HSC - Mission

Purpose & Mission Statement

Huntsville Soccer Club's mission is to serve the needs of all soccer players by implementing a system of Total Soccer Development to teach and develop the necessary fundamentals of the game. We achieve this mission through the following club goals:

Teaching and developing the highest possible level of soccer skills and tactics with performance goals coming solely from players and coaches.

Nurturing in each player the desire to be the very best player they can be.

Fostering a "club" atmosphere in which the good of the whole club is valued as well as the needs of the individual.

Offering the opportunity for players to experience the sense of pride and accomplishment that comes from dedication and teamwork.

Developing the physical, mental, social, and emotional fitness of players so they can reach their full potential and achieve the self-confidence and positive self-esteem necessary to be successful both on and off the soccer field.

Strive to accomplish individual and team goals, but remember that the greatest reward in youth soccer comes from the joy of playing the game.

The Huntsville Soccer Club was formed in 1999 when two independent teams (Tornados and WEB) merged with four teams from the Eagles Soccer Club. In that first season, the Club fielded eleven boys teams. A year later, there were nineteen teams with boys and girls playing in the Club.

The Club was formed to teach young people a game, through: the development of technical expertise; awareness and execution of team concepts; and played with a passion and an enthusiasm which surpasses the tallying of wins and the accumulation of trophies. The Club accomplishes these goals in numerous ways.

First, we try to make the opportunity to play soccer available to as many young people as possible. Our club is not just for the gifted player; not just for the experienced player; and not just for those families for whom the expense is not a financial burden.

Second, we staff every team with an experienced coach and make our entire coaching staff available for all the teams. We believe we have the finest coaching staff in the state and one of the best in the southeast.

Third, parents and the Board members, absolutely do not get involved with team formation and coaching decisions. The Club has vested this control with two Director of Coaching, who are selected by the Board on an annual basis, to lead the development efforts of our Club.

Fourth, competition goals are applied with patience and perspective. Rather than measure success only by wins and losses, the Club also measures success in the development of soccer players and the growth of the game in our region. U9, U10, and U11 players need a freedom to develop a passion for the game unburdened by excessive competitive demands. At U12 and U13, the more serious players and more serious families may choose to focus on the more competitive squads. At U14 and above, coaches and their players choose their competitive goals. If these goals include state and regional championships, then the Club's Total Soccer Development process will have prepared them to compete at the highest levels. However far each of our young people go in their involvement with soccer, the Club philosophy is, and always will be, that the greatest reward is the joy of playing the game.

Huntsville Soccer Club coaches are "club" coaches, as opposed to individual team coaches. The Club's organizational structure is centered on a separation of authority and responsibility between parents and coaches. The Club employs a Director of Coaching Operations and a Director of Coaching Curriculum. The Directors have sole authority to: develop and maintain the training staff; conduct player evaluations and team tryouts; select the competitive level of each team; and assign coaches and trainers to the various teams. All Club coaches and trainers have a broad responsibility for the support and benefit of all HSC teams; and, as such, are pooled, shared, and periodically re-distributed among the teams to meet the needs of individual teams and the club as a whole. Within this framework, each team will have no less than one coach assigned to it for each season, and that coach will remain with that team for no less than the entire season.

The role of parents within the Club structure, whether as Board members, team managers, volunteers, benefactors, or enthusiastic supporters is to sustain the efforts of the coaching/training staff. Our club is not just a loose collection of individual teams, but a true soccer club in which teams get to know each other and support each other, on and off the field. All participants are strongly encouraged to embrace Club philosophy and goals in a consistently positive manner.