How do you make the most of Conferences?
For me, the second week of January is the Christmas, New Years, Spring Break and my birthday rolled all into one as it not only brings the start of a new year, but the National Soccer Coaches Association of America conference.
This year’s NSCAA was held in Philadelphia, and while it was my first time in the city of brotherly love, I was not disappointed.
Pretty much the extent of the week is spent roaming around the normally massive convention center where it is housed, rubbing elbows with MLS Front Office Staff and players, former coaching stars and players of yesteryear, shaking hands and kissing babies with the newcomers on the soccer scene, as well as taking in the ridiculous amount of soccer inventions people can come up with, while collecting loads of soccer swag that fits into the extra suitcase I have to bring every year to get everything home.
This year was the best NSCAA I’ve attended. Philly was such a great venue, complete with an amazing bar scene, loads of great people and some fantastic weather for mid January.
For me, the NSCAA conference is all about networking and collaboration. Highlights include hanging out with Moki and Chris from Who Are Ya Designs, attending the 76′er Mixer put together by my friend Alex Kotler, being a part of the 2010 MLS Superdraft, hanging with Jeff Kassouf and Beau Dure for a short time, and witnessing history as the NPSL voted in their corporate structure which truly makes it a league run by teams.
At the NSCAA, most of the business stuff is done outside of the conference itself, as it is with most places. The bars and restaurants around the conference are a microcosm of the soccer world in the US, where you can meet basically anyone and everyone who is involved in the beautiful game. I’ll have more on my thoughts later on in a NSCAA post.
My picture today is of my badges for the conference, which I wore proudly for the last 5 days. Feels sad to take them off, but already looking forward to NSCAA 2011 in Baltimore, MD.
