Winograd will ensure that critical US Soccer decisions reflect input from all parts of the US Soccer landscape they affect. The selection of national team managers and technical directors; decisions on structures, policies and guidelines in youth soccer; negotiation of sponsorships and other key business transactions; and other fundamental decisions affecting the direction and success of US Soccer are too critical to be made without a deliberate, inclusive, and transparent process. Winograd will form advisory committees that include current and/or former players, coaches, managers, administrators and executives from all levels. And qualifications will be based on merit – people with pertinent skills and achievements and the proven ability to exercise good and objective judgment – not on politics, favoritism or principles of entrenchment.

Women’s soccer must be treated equally. Full stop. Forcing the US Women’s National Team to play on substandard fields, travel under sub-standard conditions, or accept lower pay is absolutely unacceptable. Arguments to the contrary based on revenue flow are not only factually misleading, but they ignore and contradict the mission and spirit of US Soccer. What’s more, the budgetary increase necessary to provide equality is only a fraction of the current total spend on our National Teams.

“Pay to play” in youth soccer and the high expense to obtain coaching licenses and education is an impediment to the development of talent in this country. Winograd will work with business leaders to incentivize professional leagues and other private sector businesses to help finance youth and coaching development, in addition to tapping into US Soccer’s own surplus and available public grant funds. He will also ensure that youth clubs that get it right share in the successes of its players through “solidarity” payments to help incentivize and reward up-front investments. Access to development must hinge on desire and merit, not personal finances.