US Club Soccer CEO Kevin Payne to Speak at La Liga Course
In addition to the multitude of world class coaching instructors scheduled to present at NorCal Premier Soccer and US Club Soccer’s July 7-9 La Liga Formation Methodology Level 2 Course, a few top-end executives will be in attendance as well.
One executive in particular stands out for his service to the American soccer scene — current US Club CEO President Kevin Payne.
Known for being the architect that built the first true dynasty in Major League Soccer, Payne oversaw an era for D.C. United in which they won four MLS Cups, four Supporters’ Shields, two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups, the CONCACAF Champions League, and the Copa Interamericana.
Since then, Payne has had stints as the Vice President and Managing Director of Anschutz Entertainment Group — the group best known for owning the LA Galaxy — and as the President and General Manager of Toronto FC.
After that, Payne moved to his current role, where he’s established a “Players First” philosophy that he will speak about at this summer’s course, which will be held in Livermore.
“The purpose of the Players First philosophy is to create a branded youth soccer experience to assist parents in making better decisions about where their child should play,” Payne said. “A Players First club adopts a holistic approach to the player/parent/club experience and aims to foster an environment in which every player is able to become the best they can be.”
In that Players First initiative, US Club Soccer helps clubs with five key pillars of support: Club Development, Coaching Development, Player Development, Parent Engagement and Education, and Player Health and Safety.
“US Club Soccer holds a simple principle as fundamental to sound player development — if, we as a country, want better players, we need to develop better coaches,” Payne said. “The La Liga Formation Methodology courses are designed to support that effort. LaLiga is arguably the best league in the world on the field.”
“At the same time, La Liga boasts significantly more domestic players than any of the other top European leagues — clearly,” Payne added.
For more information and resources on how US Club Soccer helps support their clubs, click here. To learn more about the Formation Methodology courses, click here.
