Partnering with a growing soccer club to deliver a premium experience on and off the pitch

With more than 500 players spread across 27 teams, the Next Level Soccer Academy (NLSA) is a program on the rise. In fact, Next Level is an apt name for this Pennington, New Jersey-based club. They are taking the area by storm and quickly rising into a regional and national power.

Behind all that success lies a tremendously dedicated group of employees and volunteers as well as players and parents committed to bringing their best—and a little assist from TeamSnap. All come together to deliver on the club’s goal of providing the best possible youth soccer experience.

“TeamSnap is another recruiting tool we can use to show how we offer a premium experience on and off the pitch.”

A Needed Change

When Rob Marino, co-founder and administrative director, started NLSA 15 years ago, he had two clear goals: Delivering the best possible youth soccer experience and ensuring every player understood that he or she mattered. In order to deliver on that goal, it was clear he needed some help.

“Back then, we were using a different technology product. But it just didn’t have the functionality we needed,” notes Marino. “In vetting new options, all of them required us to change how we were currently operating. And that was a non-starter for me.”

Enter TeamSnap. Marino and his team were impressed that the technology allowed them to keep operating with all their current systems—while also delivering new functionality that would help them grow.

Managing Access And Enhancing Data Security

In an era where data security and player safety are more important than ever, TeamSnap helped NLSA improve how they managed both.

“We were impressed by the ability to set permissions and grant different access rights based on role,” says Marino. In a growing club, it’s vital that everyone has access to all the information they need, while still keeping more sensitive information protected and secure.

“Not everyone needs access to all the finances,” Marino notes. “With TeamSnap, we can set permissions so coaches can see their rosters and send messages, but not access other club data.”

“With TeamSnap, we can set permissions so coaches can see their rosters and send messages, but not access other club data.”

Enhancing How We Track Programs Year-Over-Year

With 15 years of success, NLSA has a growing list of accomplished alumni. In fact, many former players have returned to help coach in the program. The hope is that soon those alums will also have their own children in the program.

Managing all those teams and programs requires a technology solution. Here is where NLSA counts on all-new program management functionality. “Now we can better track players across years and seasons,” Marino says.

It’s a snap to pull up a player’s profile and instantly know which teams he has been on, and make sure he gets the right message. “It has made it so easy for admins and coaches to track their programs and keep everything straight across the years,” Marino notes.

A New Tool For Recruiting

In the competitive world of club sports, it’s important to attract and retain top talent. And that’s another area TeamSnap has paid off for NLSA.

“Parents and players have a lot of options for club soccer in this area.” says Marino. “TeamSnap is another recruiting tool we can use to show how we offer a premium experience on and off the pitch.”

As a respected member of the East Coast Soccer community, Marino is often asked by other clubs for advice. When they ask about technology options, his answer is clear, “Just go with TeamSnap. It’s worked wonders for our club and will for you, too.”