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Midweek, this new ownership entity revealed the appointment of Van Ginhoven, England's managerial lead working with head coach Sarina Wiegman, as their global women's football operations director. The new collective club ownership initiative, with San Francisco’s Bay FC as the initial addition in its portfolio, has previously engaged in hiring individuals from the Football Association.

The hiring earlier this year of Cossington, the influential previous technical director at the Football Association, as the chief executive acted as a signal of intent by this organization. She understands female football comprehensively and now has put together a leadership team that possesses extensive knowledge of women’s football history and filled with practical experience.

Van Ginhoven is the third central staffer of Wiegman’s setup to leave this year, following the chief executive departing prior to the European Championships and deputy manager, Veurink, moving on to become manager of the Dutch national team, but her decision was made earlier.

Leaving has been a shock to the system, yet “I had decided to depart the Football Association quite a long time ago”, she explains. “I had a contract lasting four years, just as Arjan and Sarina did. Upon their extension, I had already said I was uncertain whether I would. I had accepted the notion that after the European Championship I wouldn’t be part of England any more.”

The tournament was an emotional event due to that. “I recall distinctly, having a conversation with Sarina when I disclosed regarding my plans and we then remarked: ‘We share a single dream, how amazing would it be to clinch the European title?’ In reality, it’s not like hopes materialize every day yet, remarkably, ours came true.”

Dressed in orange, she has divided loyalties following her stint with the English team, during which she contributed to winning back-to-back European titles and was a part of the coaching setup during the Dutch victory in the 2017 European Championship.

“The national team retains a special place in my heart. So, it’s going to be tough, especially with the knowledge that the team are due to arrive for the international camp in the near future,” she notes. “Whenever the two nations face off, where do my loyalties lie? I’m wearing orange at the moment, but tomorrow it’s white.”

You can change direction and move quickly in a speedboat. In a small team like this, that’s easily done.

Bay FC was not initially considered as the management specialist determined it was time to move on, however the opportunity arose at the right time. The chief executive started to bring people in and common principles were key.

“Almost from the very first moment we got together we experienced an instant connection,” says she. “There was immediate understanding. Our conversations have been thorough on various topics concerning growing the sport and our shared vision for the right approach.”

The two leaders are not the only figures to uproot themselves from high-profile jobs in Europe's football scene for a fresh start in the US. Atlético Madrid’s technical director for women's football, Patricia González, has been introduced as Bay Collective’s global sporting director.

“I was very attracted to that strong belief in the potential within the female sport,” she says. “I've been acquainted with Kay Cossington for a long time; when I used to work at Fifa, she was the technical director of England, and it’s easy to make these decisions when you are aware you will have around you people who really inspire you.”

The profound understanding within their group distinguishes them, explains Van Ginhoven, for the collective among a number new multi-club initiatives to launch lately. “This is a key differentiator for us. It’s OK that people do things in different ways, but we definitely believe in ensuring deep football understanding,” she states. “Each of us have progressed in female football, throughout our careers.”

As their website states, the ambition of Bay Collective is to champion and pioneer an advanced and lasting environment of women’s football clubs, based on what works addressing the different demands of women in sport. Achieving this, with everyone on the same page, eliminating the need for persuasion for why you would take certain actions, is hugely liberating.

“I equate it to transitioning from a tanker to a speedboat,” says she. “You're journeying in uncharted waters – a common Dutch expression, not sure how it comes across – and you must depend on your individual understanding and experience for making correct choices. You can change direction and move quickly in a speedboat. Within a compact team such as ours, it's straightforward to accomplish.”

González continues: “In this role, we start with a blank slate to start with. Personally, our work involves shaping the sport on a much broader level and that white paper allows you to do anything you desire, following the sport's regulations. That’s the beauty of our joint endeavor.”

Their goals are lofty, those in leading roles are saying the things athletes and supporters are eager to hear and it will be compelling to monitor the progress of the collective, the team and any clubs added to the portfolio.

As a preview of upcoming developments, which elements are crucial in a high-performance setting? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve