5 Ways Your Members’ Mindset Is Like a Kids’ Soccer Game

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My son was all signed up for spring soccer last year when, overnight, anything social became a health risk. Remembering his earlier experiences with the sport led me to connect the action and emotion of a youth soccer match with the dynamics of a credit union’s collective member mindset. At first glance, it might seem like an outlandish comparison. But when you dive below the surface you can see just how much a soccer game played by three- to five-year-olds can be like trying to understand how your members think and feel, especially in light of last year’s jarring events. Here’s why:

1. It’s unpredictable. You can practice during the week. You can run drills. You can patiently explain and demonstrate just what you want them to do. But when the whistle blows, chaos ensues. You can’t foresee how the action will unfold with kids of different sizes, ability, effort and blood sugar levels ricocheting off one another.