Dear Petitioners,

We have provided our final communication to the Calgary Foothills Soccer Club, addressing the concerns that have been shared by many of you regarding communication, financial transparency, facility management, staffing, and leadership challenges. We have left it up to the club to manage the feedback as they deem appropriate.

With the transparency of having voiced our concerns to the club, we are now all aligned on the feedback and will be watching to see how the club values and acts on this feedback.

We want to sincerely thank everyone for their support throughout this process. We hope that this communication to the club will result in constructive action and meaningful change for the benefit of all members and staff.

For those of you who are concerned about the current operations at the club, it is important to attend the next AGM meeting so that your voices are heard and changes can be made if necessary. The club has indicated that they make this information available to members, so we are hopeful for a clear and transparent process in communicating the details of the next AGM. Please stay connected to the updates posted by the club to get information on when the AGM will take place.

Here is the final communication we sent to the club:

Calgary Foothills Soccer Club Board of Directors,

Thank you for your response and for acknowledging the feedback provided. Rather than continuing a lengthy back-and-forth, we are sending this final communication to summarize the concerns and perceptions shared among some members of the club. While we understand that the club has indicated it will take this conversation offline, engaging in face-to-face discussions, we felt it was important to offer this final input for consideration, based on the feedback we have received from the membership. 

We hope this feedback provides additional context on the concerns being raised and allows the club to take further steps to address them. Our intent is to ensure that the club’s actions align with the needs of both members and staff, helping to foster a stronger, more united organization moving forward.

1. Communication and Engagement

While we recognize the efforts to increase communication through ‘Footnotes’ and Tech Talks, members are still expressing concerns over inconsistent and untimely communication. For example, members frequently mention that AGM meetings were not well-publicized, with some believing this may be due to a resistance to change at the leadership level. This perception has contributed to a sense that the club may not be fully engaging with members. 

In addition, communication to teams is often not timely, leading to confusion and frustration. Many members have reported instances where the club has been unresponsive to emails or concerns, leaving issues unaddressed for extended periods. This lack of responsiveness has created a growing sentiment among members that their concerns are not being prioritized, further contributing to a breakdown in trust and engagement between the club and its community. While we acknowledge that improvements have been made, significant gaps in consistent and transparent communication remain.

2. Financial Transparency and Facility Management 

Members have raised concerns about financial transparency, particularly regarding resource allocation and field prioritization. Some members perceive that third-party rentals, such as the Sports and Social Club, are being prioritized over Foothills members, with fields reportedly left empty despite teams being told they were unavailable. 

Additionally, there is a growing perception among members that the club’s accounting practices may have issues in how costs are allocated and rolled up into the financials. Concerns have been raised that financial reporting has been delayed, potentially due to discrepancies in cost allocation between programs or activities. Last year, the annual financials were so delayed that the club’s status was struck and later reinstated once the financials were finally submitted. As of the last check, the financials for 2023 are still outstanding, which continues to fuel speculation that there may be challenges in managing the club’s finances. This has led to a sense of distrust and raised questions about transparency. 

3. Staffing and Morale Issues 

While recent hires and restructuring efforts are acknowledged, there are ongoing concerns about staff morale and retention. Feedback from members suggests that many staff feel overworked and undervalued, contributing to burnout. Additionally, there are rumors that contracts may be awarded to family or friends of leadership, raising questions about the fairness and transparency of internal processes.  

Moreover, it has been mentioned in feedback that some of the new hires’ qualifications may have been overstated, further complicating perceptions of leadership and staffing decisions. This, combined with perceptions of favoritism, has contributed to low morale among staff. Some members believe that these issues have not been addressed, despite being critical to the long-term stability and success of the club. 

4. Perception of Leadership

There is a recurring perception that leadership operates like an “all-boys club,” with decision-making concentrated among a small, close-knit group that resists external input or change. This has led to a sense of exclusion among members who feel their concerns are not being fully considered. 

It is perceived that many of the issues stem from the person holding the position of Executive Director. There are concerns that their leadership style and decision-making may be contributing to low morale and ongoing difficulties within the club. These perceptions, whether fully accurate or not, are widespread and need to be addressed to restore trust and build a more inclusive and responsive leadership structure. 

Additionally, there is feedback that suggests leadership tends to scapegoat individual staff members for broader, systemic issues within the club, rather than addressing the root causes. This has contributed to a further decline in morale and a sense that larger problems are not being tackled. 

5. Club Operations 

Concerns have also been raised about the organization and execution of tournaments, particularly regarding teams traveling from out of town. Some feedback suggests that these teams have communicated dissatisfaction with the level of organization, and there are reports that some may not return due to these concerns. This has negatively impacted the club’s reputation in some circles. 

6. Facility Concerns: Macron Performance Centre vs. Foothills Skills Centre 

Foothills Soccer Club promotes both the Macron Performance Centre and the Foothills Skills Centre as world-class facilities. However, there have been concerns raised about the state of the Foothills Skills Centre. Unlike the Macron Performance Centre, the Skills Centre has been described as needing more attention in terms of cleanliness and maintenance. Feedback suggests that the Skills Centre falls short of the “world-class” standard the club promotes, and there are concerns that it has been neglected over time. 

7. Addressing Leadership Disconnect 

There is a perception among some members that leadership may be disconnected from the broader membership. Concerns have been raised about a resistance to change and feedback, with some members worried that staff and members may feel hesitant to speak up due to fear of repercussions. 

Additionally, some members feel that the leadership’s focus on maintaining the status quo prevents the club from making necessary changes. These perceptions of resistance to feedback and change are widespread and have led to a lack of confidence in the club’s future direction. 

8. Request for Further Action and Next Steps 

We acknowledge that communication from the club has been directed primarily at vetted members in good standing, as identified by Foothills. While we understand this approach, the goal is for the club to communicate openly with the entire membership. This would demonstrate that the club is listening to feedback and making meaningful changes. 

Our intent is to post this final communication with the club onto the petition page to ensure that members are aware of the concerns that have been raised and the feedback that was provided. Foothills can choose how to act on the information, but it is the hope of everyone involved that they will address the issues in a way that benefits all parties. 

Members have expressed concerns that, in the past, providing feedback has not been a constructive process and that individuals within the club may have faced repercussions for raising issues. We sincerely hope that this time, the club will manage feedback differently. We are looking for clear evidence through this process that feedback will be acknowledged and acted upon in a positive and transparent way, showing that the club is committed to improving how it engages with both members and staff. 

Thank you for your time and consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Concerned Calgary Foothills Soccer Club Members