Plus A Couple The League Could Probably Use.
With the New Year upon us, it got me thinking about the club that I help cover and love. We’ve got two stars, three shields, the best record of any team since we joined the league, and a coach that’s shown the ability to adapt to every changing situations. There’s wouldn’t seem to be a lot that would need to change for a club that is among the best in USL.
And yet…
Everyone from the front office, to the players, to the fans will tell you there’s always something to improve. Sitting on the laurels of the past is a good way to find yourself back in the bottom half of the table and struggling to get any excitement amongst the fans. So I posed this question to the Who Gives A Hoot guys: If you were Union Omaha, what would your New Year’s Resolutions be for 2025? For anyone who regularly supports or follows the team, the answers aren’t very surprising, and focused a lot on off-the-pitch wishes.
*Note: The resolutions are from the individual members. The commentary is mine. I don’t speak for any of these guys, any specific fan, nor any supporters group in making these comments. They’re my observations and analysis.
Kyle:
– Actually put shovels in the ground for the stadium
– Better communication with fans in general and supporters groups in particular
– On the playing side: Rebuild and start with a home playoff game as a goal
The stadium issue came up a lot in the conversations we had about these resolutions. As mentioned in my previous article (here), sharing a stadium is not always ideal for the types of things soccer needs to grow. It’s even more complicated when Sarpy County actually owns the stadium and parking lot, putting even more constraints on activities at the venue. Finally, Omaha is considered a “20-minute city”, but Werner Park’s location stretches that concept and reduces the number of fans that might want to attend a match, but just can’t justify the drive.
There has been a promised solution, and 2026 was the original target for having a playable stadium (combined with a move to USL Championship). Since then the rumors have swirled that 2027 is more likely, that there may have to be a temporary stadium solution for the 2026 season (pending agreements with the Storm Chasers and Werner Park), and investor and city bureaucracy is often cited with those rumors as causes. Putting shovels in the ground would go a long way to easing the fanbase’s concerns that the dream will actually happen.
This also leads into Kyle’s second resolution – better communication with fans and supporters groups would also help with the stadium concerns. But this resolution goes beyond just the stadium. While I will credit the front office with their availability to questions, holding the team talks during the year, and often having a pre-/early-season event to share information with the season ticket members, there are times when the communication seems to be slower or non-existent. While I won’t cite specific instances (those are between the SGs and front office), some of the topics have included short notice requesting support for team appearances, policy changes and clarifications, gameday activities and experiences, etc. There’s another aspect, but I’ll mention this with a resolution later.
For Kyle’s final resolution, this is a no-brainer. This league is very transitional, especially since we still have a lot of two-year or one-and-one option style contracts. We’ll see a lot of turnover, and that can lead to a dip in performance—see Jay Mims’ third season when Union Omaha finished 5th in the league.
But there’s something to be said for keeping your eyes on an attainable goal. A third consecutive Player’s Shield would be nice, but it shouldn’t be an all-or-nothing prospect. A good season, finishing top 4, and getting to have at least one more magical playoff match at Werner is a reasonable goal.
Luke:
– Marketing investment reaching beyond the existing base
– Injury Reports
– Clarify Roster Locks and Trade Windows
Marketing has always been a strange topic for Union Omaha. There’s some marketing that’s being done, but it seems to be inconsistent or riding on the same style as the Storm Chasers. The latter is understandable, considering they were the established side of the company and much of the front office came from a baseball background. Then you look at things like the marketing for the Sporting Kansas City match at Caniglia. That was a surge in marketing and promotion that brought a sellout crowd to the venue.
But SKC, and the opportunity to see MLS players, is a match that almost sells itself, especially since Omaha is heavily SKC-colored for MLS support. What I want to see is more outreach, more investment, and more push to get those who are interested, but just can’t be moved to regularly attend matches.
There’s also a feeling among some supporters that they’ve been doing a lot of heavy lifting for getting the word out, bringing friends, and drumming up new avenues of support. While you might say, “that’s what supporters should do” (and you’re not wrong), a push in investment from the club in that direction would help those supporters feel they aren’t hitting the streets for nothing.
The injury report point is also a small annoyance of mine when it comes to coverage, but also affects the supporters. For them, its not always just about who’s playing and who’s not, but maybe who needs their support behind the scenes. In obvious cases, like Mechack Jérôme and family, the supporters didn’t need an injury report to jump into action and support. But for some of the more subtle ones (Steevan Dos Santos’ injury that kept him out of the SKC match), knowing who is sitting out on the sidelines helps them send their support, encouragement, and remind them that they still have the fans behind them in recovery.
While I don’t want injury reports to go into a breach of privacy, HIPPA regulations, or provide a competitive advantage, I would also like to see something giving an idea of who won’t be available and an estimated timeline. Some teams do this. Others do this, but then don’t update, so a player ruled “out” is now in the staring XI. That’s because the League doesn’t set the standard for such public reporting. I’d love the League to standardize that policy, but until then, having this as a resolution for the team would be awesome.
And speaking of League standards, the idea of the League clarifying when rosters are locked, when transfer windows are open, and (from me) details behind the transfers is something I’ve been dreaming of for a long time. This one falls firmly in the League’s hands to resolve. Expanding your supporter (customer) base means transparency with the fans on what they can expect. It also generates content, discussion, and analysis about what players could be on the move, who would be a good fit, and who missed out on a deadline day. Anything getting people talking about the League in a positive way is good.
Braedon:
– More clear and transparent progress toward a stadium solution
Braedon went the simple route, and really just wants to know what the stadium solution is, especially because the aforementioned 2026 season may not be at Werner Park (if the rumors are to be believed). Shovels in the ground would be great, but the need for transparency and progress to keep the supporters excited, and to gear up potential new supporters when the downtown venue is ready, can’t be stressed enough. More and better communication is always a good thing.
Tim (Me!):
– Publish the bylaws that tell me how many yellow cards you must accumulate to get a suspension
This one is definitely for the League, since I think the previous resolutions have covered the team pretty well. It also goes along with the injury report standardization, roster rules, etc.
The League has seemingly not updated it’s media guide since 2022. (Please…if anyone can prove me wrong I’d love to see the link!) That document was awesome for exactly what I’m asking for. It gave a preview of the teams, an explanation of the season and playoffs formate, then had a section for the USL League One Rules—everything from player status to progressive discipline for card accumulation. There was even a section for rules on photographs, promotional material, and other coverage concerns. It was beautiful.
But there isn’t a readily accessible document like that, and even the 2022 version requires a Scribd account to download (though you can still read it for free). Simple things like this would go a long way toward showing the transparency that fans want while providing the context and coverage materials that teams/media need to help increase the League’s exposure to new viewers. When people don’t know what’s going on, they go find a place where they do.
Do not take these resolutions as a sign that I don’t love the club and the League. It comes across as a bit negative because I’m focusing on things to change. The League and the Front Office don’t have infinite resources nor personnel to do everything perfectly. Even if they did, they’re human. I totally get the limitations they have.
That said, a little improvement should always be the goal. And what better time than as you ring in a New Year.
If you want more views and discussions on Union Omaha and USL League One heading into 2025, keep checking out the Who Gives A Hoot? podcast.
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