© Women's Soccer World September/October 1997

Behind the Scenes: Charlotte Moran
By Judith Phillips Rogers

Star players and coaches on the national and college level get most of the publicity, but there are crucial workers behind the scenes who make it possible for girls and women to be able to play soccer. Players at all levels often take for granted that there will be schedules for matches, fields mown and lined, refs assigned and transportation arranged. There are thousands of behind the scenes workers who make all of this possible. Devoting hours and days to getting the details arranged are the administrators - mostly volunteers and occasionally paid managers - who see to it that games and tournaments happen. If they do their jobs well, no one notices. If anything goes wrong, there is an outcry.

Charlotte Moran has been one of the most active organizers for girls' and women's soccer in the U.S. This year she took on a paid position as the Executive Director for the East Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association (EPYSA), where she is in charge of coordinating fields, coaches, refs, training, insurance, and tournaments for the group's 120,000 members. In addition, as part of USSF's Region 1, her office was responsible for arranging details of this summer's U.S. Women's Cup, including managing the venue for the USA vs. Australia game held in Ambler, Pennsylvania.

When WSW arrived at her bustling office for an interview on the day of that big game, frantic workers at the reception desk beamed hopeful smiles, "Are you the people bringing the water for the field?" Just magazine reporters, we'd have to wait while Moran returned a dozen urgent calls, as the front desk staff struggled to answer phones ringing about every 30 seconds with fans trying to wrangle tickets to the sold-out match. The life of soccer volunteers and organizers never seems to get dull.

Moran brings to the EPYSA 20 years of experience in soccer management, from her start as a team mom in 1977, through roles at regional and national levels. She has served at various times as a club secretary, league secretary, league v-p, state v-p and president, state administrator for ODP for 10 years, and was Chairperson for the National Girls' ODP from 1991-1995. She currently is a member of USSF's Women's Committee, a group she chaired in 1990-91. As a member of the National Soccer Coach's Association (NSCA) Women's committee, she works to encourage women to become coaches at higher levels and to promote women's soccer at all levels. She has been a member of the North East International Soccer Tournament, a group formed in Region 1 to host what started as the Chiquita Cup and has now evolved into the U.S. Women's Cup, an annual invitational tournament to provide opportunities for local players and fans to see international competition. This is also her third year as volunteer manager for the W-league's Philadelphia Frenzy.

Moran encourages those who are interested in women's soccer to get involved in administration of leagues and tournaments. Those who may not have the background or training to be coaches, can still be involved with the sport in a meaningful way, and those who do have a background playing or coaching can put their experience to work. There are many benefits to working as a soccer organizer, including possible travel and becoming part of a team, even if you don't play on it. As an administrator, Moran has been able to meet "everyone" - players, stars, coaches from all sorts of teams. She especially has enjoyed watching the soccer careers of players who started with her local youth teams as they went on to play in college. She feels that parents of young players can become even more involved and effective as administrators when their own children are no longer playing in the league.

Without the volunteer administrators and organizers, there would be little opportunity for girls and women to play at any level. No special talents are required, although, as Moran points out, detail people shine in this capacity. Contact your local league, state organization or the WWC '99 organizing committee to see how you can get involved in an exciting and essential side of women's soccer.