Interview by Mike Woitalla, Executive Editor
Soccer America Magazine
After 20 years of serving the U.S. Soccer Federation in various capacities, including the past five years as executive vice president, Sunil Gulati wants to be its president. So far, he is running uncontested in the election that takes place in March.
SOCCER AMERICA: What do you see as the main challenges facing U.S. Soccer?
SUNIL GULATI: WeÆve got to have a way to increase the passion for the sport and the number of people who feel that passion.
There are millions of kids playing. There were millions of kids playing a decade ago and 10 years before that. Making them feel connected to the other levels of the sport wasnÆt as inevitable as some people said. We want everyone to feel he or she is a part of the sport and involved, and by involved I donÆt mean just as a registered player – but as a spectator, as a TV viewer and all of that.
Clearly, success on the field helps create connectivity, and so we should continue to put great resources behind our national team programs and player development.
Visibility at those levels will get more kids involved, more kids feeling passionate about it. We want players and coaches, parents, referees and everyone else to be more involved.
I guess for me, in terms of that particular aspect of the job, thereÆs two huge challenges: Having people who are already part of the organization understand what theyÆre all part of and bringing in the group that has not felt itself part of the organization.
SA: You mean the Hispanic community?
SG: Yes. It is a huge constituency we have which isnÆt represented as a constituency in our organization, but it does have a much greater connectivity to the other parts of the game because of the heritage, the tradition, and roots. In general, the Hispanic community has a much greater relationship to the World Cup, with MLS, knowledge of our star players, knowledge of the vertical structure of soccer. This is not just a gut feeling, itÆs empirically proved. We spent some time, effort and money looking at this last year.
We havenÆt linked in anywhere near the way we should.
SA: How can the Federation achieve ''connectivity'' with the grassroots ranks?
SG: I donÆt have a short answer on that. WeÆve tried things. Some have been more successful than others. Communication technology has opened up whole new ways of doing that. Media and TV and whatever devices people are going to get their information and video and news from are going to be extraordinarily important to us in reaching out to people.
And weÆll certainly continue to take advantage of those things. It is very important to better communicate with those who we know are involved in the game and to give them more information.
SA: The Federation president oversees a group comprised of different factions – the pro game, youth and adult amateur. Is it a challenge to serve their various needs?
SG: Sure. There are millions of kids who play who see no connection between what theyÆre doing and what Landon Donovan or Mia Hamm are doing. There are people on our board of directors or on our national council who have absolutely no relationship or donÆt see themselves as having a relationship with anything that [MLS Commissioner] Don Garber is involved in.
So clearly there are different actors, if you will, in the Federation. But thatÆs what the Federation is. The definition is that – trying to bring all of those different groups under one roof in a loosely held-together organization.
SA: What do you think the youth soccer faction of the Federation expects from a president? SG: Our youth division has a number of issues, and a number of different areas of conflict have arisen over the last decade between some of our youth groups.
When you say the youth, weÆve got some pretty diverse groups within our organization. TheyÆve asked about my views about some of those conflicts, what I see the role of the Federation as being in those conflicts, but I think in most cases my view is – it goes back to how a Federation or Federalism works – most issues are going to be sorted out at the local or club or state level. Not by the federation.
The Federation, like the Federal government, has to have a basic system in place of governance, of contract enforcement – in our case, that means registration – of regulatory involvement – in our case that means referees and so and so. ItÆs a Federal structure.
The Federation sets up some basic ground rules, provides certain services, a language of communication, if you will, whether thatÆs a Web site or a communication vehicle, or basic philosophy about coaching and small-sided soccer, or running a referee program, those sorts of things.
The biggest thing we can do from my perspective is have them appreciate, understand and feel part of the whole. ItÆs the connectivity issue again.
SA: How does the youth division benefit from the professional level?
SG: For kids to realize that there is a connection between what theyÆre doing and what Landon and Mia are doing, and to MLS and the World Cup, I think enriches their soccer experience.
The fact that youth participation numbers grew by huge percentages at a time when we had the North America Soccer League was not coincidental.
The fact that registration numbers grew in a disproportionate way in certain markets after we hosted the 1994 World Cup is not an anomaly. The fact that we had some up-ticks in girls participation and registration following the summer of 1999 [when the USA hosted and won the WomenÆs World Cup] is not an anomaly.
The fact that Tony Meola, John Harkes and Tab Ramos grew up in the shadow of the New York Cosmos, Pele and Chinaglia and so on, is a connectivity.
So there are those connections. The fact that thereÆs Major League Soccer and the World Cup televised, for sure that influences some children to play. And for sure on the womenÆs side, Mia and Brandi and Julie and so on. That matters.
SA: What kind of qualifications would you look for in a national team coach if Bruce ArenaÆs contract isnÆt renewed after the 2006 World Cup?
SG: The same things we looked for in Bruce. A proven track record. Success at the highest possible levels. Bruce had that. Bruce has that now. HeÆs been extraordinarily successful, obviously at the university level, which was the highest level we had until MLS started. And then extraordinarily successful in MLS in the short time he was there.
SA: How do you see the future of the U-17 residency camp in Bradenton, Fla.?
SG: I was at Bradenton [recently] with [U.S. Soccer] secretary general Dan Flynn. We spent a lot of time talking both between us and with [U-17 coach] John Hackworth.
And IÆve talked with some of the MLS teams and other people involved in player development, Bruce Arena and so on. I think there will be some shifts over time. And those shifts will take place as MLS plays a greater role in player development at younger ages. And that role and effort will be supported by the Federation. That day is not today.
I think we all understand that Bradenton and Project-40 in particular came about to fill a need, to fill a gap. I think theyÆve both been extraordinarily successful in doing that.
Neither one was intended to be that way forever, and I think thatÆs still the case.
SA: WhatÆs your take on the state of MLS?
SG: ThereÆve been some areas of great success. Some areas I wish we were further along the road. The construction of soccer-specific stadiums – thatÆs been a huge success. The success of the national team, which is in no small way linked to what MLS has done, is extraordinary.
Things like Project-40 are big pluses. Do I wish attendance was better? Yes. Do I wish that TV ratings were better? Yes. But so do the folks in the English Premier League these days, and certainly in Serie A they wish that these days. So is it where we want it to be? No. Has it come a long, long way? The answerÆs yes.
No one is asking anymore, is MLS going to be around? That question is behind us now.
Survival is behind us. Stability has been achieved. Now itÆs a question of further growth.
SA: If you face a contested election, what do you think the membership will consider the most important factor in choosing its new leader?
SG: Whether itÆs an election or recruiting a player, what you try to do is predict how the person is going to do in the future. And I think any time you do that youÆre basing that prediction in great part on what you know about the personÆs past.
When youÆre talking about the Federation, important characteristics are knowledge of the game, experience in the game in all areas, leadership abilities, business sense – all those things matter.
(This article originally appeared in the November 21 & 28, 2005 issue of Soccer America Magazine.)