CGK President Jason Dorsey recently achieved both a professional and family bucket list goal when he was invited to speak for the inspiring Austin FC organization. A special bonus: he was able to take his wife, CGK CEO Denise Villa, their daughter Rya, and his dad to a professional soccer game!
What the Austin FC didn’t know when they invited Jason and his family to the game is that going to Austin FC games is Denise and Rya’s favorite mother-daughter activity. You can imagine their thrill when Jason shared that they were not only going to a game but also getting to sit in the very first row directly next to the visiting team!
Jason’s dad had never been to a professional soccer game, was unsure what to expect, and left as a huge fan. He could not believe the nonstop action, physical intensity, and “unbelievable athletes” on the field. After the game, Rya unexpectedly got to meet several of the Austin FC players who were so kind, including her favorite player, Nick Lima, who photobombed(!) Rya taking pictures—which, for Generation Z, is even cooler than an intentional photo. Of course Rya immediately shared it on Snapchat.
Getting to speak to this great organization revealed its culture, values, commitment to excellence, teamwork, and outstanding leadership. Jason could see how they live their team’s mission to unite people across the city and the region—and generations!
Jason told us that before working with Austin FC, he did not realize how many different departments and leaders it takes to run a professional soccer team and a major sports arena. There are operations, sales, marketing, facilities, HR, finance, food and beverage, arena maintenance, and then the complexity of leading and coaching the pro sports team itself. Each leader must deliver on their mission for everything to be exceptional, whether that is great food, technology integrations, team performance, or fan engagement. There are so many moving parts behind the scenes.
As a kid, Jason played soccer for six years. He loved it. Denise played soccer in middle school and high school for six years (her team won third in the state; Jason’s got participation trophies). Rya is now in her third season playing soccer—she’s a forward, no surprise. But even with all that connection to the sport, Jason gained a much deeper appreciation of what it takes to lead a professional soccer organization from his time working with the Austin FC.
Jason is thankful to their entire Austin FC organization—from executives and support staff to the training leaders and team—for creating unforgettable experiences for fans and helping to unite the Austin community. Austin FC makes everyone feel welcome, whether they show up solo to stand the entire game cheering, with a large corporate group, or as a family. We at CGK are grateful and inspired by their impact right here in our hometown!
Did you know CGK has worked with several professional sports team? Reach out to see how we can help you unlock performance across generations with our speaking and research.
