WHO IS LISTENING?!  WHO IS TALKING?!
You’re going to be hearing a lot from us about the Iowa Soccer “community” and ways in which we (the staff and board) are going to help build it.   We hope you listen!

But this whole idea of using the web to build a community means that we (same staff, same board) are going to listen to you, the community.  And it should mean that the community is listening to its members!  And unless you are a mind reader, if you’re listening, that means someone must be saying something…or blogging something…or making and posting a video of something…

MODEST, BUT HIGH
Our expectations for this journey in strengthening our soccer community (and therefore, our soccer!) are both modest and high, if that is possible.  Modest in that this building project is going to take some time to cultivate.  As the staff, the board and you guys become more familiar with the web tools like blogging and networking, the pace of exchange will pick up.

The high expecation is because we know that the power and knowledge of the community can take us way beyond what anything that individuals who make up the community, or a staff of five, can.  As it is, our “registered with Iowa Soccer” Iowa Soccer community is over 40,000 strong, not including parents, fans and alumni.  Just think about the potential of tapping into the experience of this group.

COLLABORATION
After we start chipping away at getting the community together and contributing, the next step, and it will happen, is that we’ll begin to collaborate on things.  It may start as a suggestion from a parent that turns into brainstorming, which in turn leads to an exchange of experiences or recommendations, which then leads to a solution!  Or a coach may post a video on suggested exercises to use at your Under 08 practice, which leads to a coach trying said suggestions, tweaking the exercises, and then posting her own version of training exercises.  Then another coach takes a look and posts comments about what worked for him.  Ummm, you probably are starting to get my drift…

ONE MORE TIME…WHY SHOULD I GET INVOLVED IN THIS WEB STUFF???
Well, we have members in every corner of our state and up and down the corridors that split the state in half.  We have outstanding and enthusiastic coaches, we have parents who have been there and done that, we have tireless volunteers with tons of knowledge, and the list goes on!  We’re going to use technology to help our community come together, if even only virtually, and communicate and collaborate — for fun, and for the game that we love.

IS ANYONE STILL LISTENING?  YOUR TURN. 
Hey, if you’ve gotten this far into my post, you are!  So, this is our (staff and board) basic take on the idea of building community by using the power of technology.  Since you made it this far into the post, I ask, what is your idea of building community?  Click on comments below to, well, comment — your community is listening.

Jenny, jwood@iowasoccer.org
Iowa Soccer
Director of Member Services