CiTY Families,
I hope this letter finds you and your family well. These are crazy times for sure! Thanks for entrusting us to make the soccer decisions for your family during Covid 19.
As the founder and Executive Director of the non-profit CiTY, it is important to me that the club remains viable in order to give families in Howard County an option for youth soccer, and their development on and off the field.
I am extremely proud and humbled to say that 85% of our families recommitted to us without knowing what would happen next. Over 100 kids came to tryouts, of which we extended 50+ offers to join teams putting us almost to 95% of the number we had last year. It looks as if we will be able to place almost every player that committed to us, on a team for 2020-2021. The coaching staff engaged the players, the directors encouraged them and the leadership worked hard during the shutdown to keep CiTY moving forward.
CiTY is in a great spot in spite of Covid, and the enormous impact it has had on our community. Although there are still many unanswered questions about the future of soccer, we will continue to lead from the front to make the best decisions for our families dependent on the circumstances we face moving forward. Child safety will be first and foremost.
As many of you know, I have been commuting between Maryland and California, where I have consulting work under my business, Ryerson Soccer Consulting (RyersonSoccer.com). Due to the current situation, I will be reducing my role in the day to day CiTY operations on the admin side and handing them over to the Director of Admin, Amanda Buckler. Amanda has been fully trained in this capacity and continues to shine bright during these unprecedented times. Carmen (Technical Director) and Rob (General Manager) will continue to manage on the field aspects of the club. Wade will continue to run the Recreational programs. I will only be involved in strategic planning, partnerships and sponsorships that will help to drive CiTY forward. We have a great Leadership Team and the decisions and effort behind the scenes has ensured our club will be viable.
I will be taking on full time consulting work in California at another soccer club, Ballistic United Soccer Club (busc.org), as their General Manager effective July 1st, 2020. I will continue as CiTY Executive Director because I will always be involved in the club I created. I will sit in on the quarterly board meetings and monthly leadership meetings while working directly with the leadership team on the short and long term strategic plan that we started just before Covid began. What I have learned through this process is that what I can most contribute to CiTY, I can do from anywhere I can access a phone, a headset, and my laptop computer.
Rob will be leading the charge as CiTY GM and will implement the strategic plan "Operation 2026”. More about the strategic plan will come in the upcoming months.
This is a bittersweet time in life. With so much unknown, I believe CiTY is in capable hands while I pursue opportunities for my business that will help sustain all the efforts I have put in the last seven years! CiTY and Get on the Bus will continue to roll on!
Yours in soccer,
Tim Ryerson
Founder and Executive Director CiTY
Creator of Get on the Bus
Owner Ryerson Soccer Consulting
