HSC President's Message
Hello Harbor Soccer Members!
My name is Justin Cooper and I am excited to introduce myself officially as Harbor Soccer Club President.
I grew up in Lakewood, attended Western WA University for a good 5+ years, left to pursue big Hollywood dreams for 14 years and recently moved to Gig Harbor in June of 2022 with my incredible wife, 4 amazing kids and 1 super lovable golden retriever. Gig Harbor is our home and we absolutely love it!
First off I want to apologize for not reaching out earlier however, in order to communicate with you effectively I first needed the first few weeks of my tenure to get to know as much about Harbor Soccer as possible and listen and learn to each of our staff and board members.
One of my first things to review was our October Survey (which I participated in as a parent and was quite vociferous in my views) to get more information on the job that I was taking on. What I quickly realized after I started meeting the Directors, Coaches, Board Members and parents was that my issues with the club were warranted for sure but mostly came from an extremely naive position. When I asked questions previously to the board, I got the run around with very vague responses making me frustrated and confused.
So, in short I did what any rational human being would do and I assumed the absolute worst…."We can’t hold on to our talented athletes because other teams steal our players the grass is way greener across the bridge because they have their own facility, they have other programs which guarantees that my kids will go pro soon, Harbor doesn’t have these programs so we must be behind the curve and so on."
While I still have a lot to learn about our club and the soccer industry in general, I can tell you my assumptions were not just wrong, they were idiotic and could have been avoided if there was better communication.
Better communication starts from the top down so I will do my best to communicate with you and our Harbor Soccer Team on a regular basis. We are going to start educating parents and players early on about our club and understanding the opportunities it can provide and being honest with possible limitations. I am passionate about equipping parents with the knowledge and resources they need to actively support their children's soccer journey.
If the communication doesn’t begin to improve on every level (Board to Staff, Coaches to Players, Coaches to Parents), we recognize that more families will decide to move on. Communication is key to building a strong and supportive community, and I am dedicated to keeping the lines of communication open.
Moving forward you can expect regular updates, transparent decision-making, and opportunities to share your feedback and ideas. The good news is, it has been easy for me to see the passion, dedication and commitment that our Board, our Directors and our Coaches bring to the table is unbelievably impressive.
The newsletter below will outline our upcoming Presidents Cup plans, our plans for Tryouts and beyond.
I am excited about the possibilities that lie ahead for our soccer club, and I am committed to working collaboratively with our team and all of you to create a positive and enriching experience. Thank you for entrusting me with this important role, and I look forward to the exciting journey ahead.
GO HARBOR!
Justin Cooper
Harbor Soccer Executive Board President
email Justin
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