the 2022 Canada Games in Niagara, Ontario, and sometimes needs to find as many as 6,000 for other Canada Games events!

Episode Seven - Sport Talent Wars!

How has the sport job market changed over the pandemic and where are we now? On the back of the release of an important, comprehensive study of the Canadian Amateur Sport System pre and post pandemic by Capitis Consulting, Paul Varian is joined again by amateur sport HR specialist Mark Thompson of human capital development firm McKinley Solutions.
Together over a cup of coffee, Paul and Mark analyze the findings of the report with respect to amateur sport staffing levels, salary market rates and how to stay competitive in a job market that has tilted to be heavily candidate-driven on the back of pandemic staff shortages and the impact of the Great Resignation.
A must-listen episode if you work in amateur soccer and want to see how you or your soccer organization stack up in the current job market and beyond!

Episode Six - Match Officials Crisis!

It's post-pandemic, and the players are back! But where are all the match officials? That's right - an unprecedented crisis in match officials availability is currently gripping the amateur soccer industry everywhere we turn and it's resulting in games and even major tournaments being cancelled. 
In an unplanned detour from The Regista Room's original schedule of carefully thought-out episode themes, Paul Varian tackles this system-wide crisis that is extending around the world.
Hear the views of experts in North American match officiating, including Nicky Pearson from Ontario Soccer, Richard Bowden from the Oakville Soccer Club and Roger Morton, Chair of USA South for match officiating for US Youth Soccer. 
Listen and find out just how widespread this current exodus is, where it has its roots, and what can be done to resolve it. What you hear may surprise you!

Episode Five - Planning

In this episode, Paul Varian unpacks the theme of planning. No, don't worry! He doesn't spend an hour lecturing you on the process of building a strategic plan! Instead, he explores how planning looks for amateur soccer organizations in the post-pandemic world we are in. What's changed in how we plan since 2019?
Great case study interviews from Alex Barnetson at Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club and Myles Spencer at Rugby Ontario show you, with organizational effectiveness expert Meredith Low also giving us insights on how planning is changing in the broader not-for-profit association space!

Episode Four - Culture

Paul Varian delves into the mystical topic of culture in amateur soccer organizations. Exactly what is culture? How does it develop? What drives it and how can you control and actively build a culture you want? Hear fantastic interviews from sport leaders in amateur soccer and other sports in Canada, USA and Europe in Scott Wollaston at North Carolina Fusion FC, Chris Bailey at Queen City United Soccer Club and Dave Passmore of Irish Hockey - all who have walked-the-walk in mastering the development of a winning culture in their organizations. 

Episode Three - Building Board Leaders

Paul Varian tackles the huge but important issue of Board leadership in amateur soccer clubs. Listen as he explains his experiences working with amateur soccer clubs, in particular why so many Boards are not effective. Learn from other experts in sport Board development, as Paul interviews amateur sport Board Chair rock star Leslie Blyth, and shares a cup of coffee with HRM expert Mark Thompson, where they unpack a whole load of issues that commonly get in the way of building great Board leaders including onboarding, professional development, evaluation, conflict of interest, Board culture and a whole lot more!

Episode Two - Innovation

Paul Varian examines how the pandemic-driven uncertainty of the past two years has actually forced amateur soccer clubs to embrace a culture of innovation like never before! Tune in for interviews with the executive leadership at three great amateur soccer clubs - Waterloo Minor Soccer Club, Seacoast United Soccer Club and Pickering Soccer Club - who are walking-the-walk on being innovative, free-thinking and nimble as organizations in the face of adversity or opportunity!

Episode One - Mindset

Paul Varian explores the importance of a strong mindset in soccer leadership and chats about the issue with special guests, Olympic gold medalist Adam Kreek and United DFC President Rob Gillis.