‘Everything that makes a player happy and successful off the field, translates to what happens in the lines.’

January is a busy month for the North Carolina Courage and its staff. Between player arrivals, the NWSL draft and preseason preparation, there is no shortage of tasks to keep the front office and technical staffs busy, but no group at the club is busier than North Carolina Courage Director of Player Experience Kathryn Page and her department. “It’s pretty hectic. There are a lot of players moving into market, a lot of first timers. It’s crazy. Preseason is long days. We have some double sessions on the books for preseason. We have a preseason trip coming up. It’s just a lot of moving parts, but luckily, we have the support now where it’s not so overwhelming and it is manageable. We can do four things at once because we have four people,” Page said. When Page started at the club during the 2022 season, the department consisted of just two positions, an equipment manager and a soccer operations manager, but that number has doubled and now includes herself, team administrator Matt Holmes, equipment manager Jess Segalla and operations coordinator Lexi Stewart. That growth has made a significant difference in the level of detail the staff can put into all the areas they are responsible for. “I think you could ask any player that was with us this past year that growing out our department shows how much we care about the players, from a player perspective and a human perspective,” Page said. Page and her department’s job falls under two main umbrellas: operations and player experience. Operations means coordinating things like equipment, meals, travel, etc., while player experience centers on one driving question: “How does North Carolina make them feel at home?” “In like a 10,000-foot view, our job is to help the players and coaches just focus on soccer, while we take care of the rest of it,” Holmes said.

Partners make a difference

Whether it’s food, travel or other areas, club partners help make sure the players are taken care of. One such partner is Johnson Subaru. Through that partnership, the Courage players have access to a shared team car. While Page said the vehicle caters more to international players, there are knock-on effects. “Having the flexibility of getting around town and seeing Raleigh and Durham and Cary for more than just going to and from training has allowed them to really settle in a lot quicker. It also alleviates a lot of the pressure from returning players that they don’t have to ask for a ride. … It takes the burden off their shoulders of being like, ‘Hey, I don’t have to help them get from point A to point B.’ They have international licenses, and they can do it themselves,” Page said. Team meals are another area where partners are crucial to taking care of the players. Whether it’s a team meeting, training or other event, the staff provides a meal and those meals often come from partners. “They’re extremely helpful because it shows how much the community supports them and how much they’re willing to literally invest into the club and into the players. The players being able to see that and the coaches and all of us being able to see that level of investment is really important and helps buy into being part of the North Carolina community in general,” Holmes said. “When we do meals, (partners) are hugely important because of just how important the players fueling themselves is for their performance on the field and their recovery off the field. We’re extremely grateful for all our partners who are willing to invest in the club that way,” Holmes continued. Partners also help players connect with the community. “It is cool to see the relationships that players will have with different partners when they go to an appearance somewhere. … It’s not just like getting that tie to the partner necessarily, but the partner is creating ways for players to actually be out in the community and meeting fans, which they all really, really appreciate,” Stewart said.

The human element

For Page and her team, being there for the players and establishing a human connection is the best part of the job. “You’re essentially the players’ first point of contact. You are their friend. You’re their confidant. You are the person they go to when they are in trouble, or they have questions, or they have any sort of logistical thing that they’re working out. ‘My family is coming in from the Netherlands. They need a place to stay. Where can they stay around here?’ They go to you about that. ‘Hey, I had a shitty day today. The only thing that’s going to make me feel better is a coffee.’ Okay, let’s set up a coffee truck tomorrow and we try to make those things happen. Knowing players on a human-to-human level is probably the best part,” Page said. Page’s feelings were echoed by the rest of the team. “Then it all comes down to: We are all just a big family. That really shows on the sideline how much fun we’re having every day at training. We’re all joking around. Obviously, we’re competitive and we have that level but we all love being there with each other,” Segalla said.

Players arriving in market

Whether it’s a new draftee, a free agent signing from another NWSL team or an international player arriving in the States for the first time, Page and her team make sure the players are welcomed with open arms and have everything they need to succeed from the jump. “Where I’ve tried to help the most is with international players that come into market. Things like going to the social security office with them and making sure they get a social security card and then getting enough groceries or just things to help start out their apartment so that it’s set up and they’re not walking into an empty apartment. We rent furniture for them so they are coming into a furnished apartment and can build out of that. Just trying to get as many details from them on the front end so that by the team they get here there is very little catch up that we try to have and we try to have everything sorted out for them as much as possible,” Stewart said. In addition to food and other necessities, Segalla works with the merchandise team to make sure the player has plenty of Courage gear for themselves and their family. “Whatever we can do to just welcome them here,” Segalla said.

Off-field wellness translates to on-field success

What Page and her team do isn’t just about off-field wellness, the work translates to on-field results. “Everything that makes a player happy and successful off the field, translates to what happens in the lines. Right? We’re not part of the coaching staff. We’re not saying that, but we are saying that they have a safe place to sleep at night, that they are comfortable, that they are getting fed and dietary restrictions are taken care of and all of those dominoes effect how they’re able to perform,” Page said.