Scott Sala
The great Scottish player and coach Jock Stein once said, “Football is nothing without fans.” Presenting #WhyImFlockEnd: a weekly series highlighting members of Forward Madison FC’s Independent Supporters Association, The Flock. Don’t miss a chance to join us in the Flock End this season; get your season tickets here!
Scott Sala
#WhyImFlockEnd
Editor’s note: Scott Sala was one of the founding members of The Flock, back when we were canvassing neighborhood businesses with scarves for the club, working to win over neighborhoods and potential sponsors. Scott served as Treasurer from The Flock’s founding in November 2018 through the end of the 2019 season. You can read more about Scott’s new gig and its Madison connections on madison.com
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been around the game of soccer. I started playing when I was in Kindergarten. In grade school my weekends were always packed with games and tournaments. Middle and high school were not much different, but I also added refereeing and coaching to the mix. Soccer was a big part of my adolescence. I met a lot of friends playing; some of the people I consider to be my closest friends now, decades later, were high school and club teammates of mine. As an adult I still try to find time (when I am not injured) to play recreationally, and hope to get back into coaching soon.
I am very grateful that I was able to be a part of the formation of The Flock. For me it’s important to emphasize that word, part. I was one piece, one person on a team. The success we’ve had thus far as an organization is through the collective efforts of a passionate team that learned how to work well together. It definitely wasn’t always easy. There were times when the work felt thankless (just like any other time-intensive, ongoing project eventually does), but it’s become such an amazing, inclusive community that does a lot of important work supporting FMFC, local soccer in general, as well as the communities in Madison as a whole. I can’t wait to see what we do next.
What’s something surprising you learned while helping get The Flock off the ground?
A lot of people probably don’t think about it this way, but it really was like starting a business. We had to incorporate, create bylaws, seat a board of directors, comply with non-profit laws, create a brand, develop a marketing strategy, generate revenue and donations, keep expenses low, create partnerships and relationships with other local business and non-profits, motivate volunteers, the list goes on. Our team were not experts in these areas, and we learned a lot along the way. I learned a lot along the way.
I’m Flock End
because I love the positivity. I love the positive energy created by singing and cheering with my friends for 90 min week in and week out, and I love the positive impact we are able to make in the community outside of match days.
It sounds like you learned some translatable skills
I was exposed to a lot of new areas that I had not really been a part of in my professional career before the Flock. Non-profit law, social media, beverage distribution industry, but I think the most vital lessons were all about community building. To be honest, I think those lessons are what prepared me for my new opportunity with FC Pinzgau.
That’s right! You recently became the COO of FC Pinzgau and were appointed to their board of directors, that has to be exciting.
Yes, definitely (and I am humbled by the opportunity). It is very similar to why I was excited about the Flock in a lot of ways. It gives me the opportunity to influence the operations (of the club), to put my stamp on things. It gives me the opportunity to learn more, about a new league, a new country, a new community, and more about the sporting side of the industry. Ultimately, I know it sounds cliché, but It gives me an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself.
It is obviously the sporting side of the club that directly drives success on the pitch, but to give them the best opportunity to do so, we have to (1) be a club that players want to play for and (2) provide the financial resources necessary to secure top talent. Building a diverse, inclusive, passionate community of supporters and fan owners is the best way to do those two things.
Tell us about FC Pinzgau.
Most importantly, we are a club owned by its supporters
We have aspirations for promotion
Saalfelden, Austria is beautiful, and our home grounds have amazing views
The club is managed by legendary footballer, Christian Ziege
Supporting a club spawned a career change?
Not everyone gets to found something like The Flock; to be there at the start of something special and really get your hands dirty. But through all that sweat equity, I realized that supporters are the heart and soul of their club, that you can’t have one without the other — and if those supporters are able to own a piece of their club, they will always help steer things in the right direction. If FC Pinzgau is going to be successful, we must be able to build a community of supporters and fan owners, In Austria, in America, and around the world, that are proud of their club. Plain and simple.