Soccer coach finds success with SCORE's help

Green Bay SCORE mentor Dave Wears has a hard time containing his excitement when he talks about SCORE client Mackenzie Jaroch. He was part of Jaroch’s journey from part-time coach to owner of MacRoc Soccer Academy in Green Bay.

Wears was impressed with Jaroch’s business plan, enthusiasm and commitment to making an impact on the lives of her students.

One of the few women to obtain a United States Soccer Federation “D” coaching license, Jaroch has played college and semi-professional soccer, operated summer camps and clinics, worked in sports management and coached. She credits her parents for encouraging her to become a successful athlete.

“They gave me the courage to create my own path through life, they taught me how to overcome life’s many challenges and most importantly, they showed me how to dream big and never give up,” she said.

That big dream is now a soccer academy (www.macrocsoccer.com) where she trains youth beginners to competitive soccer players. Her philosophy on coaching is to be the type of coach who pushes a player out of his or her comfort zone while giving a pat on the back for good performance.

“The coach is there to push you in a direction that you might not go by yourself, and to give you what you need to be confident,” she said. “But, you can’t get too comfortable because there never comes a time when you have it all and don’t have to train anymore. You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”

As Jaroch grew in the sport, she said her parents hired someone to train her in the backyard and sent her to various camps. With that background, she experienced first-hand the benefits of having extra coaching and it was a natural step for her to start coaching herself. She started training at a variety of facilities, but the big step came just a few months ago when she leased an indoor facility that is currently being remodeled.

“I always did side training, and when I moved here and got a job, I was also coaching a team and training on the side," she said. "Through this coaching, I saw that there was no outlet for training. It was the parents of the kids that supported me and encouraged me to start a business.”

Jaroch was surprised to find a huge demand and decided to make it a full-time business. She created social media pages and a website, and sought help in crafting the academy.

In addition to going to SCORE, she called the owner of a soccer academy located across the country and told him that she was thinking of opening a similar business, admired what he had done, and would appreciate his help.

“We put a list together and I wrote a timeline for accomplishing each detail. I got my LLC, came up with the name, and went step by step through the list. I wasn’t going to let a day pass without doing what was on my list that day,” Jaroch said.

Wears provided business plan templates and gave advice on making financial projections. Jaroch said she wrote the plan from her heart and the passion for the business was evident. The hardest part was the financials.

“It is hard to put a price on something you love. But, once I got started, I had fun with the projections because it showed me how I’ll be able to grow,” she said.

As she puts in long hours, Jaroch is only limited by the amount of training she can physically handle. Her schedule is full and she says she could train all night if she was able.

“I’ve gotten so much further with the business than I thought I would – it has exceeded my expectations,” she said. “Yet, the real success I feel comes from seeing the strides these athletes are making.”

Tina Dettman-Bielefeldt is co-owner of DB Commercial Real Estate in Green Bay and Past District Director for SCORE, Wisconsin.