Hi folks,
I have not ever looked at this but given the vicious nature of the nasty posts on here about members of my staff, I will give one post so all of this can be put to bed.
Resume:
I did not lie at all on my resume - sorry to disappoint the haters here - I do not pretend to understand what these attacks are about, but the fact that people come on here anonymously and spew hatred makes me sad. If you have any doubts about anything on my resume, or the website, you are welcome to request a meeting in person at our office where I can share anything you want.
Licensing:
I am working on my B license currently through a waiver - I had to pull out of the in-person due to a serious illness and will be completing it when I can. I have all of the NSCAA licenses up to Premier, and when I took them they were the equivalents recognized by USSF. I have the equivalent of the A license through NSCAA and am working on the B license through USSF now. I also have a Master's degree in coaching and a Director of Coaching diploma among other qualifications. I chose the NSCAA route at the time because the courses were better in my opinion.
Investigations:
Please do not write another thing about staff members and investigations. This is libel and will be treated as such going forward.
Staff Members:
There have been staff members who have left since I arrived, as there were before I arrived. I am quite sure there are staff members who do not like me as I bring change and accountability. That is quite normal in a transition phase. Changes were needed and still are needed. I was not happy with the product we were putting out and obviously that upset some staff members, but we are working to change this. What we want to offer is value for money. We want to offer a strong development platform and a good culture. I am working to provide a better program and a better work life balance for coaches at the same time. I want the club to be a fun place. There was a lot that was good about the Gunners as it was, but there was also a need for the change.
Transition:
The transition to Liverpool International Academy was not about rebranding for the sake of it - it was about bringing in a strategy and platform that increases development potential. It was about becoming part of an organization that means we can offer more to our kids than if we were on our own. We have a prebuilt curriculum developed by a top premiership club. We have a development strategy built by people who spend more money than we could dream of researching and improving. Our kids get to be a part of something bigger than us all which is important.
Our Neighbors:
With regards to Eastside, Crossfire, and all of the other supposed rivals, they are not enemies, they are rivals. I have huge respect for these clubs. We are all part of the same soccer community. I met with Chance and Tom and I liked them. We will build a relationship over time. We need rivalry in soccer, but we also need to understand the difference that rivalry should always be mixed with healthy respect. I admire what these other clubs have done, and I am always ready to work with other clubs on projects that benefit communities. We are focused on us though. We know we have work to do to build our program. I know the staff are being asked to change and that is not easy. I know I don't get everything right first time, but I will keep going until I do.
Mental Health:
Lastly, I am concerned that the bullying here is out of hand. I implore you to stop the hatred and the false narratives before someone has a mental breakdown. We live in an age where people are very affected by these posts and it can severely impact people's mental health. I am all for chatting in a fun and honest way, but there is consistent bullying on here, and has been for a long time apparently, and it needs to stop. The people you are bullying are people who have families. They are real families and you are causing these families hurt. You do not want to be responsible for someone having a mental health crisis I would hope. You surely do not want to be responsible for driving someone to suicidal thoughts or actions. These are real possibilities and I am deeply concerned that this animosity and hatred will not stop until it is too late. That is why I decided to post today. I would prefer not to, but people have been affected in the past by these posts and I do not want to see more harm done. Please try to see the human side of this. Bullying is a cowardly act, particularly when you do it anonymously. Is that really who you want to be? Take a breath and add something positive. It will affect the world in a good way, and it will make you feel better.
Thank you
Rory O'Connor
Executive Director LFC IA WA
I have not ever looked at this but given the vicious nature of the nasty posts on here about members of my staff, I will give one post so all of this can be put to bed.
Resume:
I did not lie at all on my resume - sorry to disappoint the haters here - I do not pretend to understand what these attacks are about, but the fact that people come on here anonymously and spew hatred makes me sad. If you have any doubts about anything on my resume, or the website, you are welcome to request a meeting in person at our office where I can share anything you want.
Licensing:
I am working on my B license currently through a waiver - I had to pull out of the in-person due to a serious illness and will be completing it when I can. I have all of the NSCAA licenses up to Premier, and when I took them they were the equivalents recognized by USSF. I have the equivalent of the A license through NSCAA and am working on the B license through USSF now. I also have a Master's degree in coaching and a Director of Coaching diploma among other qualifications. I chose the NSCAA route at the time because the courses were better in my opinion.
Investigations:
Please do not write another thing about staff members and investigations. This is libel and will be treated as such going forward.
Staff Members:
There have been staff members who have left since I arrived, as there were before I arrived. I am quite sure there are staff members who do not like me as I bring change and accountability. That is quite normal in a transition phase. Changes were needed and still are needed. I was not happy with the product we were putting out and obviously that upset some staff members, but we are working to change this. What we want to offer is value for money. We want to offer a strong development platform and a good culture. I am working to provide a better program and a better work life balance for coaches at the same time. I want the club to be a fun place. There was a lot that was good about the Gunners as it was, but there was also a need for the change.
Transition:
The transition to Liverpool International Academy was not about rebranding for the sake of it - it was about bringing in a strategy and platform that increases development potential. It was about becoming part of an organization that means we can offer more to our kids than if we were on our own. We have a prebuilt curriculum developed by a top premiership club. We have a development strategy built by people who spend more money than we could dream of researching and improving. Our kids get to be a part of something bigger than us all which is important.
Our Neighbors:
With regards to Eastside, Crossfire, and all of the other supposed rivals, they are not enemies, they are rivals. I have huge respect for these clubs. We are all part of the same soccer community. I met with Chance and Tom and I liked them. We will build a relationship over time. We need rivalry in soccer, but we also need to understand the difference that rivalry should always be mixed with healthy respect. I admire what these other clubs have done, and I am always ready to work with other clubs on projects that benefit communities. We are focused on us though. We know we have work to do to build our program. I know the staff are being asked to change and that is not easy. I know I don't get everything right first time, but I will keep going until I do.
Mental Health:
Lastly, I am concerned that the bullying here is out of hand. I implore you to stop the hatred and the false narratives before someone has a mental breakdown. We live in an age where people are very affected by these posts and it can severely impact people's mental health. I am all for chatting in a fun and honest way, but there is consistent bullying on here, and has been for a long time apparently, and it needs to stop. The people you are bullying are people who have families. They are real families and you are causing these families hurt. You do not want to be responsible for someone having a mental health crisis I would hope. You surely do not want to be responsible for driving someone to suicidal thoughts or actions. These are real possibilities and I am deeply concerned that this animosity and hatred will not stop until it is too late. That is why I decided to post today. I would prefer not to, but people have been affected in the past by these posts and I do not want to see more harm done. Please try to see the human side of this. Bullying is a cowardly act, particularly when you do it anonymously. Is that really who you want to be? Take a breath and add something positive. It will affect the world in a good way, and it will make you feel better.
Thank you
Rory O'Connor
Executive Director LFC IA WA
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