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The Club
Director

Real conversations with the people building sports clubs across America. No fluff — just the hard lessons, big wins, and honest takes from directors in the trenches.

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Latest episode · 02
Volleyball · 54 min · Coming soon

AI for Sports Clubs: Do More Without Hiring More

Anton shares how he uses ChatGPT across administration, communication, and scheduling — without handing over human judgment.

“The human authority is paramount. I don't automatically do what it says — I've had to push back a lot.”

— Anton Bucher, Founder & Executive Director, AMBieNT Sports · Texoma Thunder Volleyball Club
Key moments
  • 02:17 · Why he started a nonprofit volleyball club in Denison, TX
  • 14:42 · Using AI to scale without hiring staff
  • 24:34 · Why Waresport replaces his patchwork of tools
  • 33:13 · Facebook as the #1 marketing channel for local clubs

Anton Bucher [12:57]: The human authority is, is paramount. I don't automatically do what it says, and I don't automatically even take its answers. I've had to push back a lot and say, “Nope, that's wrong. We gotta fix this.” It's very much a tool. It's kind of like a hammer — it's how are you gonna use it. It's a tool that helps you organize, get the background logistics and infrastructure better, so that I can focus on the relationship. I have hired coaches who are better than I am so they can do the coaching, and I can talk with the parents and make sure everything's organized.

Anton Bucher [15:40]: I have a high schooler — she's my social media manager. I bought a ChatGPT seat for her so that she can use the graphic generators. She posts two or three times a day knowing she's got ChatGPT to help her make the posts.

Anton Bucher [24:54]: Now I've got a platform. I'm super excited that just before the season starts, I'm gonna say, “Hey, everybody — Waresport is gonna be our hub.” Someone's gotta be the platform that puts it all in one place.

All episodes

Every conversation, every director

VOLLEYBALL · AI & CLUB MANAGEMENT

AI for Sports Clubs: Do More Without Hiring More

Anton shares how he uses ChatGPT across administration, communication, and scheduling — without handing over human judgment.

Anton Bucher · Texoma Thunder Volleyball Club, Denison TX

Key moments
  • 02:17 · Why he started a nonprofit volleyball club in Denison, TX
  • 14:42 · Using AI to scale without hiring staff
  • 24:34 · Why Waresport replaces his patchwork of tools
  • 33:13 · Facebook as the #1 marketing channel for local clubs
“The human authority is paramount. I don't automatically do what it says — I've had to push back a lot.”

Anton Bucher [12:57]: The human authority is, is paramount. I don't automatically do what it says, and I don't automatically even take its answers. I've had to push back a lot and say, “Nope, that's wrong. We gotta fix this.” It's very much a tool. It's kind of like a hammer — it's how are you gonna use it. It's a tool that helps you organize, get the background logistics and infrastructure better, so that I can focus on the relationship. I have hired coaches who are better than I am so they can do the coaching, and I can talk with the parents and make sure everything's organized.

Anton Bucher [15:40]: I have a high schooler — she's my social media manager. I bought a ChatGPT seat for her so that she can use the graphic generators. She posts two or three times a day knowing she's got ChatGPT to help her make the posts.

Anton Bucher [24:54]: Now I've got a platform. I'm super excited that just before the season starts, I'm gonna say, “Hey, everybody — Waresport is gonna be our hub.” Someone's gotta be the platform that puts it all in one place.

~54 minComing soon
in ShareX Post
BASKETBALL · YOUTH SPORTS LEADERSHIP

How to Build a Youth Sports Club Parents Trust

Ben D'Alessandro on earning parent buy-in, developing character, and why coaching means selling a shared vision.

Ben D'Alessandro · Virginia Basketball Academy, Charlottesville VA

Key moments
  • 01:31 · From Division I coaching at UVA and Clemson to founding VABA
  • 09:45 · Why a coach is a salesperson — to players and parents
  • 14:17 · Why transactional leadership fails in the long run
  • 17:51 · How VABA serves 2,400 athletes through connected programs
“A coach is a salesperson — to the players, and to the most important influential adults in the players' lives: the parents.”
~45 minOut now
in ShareX Post
From the directors themselves

Wall of Wisdom

Hard-earned lessons from club directors in the trenches. More added with every episode.

SALES & PARENTS
“A coach is a salesperson — to the players, and to the most important adults in their lives: the parents.”
BDBen D'Alessandro · Virginia Basketball Academy · Ep. 1
LEADERSHIP
“Transactional leadership may work short-term, but it doesn't build character — and it doesn't last.”
BDBen D'Alessandro · Virginia Basketball Academy · Ep. 1
SALES & PARENTS
“Don't tell parents to put the team ahead of their kid. It's impossible. Accept it and work with it.”
BDBen D'Alessandro · Virginia Basketball Academy · Ep. 1
AI & OPERATIONS
“The human authority is paramount. AI is a tool — like a hammer. Use it wrong and you'll do damage.”
ABAnton Bucher · Texoma Thunder Volleyball Club · Ep. 2
STAFFING
“Hire coaches better than you at coaching. That frees you to handle the relationships and the operations.”
ABAnton Bucher · Texoma Thunder Volleyball Club · Ep. 2
MARKETING
“Facebook is still the #1 platform for local youth sports clubs. You can target families with girls aged 9–16 in your exact area.”
ABAnton Bucher · Texoma Thunder Volleyball Club · Ep. 2
LEADERSHIP
“Define success before you try to achieve it. Then train your coaches on how to pitch that definition to players and parents.”
BDBen D'Alessandro · Virginia Basketball Academy · Ep. 1
FINANCE
“Make families pay something — even if you're a nonprofit. Free means they don't show up. Half price means they're committed.”
ABAnton Bucher · Texoma Thunder Volleyball Club · Ep. 2
More coming

Every new episode adds to this wall. Want your lessons here? Apply to be a guest.

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About the show

Built for the people
running the real game

The Club Director is a podcast by Waresport — the sports club management platform used by club directors, academies, and facilities across the US. We built software to lift admin off coaches' plates, and we started this podcast to learn from the people actually running clubs. No investors, no keynote speakers. Just the people doing the work, sharing what actually works. Hosted by Devansh Kaushik, founder of Waresport.

Directors from every sport

Cricket, soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, esports — if there's a club, we want to talk to the person running it.

20–45 min, every week

Short enough for a commute. Dense enough to take notes on.

Full transcripts, always free

Every episode ships with a complete searchable transcript. Great for coaches, directors, and anyone who prefers reading.

Full video on YouTube

Every conversation is recorded on video. Watch uncut, or catch the LinkedIn clips.

Frequently asked questions

Questions about running a sports club

What software do sports clubs use to manage operations?

Sports clubs commonly use purpose-built platforms for athlete registration, scheduling, payments, and communication. Waresport is designed specifically for clubs and academies — handling everything from tryouts and event management to coaching tools and facility booking in one platform. On The Club Director podcast, directors from cricket, soccer, basketball, and volleyball clubs share which tools they rely on and why they switched from spreadsheets.

How do I grow my youth sports club?

Growing a youth sports club requires systematizing your registration process, investing in parent communication, building a coaching pipeline, and running community events that increase visibility. Directors on The Club Director podcast consistently cite automating administrative work — especially registration and payments — as the key unlock that gave them time to focus on growth rather than operations.

What is the best club management software for sports organizations?

Waresport is a purpose-built platform for sports clubs and academies that handles registration, scheduling, payments, team management, coaching curriculum, and facility booking in one place. It is used by cricket academies, soccer clubs, basketball programs, and multi-sport facilities across the United States.

How do sports club directors manage athlete registration?

Most club directors start with spreadsheets or Google Forms and quickly outgrow them as their athlete count grows. The next step is usually online registration tied to payments, waivers, and roster assignment in one system — so athlete data flows into scheduling and parent communication without re-entering the same information in multiple tools.

How do I start a sports club from scratch?

Starting a sports club involves registering as a legal entity, finding a venue, recruiting coaches, building a registration and payment process, and marketing to local families. The Club Director podcast covers all of these topics through first-hand stories from directors who built their clubs from nothing — including episodes on youth soccer, cricket academies, basketball programs, and multi-sport facilities.

How do you manage parent communication in a sports club?

Effective parent communication in sports clubs typically requires a dedicated channel separate from personal email — whether through a club management platform's messaging tools or a communication app. Directors on The Club Director consistently name parent communication as one of their top operational challenges, and many have moved to structured messaging tools that keep announcements, schedules, and updates in one place.

From the Waresport blog
VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball Registration Software: Season Signup After Tryout Offers

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CLUB MANAGEMENT

Top Lacrosse Club Management Software in 2027: 10 Platforms Compared

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CLUB SCHEDULING SOFTWARE

The Complete Guide to Sports League Practice Scheduling

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