NCE Soccer Legal Situation - Confidentiality & Trade Secrets

[Unregistered]

Dear *******

Unfortunately, I need to bring a legal situation to your attention: NCE has recently learned that two former coaches who had access to your contact information during their involvement with NCE Soccer, are now improperly using that information to advance a competing soccer program, in violation of the Uniform Trade Secrets Act and various other obligations under Connecticut law. The coaches in question have been contacting NCE’s clients directly, to promote a competing training program that they are running. As far as we can tell, the only personal data taken was a list of clients’ contact information, but we are continuing to investigate the matter and will update you with any further relevant information.

What we do know at this point, though, is that they are promoting soccer programming that is scheduled to run in the Summer and Fall of 2021. Some of you may have been contacted directly about this program and/or may already be participating. I want you to know that NCE’s attorneys have written to demand that the former NCE coaches cease and desist from improperly using NCE proprietary information, including your personal data. However, because it appears to us that this wrongful activity and unfair trade practices are continuing, NCE and its lawyers are preparing to take legal action.

I know that we all have a lot on our plates right now and nobody wants to get bogged down in lawsuits or other unpleasant matters. But NCE has a duty to our clients and to ourselves to make sure that our clients’ data is properly maintained and used, and that the playing field – be it the soccer pitch or the business of training future soccer stars – remains a fair one. We intend to do what is necessary to address this situation and to protect our organization: I thank you for your anticipated cooperation and apologize in advance for any inconvenience that this may cause you.

We appreciate your continued support of NCE and we can’t wait to see Matthew in future NCE programming.

Kind Regards

John

John Curtis
Technical Director
National Center of Excellence
www.ncesoccer.com
john@ncesoccer.com
@JCurtisSoccer

[Unregistered]

Thoughts?

[Unregistered]

Thoughts?

Depends on what their contracts stipulate - if anything at all - about non compete limitations, using company email lists etc. It happens a lot in club soccer. I get emails from all kinds of places that we've never had any interaction with whatsoever, even out of state ones.

[Unregistered]

oh, so that orange haired dude who was the #2 must have stolen the player list and started contacting people for p1?

[Unregistered]

Thoughts?

Never seemed that worried when SUSA parents were using NCE to recruit players.

[Unregistered]

Thoughts?

1 of these 2 coaches e-mailed me directly, but not in a way that specifically promoted another organization - it was more or less a general "let's stay in contact and let me know if I can do anything for your kid in the future". I can't think of of another way he could have obtained my contact info (other than NCE), but I would think it would be extremely difficult for NCE to produce absolute proof that their mailing list was taken and misused.

[Unregistered]

I received the same email, but never played for NCE. My kid did the tryout but the kids were so bad we declined to sign up. Seemed too expensive (plus a 70$ uni) for the poor competition.

Regardless, who is the new entity? I get many email from competition organizations.

[Unregistered]

Players 1st?

NCE was trash and so is P1.

Just hit delete and save yourself the money and time.

[Guest]

I tried to post a response at BOTN, but I guess my post was too positive. I have had nothing but a positive experience with NCE. My son has tried every different kind of supplemental training, and he feels more challenged at NCE than he does with his club’s trainers and with other supplemental programs. The players he plays with tend to be from former DA, Barca, SUSA, etc. who want more practice. He has tried out every season (as everyone does), but he didn’t make the winter and spring sessions. This summer session has been excellent, though, and I see growth and personal attention.

That said, I think the idea that a former partner or coach getting in touch with NCE parents is in any way a violation of the US Trade Secrets legislation is ludicrous. I was surprised to get that email, and don’t think it reflects well on NCE.

[Guest]

https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Locker-R...8164564&sr=8-3 Global Premier Soccer bankruptcy explained - wow. The pro clubs, owners, and coaches involved and still working in the game is ridiculous.

[Guest]

I tried to post a response at BOTN, but I guess my post was too positive. I have had nothing but a positive experience with NCE. My son has tried every different kind of supplemental training, and he feels more challenged at NCE than he does with his club’s trainers and with other supplemental programs. The players he plays with tend to be from former DA, Barca, SUSA, etc. who want more practice. He has tried out every season (as everyone does), but he didn’t make the winter and spring sessions. This summer session has been excellent, though, and I see growth and personal attention.

That said, I think the idea that a former partner or coach getting in touch with NCE parents is in any way a violation of the US Trade Secrets legislation is ludicrous. I was surprised to get that email, and don’t think it reflects well on NCE.

Same here. Larry is hurling his typical insults and accusations at something he clearly knows very little about. I posted a very polite, respectful response explaining why I disagreed with his assessment, and provided some facts on the situation that were apparently unknown to him. I honestly know much more about this matter than he does. Unsurprisingly, the post was removed almost immediately. There's no point in posting if you have a position that is contrary to his, or if you demonstrate you know what you're talking about more than he does.

NCE has its good and its bad points, but I agree that my son's experience has been more positive than negative. I don't personally see how John & NCE are going to prove that the coaches in question obtained proprietary contact information from NCE, as opposed to obtaining it by some other means. I have also not heard great things about P1, so I don't see how much NCE is actually has to be concerned about.

[Guest]

We also have had nothing but very good experience and training with NCE. Fantastic goalie training. Every session we went to was always great and my kids loved it. Very challenging

[Guest]

I tried to post a response at BOTN, but I guess my post was too positive. I have had nothing but a positive experience with NCE. My son has tried every different kind of supplemental training, and he feels more challenged at NCE than he does with his club’s trainers and with other supplemental programs. The players he plays with tend to be from former DA, Barca, SUSA, etc. who want more practice. He has tried out every season (as everyone does), but he didn’t make the winter and spring sessions. This summer session has been excellent, though, and I see growth and personal attention.

That said, I think the idea that a former partner or coach getting in touch with NCE parents is in any way a violation of the US Trade Secrets legislation is ludicrous. I was surprised to get that email, and don’t think it reflects well on NCE.

If their employment contract spelled that out as a no-no then he may have a case. Plenty of businesses have non-compete clauses where a departing employee can't approach current customers for a year (granted not lowly soccer programs). Question is does he want to drag it a long and spend money on a fight?

[Guest]

If their employment contract spelled that out as a no-no then he may have a case. Plenty of businesses have non-compete clauses where a departing employee can't approach current customers for a year (granted not lowly soccer programs). Question is does he want to drag it a long and spend money on a fight?

Even with a non-compete it can still be tricky to enforce as it cannot be considered excessive like cannot coach/train within 100mi or the like. Would completely nullify the contract. Does Curtis want to sue and pay for an attorney to maybe win and possibly get a judgment only for them to turn around and file bankruptcy dissolving the judgment and wasting his time and money?

[Guest]

NCE is going down and this is John trying to stay afloat by scaring people away from P1.