The results of the 2023 Spring Feedback Survey are in! A big thank you to all of the families who took the time to participate this year. We had 121 responses which provided a wealth of input for our staff and coaches. We look forward to making the survey a regular part of our learning and growth and for the 2023-2024 season plan to send one out after each of the fall, winter and spring seasons. Special thanks to Matt Koidin and Rupal Shah for helping setup our survey.
Below are the key takeaways.
Top Positive Feedback:
Overall satisfaction is high. You expressed the importance of coaching and reported overall high satisfaction and trust in Girls Unite soccer coaches (with some variation on a team-by-team basis — see action items below). Families reported significant improvements in player skill and confidence. In addition, a fantastic trend continues with a strong sense of community and alignment with the Girls Unite mission.
Coaching & Philosophy
- “The coaching is always amazing”
- “Coach M is AMAZING. Her positivity, enthusiasm and focus on building connections between teammates really made the girls want to elevate their games for themselves, for their coach and for each other.”
Player Improvement, Skill Development & Confidence
- “My daughter learned to be more assertive”
- “My child grew so much – she really plays soccer now!”
- “My child’s individual growth and willingness to try new things improved drastically thanks to the great coaches and rapport built with her team!”
- “Our daughter absolutely loved her first year of competitive soccer with GU. She relished the training and skills development with her coach, whom she loved, and the community of girls she played with.”
- “The girls soccer acumen matured significantly under Coach K’s leadership. Better possession, positioning, physicality, and stamina.”
Community, Inclusivity & Support
- “We truly appreciate the community, the dedication of the coaches and players to each other. My daughter has thrived in this environment. We attribute a lot of her health and confidence to her involvement with Girls Unite.”
- “Positive feedback & positive coaching & great sense of community”
- “The community, the dedication of the coach and players to each other”
- “The girls also grew closer so the team dynamic was wonderful.”
Improvement Categories for 2023-34 Season.
In addition to the overwhelmingly positive feedback, Girls Unite families helped our board identify concrete areas for improvement. Over the course of several discussions and on-site working sessions, we have agreed on the top areas to focus on for the 2023-2024 season. We can’t stress enough how grateful we are for the community’s feedback and investment in our growth and success.
- Action item: For 2023-24, Girls Unite has continued to invest in top level coaching directors and mentors. Executive Director Lindsay Kauffman, Development Academy/7v7 Director Kierra Scalercio, and Operations Director Abby Kalscheur are joined by new Technical Director Marcia Tafarel and 9v9 Director Ali Hall to form a powerhouse leadership team. Not only do they bring a wealth of experience and accomplishments that raise the bar for Girls Unite head coaches, but each coach in our internal development pathway will have a direct mentor.
- Action item: For 2023-24, All Girls Unite competitive coaches will follow an organized curriculum and periodization table set forth by our directors. Age Group Directors will work closely with coaches to set appropriate developmental goals for both individual players and team. Furthermore, each competitive player will receive individualized feedback each season and assistance in setting individual goals to take their play to the next level.
- Action item: Looking forward, Girls Unite is committed to retaining and investing in competitive teams and players through the end of high school. We have six strong teams across competitive levels in the 2010 and 2011 age years (three each year). These teams have an extremely strong coaching staff with strong experience in 11v11 development, we will continue to invest in player development and to recruit additional strong players at these age levels, and we will provide competitive and stretch opportunities for players at those levels.
- Action item: For 2023-24, each Girls Unite competitive team will have a designated team parent who will be a point of contact and communicate directly with our executive director, age group director, and administrative team. Having a group of team parents will ensure a real time and reliable flow of information and ground level understanding of logistics. In addition, team parents will help increase participation of all teams in community events!
- *Note on practice logistics: We heard some feedback about practice locations and logistics. On one hand some appreciated the flexibility and attempts to work around a very rainy spring season. On the other hand, it’s clear that practice locations, times and changes have an impact on families. Each year Girls Unite and all San Francisco soccer clubs receive feedback on team practice times and locations. In San Francisco, all practice fields are managed and assigned by SFRPD. Approximately 2-3 weeks before the practice season begins, we participate in a lottery to choose practice fields and times. We try to make the best selections of the fields available to us. After receiving our field allocations from the city, we next take into consideration coaches’ schedules. We appreciate your patience & understanding in this process and will commit to doing everything we can to make practice logistics as smooth as possible.
