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Our Business Plan
How We Go About Doing Our Business
Strides Football Club was founded in March 1999 in Atterifgeviile by Sizwe Nkosi, the current Director of the club. Since its birth, Strides FC has had a vision of playing at higher league structures with an aim of being recognized as one of the elite football clubs in South Africa, and ultimately in the whole of Africa. The plan was to play at the District Association level for a while in order to organize ourselves in facing the challenges of playing at third or second divisions, particularly second division (VodaCom League). Most of the good players and officials who were recruited then and recently were given this picture and used it as the basis of joining the club. To start living this dream, during the season of 1999/2000, Strides FC affiliated at Iscor Football Association, West of Pretoria, in preparation for this challenge. This DA was chosen because of our perception on its resilience and quality in the game of soccer, and the stability within the Association ranks. Like any other District Association, we found that IFA is only looking after the interests of the people of Iscor Area, and that Strides FC being from Phelindaba (Atteridgeville/Saulsville) could never have really benefited from that league. So we suspended the remaining games at their league.Towards the end of the 1999/2000 season, we realized that we could utilize the remainder of the time by participating in the PFA (Phelindaba Football Association) league so as to get ready for the beginning of the season of the Castle League (Third Division).
As the picture about club strategies got more and more clearer in mind, we made a realization that although Strides FC started having aims of going further in as far as football structures are concerned, its main aim is to promote local talent. With the help of big corporate strategists, we came to understand how promoting the club may interfere with the objectives of promoting the players. The two are not the same and they don't go hand in hand, unless big money that will help land the team at to the First Division or Premiership League is available.
Some teams are inspired by the success of Ledwaba Power Stars (An Atteridgeville outfit). This club only started in the 1999/2000 season at the Second Division (VodaCom League) and topped the league, and came out second on the play-offs, which qualified them to join the First Division (MTN League). To be precise, LPS started in 1999 and now they have qualified for the MTN league. How much money did they spend during this period? Not anything less than R200,000.00, that is for sure. Are their players promoted? Maybe. What will happen if the two MTN streams are merged and eight or more teams are relegated per stream, assuming that LPS will be one of them? The club will go down again? Will the players be promoted then? No. How much would have been further spent by then? Not anything less than R100,000.00. So is it always right, let alone safe to promote the team in order to promote the players? Maybe it is right for some financially independant and people, but it's too much risky for all and often ends up with more casualties than winners. But are there other ways of promoting players safer without spending too much money and time? Yes, there is.
The very important objective of Strides FC that must never be left out in important decision making is to promote at least five young and talented local football players, coaches, administrators and referees per season, with more emphasis on players. The new strategy embraces this objective, and more over, it will channel the majority of the club's expenditure for this course and ensure that each year end the club can have a success evidence to that effect, regardless of the limitation of resources.It will also truly help the club identify itself as a truly development club with its business focused on development and players, and the promotion there-of.
Strides FC will play at the local FA indefinitely. The constitution of the club however allows for open debate on the issue of playing at higher leagues, as long as the objectives of the club will be achieved at the end of the season without bringing about financial constraints.
Player of the Month Awards
Players of the top division are motivated to perform. Defenders and Midfielders are rewarded for their enterprise football on both PFA league games and promotional games. Currently whilst there is no sponsorship, each month-end, a Player of the Month is nominated out of his performance, attendance and attitude. The rewards are as follows: -
Player of the Month Certificateˇ
R50.00 spending moneyˇ
Publicity for one month (With the Marketing of the Club)ˇ
(Other rewards are still being investigated - amongst them are free tickets for two to watch Sundows FC or Supersport United at their home grounds for the whole month).
Such nominations will accumulate towards the end of the season, where a Player of the Year will be chosen from these monthly achievers.
Top Goal Scorer of the Month
Although this award is aimed at motivating the Strikers of the top division, other players' goals will also be considered. Players, especially strikers will be motivated to score goals and will be rewarded for their goal scoring abilities on both PFA league games and promotional games. Until a sponsorship is obtained, each month-end, a Top Goal Scorer of the Month is nominated out of the number of goals he has scored. The rewards are as follows: -
Player of the Month Certificateˇ
R50.00 spending moneyˇ
Publicity for one month (With the marketing of the club)
(Other rewards are still being investigated - amongst them are free tickets for two to watch Sundowns FC or Supersport United at their home grounds for the whole month).
Such nominations will accumulate towards the end of the season, where a Top Goal Scorer of the Year will be chosen from these monthly achievers.
Quarterly Player Appraisals
Players' needs are very dynamic. At their young stages in life, they see and learn things that they want to base their lives on. They also get attracted to glamour and glitter that may lead them to a Cul-de-sac of their careers. For this reason, they need guidance from time to time so as to ensure that they always make decisions that will contribute positively in their pending careers. Understanding their needs, what they have learnt and what has changed since the last discussions can only do this. Quarterly appraisals are therefore an essential part of motivation for our players. This will ensure that it is not the winning of the games that we require from players, but their development, and eventually their promotion. It will help them to know that somebody thinks and does this way.
Need to Achieve
A theory where a desired play and/or record of wins and/or number of goals for and against is set for the team to achieve, and then get rewarded for that will be set. The example of this theory is: -ˇ
A seven wins in a row = a Party or a trip out of Pretoria purely for entertainment and/or relaxation, orˇ
A goals for : goals against ratio of 75%:25% after every seven games (e.g. Scored 10 goals but conceded not more than 3 goals in five games) = a Party or a trip out of Pretoria purely for entertainment and/or relaxation.
In a bid to get attention from big teams in promoting our youthful stars, invitations will be extended to the reserve sides of the big teams to play against them on a home and away basis.The club will arrange games with senior teams as a means of showcasing the abundant talent that the team possesses, and the quest of promoting such talent. In a month, at least one big team must be played against. On the immediate, the targeted teams are: -
Kaizer Chiefs
Supersport United
Sundows FC
Tembisa Classic
Jomo Cosmos
Orlando Pirates
Moroka Swallows
Mabopane Young Masters (Their senior team)
Ledwaba Power Stars (Their Senior Team)
Acadia Shepherds (Their Senior Team)
More names to be added to this list are pending. The objectives in playing these clubs are: -
* To enforce attention to our talented young stars for promotion into the senior ranks,
* To rejuvenate the spirit of soccer in Phelindaba,
* To encourage and to offer hope to our players about the way forward.
These objectives will help us meet our goal of promoting at least five players, officials and/or referees to the senior football ranks per season.
It is important to conclude by memntioning that Strides values excellence in everything we do. We do not just do things simply because they are done elsewhere, we ensure that excellence is engraved in everthing we do. We also value professionalism equally the same. We place the love for the club above everything else and, unlike other local clubs, we value the support that we ge from our fans - inceasingly so.
Winning for Strides is GREAT!
Playing for Strides is GREATER!!
And Loving Strides is GREATEST!!!
So which one of these you wanna do?
For any inquiries regarding Strides as a club, its processes and projects, or any other thing that has to do with Strides FC, or maybe with the interest of offering a donation orlooking to partner with us in any way, please contact the Manager of the club, Mr Isaiah Mohale at +27 082 811-8762, or simply forward your email to the Director of the Club at vnkosi@xsinet.co.za.
Working together works!!!
ISAIAH MOHALE
CLUB MANAGER
+27 083 984-2274
Copyright © 2001 Sizwe Nkosi. All Rights Reserved.