“No organization in the United States is similar to us. Being a not-for-profit [organization] and having everyone under one house can be difficult. You certainly can’t please all of those constituents and there are very different dynamics involved. Having the pros under the same guidance as a 10-year-old player is a difficult task to manage.”
Secretary general Hank Steinbrecher states his reasons for concluding a decade of service. Hank Steinbrecher always professed to keep the good of the game deepest in his heart, and after years of taking a lot of flak from a lot of people, he’s decided his heart – and his psyche – had had enough. “This is probably the best time,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to do this while we’re searching for a coach or going through labor negotiations. The organization is fairly solid, the finances are in great shape, there seems to be stability with the men’s and women’s programs, so it’s probably the appropriate time.” Steinbrecher served as U.S. Soccer’s secretary general for nearly a decade. He came aboard in August, 1990, the same month the presidency of the federation passed from Werner Fricker to Alan Rothenberg in a bitterly fought election. American soccer changed irrevocably on the day Rothenberg took over, and the federation had to change as well. Fricker’s roots sprouted from the game’s ethnic foundations the East Coast; Rothenberg, tanned and slick, brought his law degree and business contacts. The federation’s annual budget has skyrocketed during Steinbrecher’s tenure but it has yet to meld its local, regional and national duties. It has increased its major corporate partners from two to more than a dozen, yet has more difficulty than ever mollifying its grassroots members. Several sources indicated Steinbrecher and U.S. Soccer president Robert Contiguglia have disagreed on sensitive issues in recent months, and this schism may have influenced Steinbrecher’s decision. They attended the Gold Cup final in Los Angeles Feb. 27, and by that time, sources said, Steinbrecher had made up his mind, but mainly for reasons of fatigue.
Facing several factions
“He has more patience, more persistence, more interest in trying to explain as best he can what’s happening within the federation, but you can’t win that war,” said Bill Nuttall, the U.S. Soccer general manager of national teams from 1991 to 1994 and now vice president of sales for Diadora. “I have a better appreciation for our political system after being involved with the federation. It’s on a much smaller scale, but the principles are the same. It never goes away “As soon as you don’t give the referees additional funding, you’ve got them all over your case. You got the national teams, you’ve got the women’s faction, you’ve got this, you’ve got that. Hank’s there with a garden hose and every time he turns around, there’s a forest fire.” He had a habit of putting his foot in his mouth when speaking to the press, or explaining the policies of U.S. Soccer, which is rent by political factions of Balkanesque proportions. Steinbrecher had to defend a hard-line approach to player negotiations taken by an organization doling out six-figure salaries to its executives. He had to explain the fiscal philosophies of a non-profit organization that signed a $120 million sponsorship deal with Nike and Innovative Marketing Group (IMG). One source said little has been accomplished in the year since that deal was announced, and Steinbrecher – who spearheaded a boom in sponsorship sales that lifted the federation out of its financial doldrums in the early 1990s – had no clear-cut role in a revamped marketing structure. It often fell upon Steinbrecher to placate disgruntled factions within the federation while balancing its business demands and the endless operating details of funding and fielding national team programs. His comments supporting the federation’s stance in negotiations with the women’s national team came under scathing criticism. “No organization in the United States is similar to us,” he said. “Being a not-for-profit [organization] and having everyone under one house can be difficult. You certainly can’t please all of those constituents and there are very different dynamics involved. Having the pros under the same guidance as a 10-year-old player is a difficult task to manage. “The reality is I’ve fought those battles, and now it’s time to move on. As I’ve said to Dr. Bob, it’s not crisis of the day, it’s crisis of the hour. I’ve spent 10 years doing this and it’s time for a change.” Steinbrecher, 52, said health concerns were not an issue. A suspected cancerous growth discovered in 1989 turned out to be benign, and he has yearly checkups to monitor left ventricular hypertrophy, a minor heart condition that was diagnosed in 1994. He and his wife, Ruth Anne, have two sons: Chad, 24, and Corey, 17. “He got beat up a lot. It was not warranted, except that comes with the territory,” said Mark Noonan, who resigned two months ago as U.S. Soccer managing director of marketing and is planning to join MLS. “That’s the nature of that position. Taking shots like that over nine or 10 years took its toll.”
Working for women’s team
His departure comes just a few days after tumultuous U.S. Soccer meetings were held in San Francisco. One major topic was a proposed increase in per-player registration fees, by as much as $5 or $6 per player, to fund national-team programs such as Project 2010. State associations objected stridently, and the federation will probably have to be happy with an increase of between 50 cents and $1. “A lot of hard questions are being asked about the federation and how the money is going to be spent, and this is good,” says a source. “But it makes for a lot of arguments and tough decisions.” Steinbrecher portrays himself as a champion for the women when they had little support and clout within the federation. “In the press I’ll be [criticized] for the negotiation difficulties, but I worked tirelessly for the women’s program,” he said “I remember going to the board of directors when it wasn’t very popular and asking them to support $1.8 million for the women when we didn’t have it.” He can tell other stories of scraping, such as borrowing money to meet payroll and needing board of directors’ approval to buy a copying machine. Steinbrecher will reportedly stay on as a consultant and will head up a search committee to find his replacement. The search committee includes Fricker, Rothenberg and players’ representative Mary Harvey. “The reality is that it is a huge business made up of complex little businesses,” Steinbrecher said. “There’s also a public persona that goes with it. “I must tell you I found it increasingly difficult to manage Soccer House when spending four days on the road during the week and almost every weekend on the road. That balance is very difficult and perhaps I’ve not been very successful. “This is a hard thing to walk away from. There’s so much juice in this job. But it is the absolute right decision to make.”
by Soccer America senior editor Ridge Mahoney
