Q: Why did Puma Futbol Club apply for Players First licensing?

Adam Lamb, Director of Coaching: We were looking for a way to highlight our commitment to putting players at the forefront of our day-to-day decision making.  Youth soccer is an ever-changing landscape and the Kansas City landscape is no different.  The market here is expressly competitive. There are many clubs that say one thing and do another.  We strive to be a club that follows through on its commitments to its players and we felt that US Club Soccer and the Players First license would aid us in that commitment.  

Q: What does it mean for Puma Futbol Club to now be an official Players First-licensed club?

Lamb: We are honored to be a part of the Players First initiative and join the list of existing member clubs under the Players First license umbrella. We are only one of two clubs in the Kansas City metro area and the only NPL Central States club to be a Players First-licensed club, and that is a stat we are very proud of.  We are looking forward to collaboration with other member clubs and seeing what we can learn from fellow professionals so we can continue to improve our player environment here at Puma FC.

Q: What makes Players First licensing different from other initiatives or programs your club has participated in?

Lamb: Players First-licensing gives us a bigger community (beyond Kansas City) that we are a part of.  Collaboration with clubs around you is one thing, but this allows us to branch out beyond that, step outside our comfort zone and connect with a larger community. It’s also clear to us already that US Club Soccer is invested in this program/initiative and really providing a service to the Players First-licensed clubs that is meaningful.  It’s not just a logo given to a club to place on their website and marketing material.

Q: What would you like the parents of Puma Futbol Club to know about what this means to them?

Lamb: I would want the parents at Puma FC to know that we made this step forward for them and their son/daughter.  We really do think about the players first when we make short-term and long-term decisions at the club and we try, to the best of our ability, to make decisions with the impact on players and their development at the forefront of our decision making.  We don’t want to be a club that says all the right things but then moves in a completely different direction.  We exist for the players and we strive each and every day to provide a soccer environment that they (the players) want to be a part of.