The Newspaper Lesson
A long time ago I read about the town of Dunn, NC and their local paper the Daily Record. It is one of the most successful small newspapers in America, with circulation topping 117%. That means they sell 1.17 copies for every person in Dunn (population 8,500).
The secret, was (and is) the founding editor’s philosophy of names, names, names. As is noted in this article : “if a story didn’t mention someone from the local community, it didn’t make the cut.”
The Youth Soccer Equivalent
I’m not sure who invented the concept of a ‘Team of the Week’ but I know it became a staple of marketing at all the youth soccer clubs I worked with.
This was a weekly social media post and website article, listing the players of the week across the club. It could be sub-divided into genders, age groups, regions, whichever makes the most sense. It was simple, repeatable and always effective.
Why it Worked
I’ve carried that lesson with me into every club I’ve worked with. If you’re not mentioning names, you’re missing the easiest engagement tool in the world. If a North Carolina paper could thrive by putting names in print, the same principle applies here.
- Parents love seeing names in pixels. Even more, they love seeing their child’s name.
- It spreads organically. Friends, grandparents see it and share it.
- It builds culture. Not just for the kids bound for D1 – but for the ones who show effort and leadership, and love the game.
“Player of the Week” or “Team of the Month” can work, but those tend to spotlight the same top performers. Team of the Week is inclusive.
How to Run a Team of the Week at Your Club
1. Get Coach Nominations
Each week, ask coaches to send in one or two players. Not just the goalscorers or star players, effort, leadership and teamwork count too.
2. Decide on Your Format
To begin with just start with a list of names. Presentation is not the be all and end all here. That said, we built a free Team of the Week Builder that makes the graphic side easy. If you can, and your club policies permit/parents approve, you could upgrade to headshots or actions shots.
Don’t let the search for a perfect graphic derail you.
3. Post Consistently
If you do this well, every Tuesday let’s say, kids will be refreshing their Instagram feeds to see if they’ve made it. Consistency builds anticipation and it ingrains the idea within the club.
I’ve seen countless clubs start this and fail. Make it weekly, no excuses and make sure coaches know they need to get names in to ensure their players are recognized.
4. Adapt Accordingly
If you’re a smaller club, player of the month might be better, or team of the month. If you’re a camp – camper of the day. For tournaments maybe it’s a finals MVP?
The Bigger Lesson for Youth Soccer Marketing
It’s not always about polish or big budgets. It’s about recognition and consistency.
Celebrate your current players. Make your website and socials fun. Treat your families well, and word-of-mouth will follow.
Team of the Week is exactly the type of consistent, culture-building content that works. We built a free tool to make it easy. Try the Team of the Week Builder.