Soccer Banter caught up with Boston Breakers General Manager, Lee Billiard, to discuss the Breakers first half of the NWSL season along with their youth soccer academy plans. Follow Billiard on twitter: @LB_Breakers
Soccer Banter: A little less than halfway through the inaugural NWSL season, what are your thoughts on the Breakers on-field performance so far?
Lee Billiard: This would be one for the coaching staff, as I do not get involved in the on field side of the game in respect to player performances and tactics. However, I believe we have had some tough breaks in the past few weeks, need some luck to come our way and get back to those consistent performances we had at the start of the season.
SB: Currently four points off the final playoff spot, what will the Breakers need to do in the second half of the season to secure a spot in the semifinals?
LB: We have some tough games coming up, a lot of road trips in July so it will certainly be a big test. We need to make sure we take points from the road games, and not lose any more points at home. A big ask, but the squad we have are more than capable of picking up points. The good thing with us picking up road points in July is it would be from those teams above and around us. This league is still tight, playoff spots are open for a lot of teams right now, and it is going to get really exciting as we head into the second half of the season.
Soccer Banter: A little less than halfway through the inaugural NWSL season, what are your thoughts on the Breakers on-field performance so far?
Lee Billiard: This would be one for the coaching staff, as I do not get involved in the on field side of the game in respect to player performances and tactics. However, I believe we have had some tough breaks in the past few weeks, need some luck to come our way and get back to those consistent performances we had at the start of the season.
SB: Currently four points off the final playoff spot, what will the Breakers need to do in the second half of the season to secure a spot in the semifinals?
LB: We have some tough games coming up, a lot of road trips in July so it will certainly be a big test. We need to make sure we take points from the road games, and not lose any more points at home. A big ask, but the squad we have are more than capable of picking up points. The good thing with us picking up road points in July is it would be from those teams above and around us. This league is still tight, playoff spots are open for a lot of teams right now, and it is going to get really exciting as we head into the second half of the season.
SB: The current schedule for NWSL has the majority of allocated players missing games due to international fixtures - how have the Breakers been able to deal with the constant changing in roster? Has the league discussed ways to work with federations in future years so not to miss star players?
LB: It is certainly tough, teams start to build some consistency in play, players start to understand each other’s game, but then the national team players leave and it definitely loses some of the team fluidity. We all knew this would be the case heading into the start of league, we prepared for this so we cannot complain about it. I am sure this is being discussed at league level. Once the season wraps up - the league, US Soccer, coaches and GM’s can all review and tackle any issues that arose from this season head on so the league can be made better each year. The national team players obviously have a job to do for their respective countries, as a club we need to support the national team and its players as best we can and work through the obstacles.
SB: On the business side of things, how are things going for the Breakers in regards to ticket sales, merchandise, and sponsors?
LB: I am pleased with where we are. Ticket sales have been going well, we sold out 4 of our 5 games this season, which continues the trend of selling out all 8 games last year. We added an additional 1000 seats, but unfortunately we have only been able to use them once due to some safety concerns that are being addressed. It would have been nice to have had those seats available for all five games. We definitely could have sold the tickets and obviously not having that extra revenue is a loss, but we are going well as is. I’m really pleased with the support we have had from our fan base, we see a lot of returning faces and have started to see a lot of first timers, which is what we had hoped for. We believe once we get people through the gates, the on field product and overall game day experience is good enough to keep them coming back. Merchandise sales have been great - we did not go into as many product lines as previous years, we selected a handful of items, but ordered plenty of it. Everything has been selling really well, the new Nike gear looks great. In regards to sponsors, I have been very pleased. We gained a lot of new sponsors, Ocean Spray and Sonosite, are two of the bigger ones who have logos on our game jerseys. The fact we were able to secure these without a big TV deal says something about our brand recognition and the exposure we can offer.
LB: It is certainly tough, teams start to build some consistency in play, players start to understand each other’s game, but then the national team players leave and it definitely loses some of the team fluidity. We all knew this would be the case heading into the start of league, we prepared for this so we cannot complain about it. I am sure this is being discussed at league level. Once the season wraps up - the league, US Soccer, coaches and GM’s can all review and tackle any issues that arose from this season head on so the league can be made better each year. The national team players obviously have a job to do for their respective countries, as a club we need to support the national team and its players as best we can and work through the obstacles.
SB: On the business side of things, how are things going for the Breakers in regards to ticket sales, merchandise, and sponsors?
LB: I am pleased with where we are. Ticket sales have been going well, we sold out 4 of our 5 games this season, which continues the trend of selling out all 8 games last year. We added an additional 1000 seats, but unfortunately we have only been able to use them once due to some safety concerns that are being addressed. It would have been nice to have had those seats available for all five games. We definitely could have sold the tickets and obviously not having that extra revenue is a loss, but we are going well as is. I’m really pleased with the support we have had from our fan base, we see a lot of returning faces and have started to see a lot of first timers, which is what we had hoped for. We believe once we get people through the gates, the on field product and overall game day experience is good enough to keep them coming back. Merchandise sales have been great - we did not go into as many product lines as previous years, we selected a handful of items, but ordered plenty of it. Everything has been selling really well, the new Nike gear looks great. In regards to sponsors, I have been very pleased. We gained a lot of new sponsors, Ocean Spray and Sonosite, are two of the bigger ones who have logos on our game jerseys. The fact we were able to secure these without a big TV deal says something about our brand recognition and the exposure we can offer.
SB: Much has been made of the Portland Thorns averaging over 13,000 at their home games, but unfortunately their numbers don't seem to be the norm. Do the low attendance numbers (below 1500) worry you in regards to the future of the league?
LB: I am not concerned, everyone has a different business model and everyone is in different markets. To judge the overall league off of Portland’s numbers or our numbers is not really a fair assessment. Portland has done fantastic! It is great for the women’s game that such crowds are attending, but they have a totally different market and business model than us for example. Going into this league it was stated that teams would focus on sustainability and starting off at a lower level and building from that. To expect the league, or teams, to jump straight back to WPS and estimate crowds of 7,000 + in 20,000 seated stadiums would have been business suicide. We will all learn from this year, we will learn from teams like Portland and I am confident everyone’s numbers will grow as their business plans and budgets grow. The true test will be this time next year - if we or other teams are hitting less numbers then I would find it concerning.
SB: Earlier this month, the Breakers made big news in youth soccer merging with the Scorpions Soccer Club (a member of Elite Clubs National League) to form the Boston Breakers Academy. How does elite youth soccer fit into the mission of the Boston Breakers?
LB: It fits perfectly into our mission statement and how we viewed our new business model. As part of our mission statement reads “Boston Breakers, is a company dedicated to providing female athletes an avenue to develop their skills and compete in a professional environment” We believe we have some of the most professional resources in the region, a region that is heavily dominated by soccer. The opportunity to partner with Scorpions SC and build on the great platform they already had was a perfect fit for everyone. Our organization is about development, even the senior players are here to develop. We offer that environment and do a very good job at developing players and grass roots soccer. We are very excited about the Boston Breakers Academy however we will continue to work with the town programs in order to see soccer developed at the grass roots level, for both coaches and players. We want to see as many youth soccer players as we can, start to build a passion for the game and for the Breakers. We feel doing so will only help the league and sport continue to succeed over the years.
LB: I am not concerned, everyone has a different business model and everyone is in different markets. To judge the overall league off of Portland’s numbers or our numbers is not really a fair assessment. Portland has done fantastic! It is great for the women’s game that such crowds are attending, but they have a totally different market and business model than us for example. Going into this league it was stated that teams would focus on sustainability and starting off at a lower level and building from that. To expect the league, or teams, to jump straight back to WPS and estimate crowds of 7,000 + in 20,000 seated stadiums would have been business suicide. We will all learn from this year, we will learn from teams like Portland and I am confident everyone’s numbers will grow as their business plans and budgets grow. The true test will be this time next year - if we or other teams are hitting less numbers then I would find it concerning.
SB: Earlier this month, the Breakers made big news in youth soccer merging with the Scorpions Soccer Club (a member of Elite Clubs National League) to form the Boston Breakers Academy. How does elite youth soccer fit into the mission of the Boston Breakers?
LB: It fits perfectly into our mission statement and how we viewed our new business model. As part of our mission statement reads “Boston Breakers, is a company dedicated to providing female athletes an avenue to develop their skills and compete in a professional environment” We believe we have some of the most professional resources in the region, a region that is heavily dominated by soccer. The opportunity to partner with Scorpions SC and build on the great platform they already had was a perfect fit for everyone. Our organization is about development, even the senior players are here to develop. We offer that environment and do a very good job at developing players and grass roots soccer. We are very excited about the Boston Breakers Academy however we will continue to work with the town programs in order to see soccer developed at the grass roots level, for both coaches and players. We want to see as many youth soccer players as we can, start to build a passion for the game and for the Breakers. We feel doing so will only help the league and sport continue to succeed over the years.
SB: Do you think other NWSL clubs will look to form their own youth soccer clubs in the future? Do you see a day where NWSL will adopt a home-grown player rule similar to what is happening in MLS and their own academy teams?
LB: I definitely see this as a strong possibility. I know Washington have a great youth setup similar to ours, Western New York have an academy and Chicago have a strong club partner with Eclipse. For me it makes perfect sense for each team to have a youth set up and for the league to have a youth component to the NWSL.
SB: What role will current Breakers players and staff have in youth development with the Boston Breakers Academy teams?
LB: We immediately placed some of our staff into the coaching line up, myself included. Our senior players will be involved with training sessions and camps in the short term. As we head into next year, senior players will be part of the coaching staff, coaching teams at all levels. A senior player will be assigned to an age group acting as an age group mentor. The role of the mentor will be to see all players and teams in her designated age group, start to build a personal connection and pass on knowledge of the game. Our players, and coaches, will be involved in educational aspects. Our head coach, Lisa Cole, is the Academy Technical Director who will be responsible for player development pathway, coach and player education and curriculum development. We have already struck up a good working relationship with the Scorpions front office staff, who will remain intact, we are all on the same page and will work closely to build the best youth development structure in not only the state but the region and hopefully build a model at the national level.
SB: Lastly, a little off topic, but will your favorite club, Aston Villa, be teetering in the relegation zone next season, or could a top 10 finish be on the horizon?
LB: No chance! We are going to win the league this year…haha. I really hope we do not go through a season like this past one. I don’t think I could take it again. It was an emotional roller coaster! The “gaffer” has already brought in some young and eager talent, I just hope we can keep Benteke and continue to build off of last year. I thought we played some great soccer and ended the season strongly. Now with Lambert having one year under his belt and the opportunity to bring in the players he believes are right for the club, along with a whole preseason to build a style of play, I think we could finish top 10. Then we will win it all in 2015! Watch this space!
LB: I definitely see this as a strong possibility. I know Washington have a great youth setup similar to ours, Western New York have an academy and Chicago have a strong club partner with Eclipse. For me it makes perfect sense for each team to have a youth set up and for the league to have a youth component to the NWSL.
SB: What role will current Breakers players and staff have in youth development with the Boston Breakers Academy teams?
LB: We immediately placed some of our staff into the coaching line up, myself included. Our senior players will be involved with training sessions and camps in the short term. As we head into next year, senior players will be part of the coaching staff, coaching teams at all levels. A senior player will be assigned to an age group acting as an age group mentor. The role of the mentor will be to see all players and teams in her designated age group, start to build a personal connection and pass on knowledge of the game. Our players, and coaches, will be involved in educational aspects. Our head coach, Lisa Cole, is the Academy Technical Director who will be responsible for player development pathway, coach and player education and curriculum development. We have already struck up a good working relationship with the Scorpions front office staff, who will remain intact, we are all on the same page and will work closely to build the best youth development structure in not only the state but the region and hopefully build a model at the national level.
SB: Lastly, a little off topic, but will your favorite club, Aston Villa, be teetering in the relegation zone next season, or could a top 10 finish be on the horizon?
LB: No chance! We are going to win the league this year…haha. I really hope we do not go through a season like this past one. I don’t think I could take it again. It was an emotional roller coaster! The “gaffer” has already brought in some young and eager talent, I just hope we can keep Benteke and continue to build off of last year. I thought we played some great soccer and ended the season strongly. Now with Lambert having one year under his belt and the opportunity to bring in the players he believes are right for the club, along with a whole preseason to build a style of play, I think we could finish top 10. Then we will win it all in 2015! Watch this space!
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