Today we’d like to introduce you to Connie Le and John Vo.
Connie and John, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We are proud parents of three rambunctious children who have been involved in a variety youth sports ever since they were three. We saw first hand how youth sports had a positive impact on our kids physically, mentally and socially. They learned how to work as a team, develop leadership skills and persevere through adversity. Playing sports helped boost their confidence, improve social skills, promote healthy living and brought our family together. There are also numerous life skills that are taught, such as time management and how to handle losing as well as winning.
Even though our Saturdays were always hectic with getting everything ready for game days, it was SO much fun. Youth sports really created a sense of community. As I looked around the fields, it was heartwarming to see grandparents; uncles and aunts, etc. come out to cheer on their player and teams. Now and days families are so busy with work, homework, and practices during the week; game days provides a chance for everyone to come together to watch the kids showcase their skills, and implement what they have been working hard on.
As my kids started participating more in various sports, I often found myself thinking of what I would do differently in the leagues. I’ve always wanted to start business that would involve my family and the community. After a lot of brainstorming and researching a number of leagues; my husband and I decided to start ONE sports nation because their philosophy aligned with ours. ONE sports nation has a dual focus: To provide physical development for young student athletes and prepare them for their next level of competition while keeping them excited about an active lifestyle and playing sports. As mentioned later in the interview, there are many factors that sets ONE sports nation apart from other leagues.
I described before, how much I enjoyed game days because of the way it brought families together. At ONE sports nation, we make the game day experience FUN, with custom team banners, tents, music and more. This is just one example of what differentiates our league from others. We really want to be a pillar in the community, where kids are able to develop and nurture their skills in a fun safe environment.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As with any other ventures, there definitely have been ups and downs. It has been a learning process navigating the nuances of starting and growing a business such as filing paperwork, finding a venue, accounting, marketing etc.
One of the struggles is trying to balance everything and get everything done, there’s simply not enough time in a day! My husband and I both have full-time jobs; I’m a dentist and he’s in the IT field. After work we have to get the kiddos and baby, shuffle them to activities, do homework, dinner, maintain a household and work on the business at night when everyone’s asleep. Although it’s been challenging, it has been rewarding and fun. Family is the most important thing to me. Running a youth sports league allows the whole family to be involved. My older kids (seven and five years) come with us to marketing events; they help set up our booths and play games with the other kids. You will also find them setting up fields on game days and/or managing concessions. Even though they are young, we try to involve them as much as they are able to and teach them the value of diligent work. I remember an event we had (I really didn’t think he was paying attention) and my five years old pointed at the sign and grinned with excitement “hey mom that is our family business”.
Probably the biggest hurdle for me comes from within. I’ve had to learn to acknowledge, cope with, and try to overcome internal struggles such as fear, self-doubt and uncertainty. I’ve found that reading books and podcasts have helped me immensely in navigating these internal struggles. I know that it’s natural to have these fears but through hard work, grit and endurance, I know can achieve the vision that I set for ONE sports nation.
Please tell us about One Sports Nation Spring.
ONE Sports Nation is a youth sports program in the northwest Houston area offering a variety of sports. Right now, we offer flag football and soccer. We hope to incorporate basketball and volleyball in the near future. There are a number of things that set us apart from other leagues. Our primary focus is two-fold: 1. We want to develop our players and prepare them for their next level of competition according to our age specific player development model. 2. We want to keep our players excited about playing sports by delivering a positive youth sports experience through consistent coaching. We want ONE sports nation to be a place where children can thrive and create lasting memories with their families.
We focus on competitive FUN. For example, some leagues gives everyone medals (some parents get upset about that). In our league, we have our eight scheduled games, and we invite all teams to an end of season tournament (winning team get a trophy) to showcase their skills development and competitive spirit. The tournament is purposed to create an opportunity for competitive play at the end of the season.
All our uniforms are branded uniforms. We outfit all of our participants with great looking game day apparel from the recognized leaders in professional sports. Nothing makes a kid feel like a champion more than wearing a professional sports uniform, and when you look good, you feel good!
We provide a fun game day atmosphere. We have Team Tents that have team banners during your game so the kids and parents recognize their sidelines. Each tent also has a team bench and trashcan. We have fun, upbeat music playing throughout the day. Why – Because Youth Sports is supposed to be FUN! We have a Main Tent – Customer Service is available on site to assist you with league questions, field orientation, Game Day Gear, pre-registrations and more.
Our organization is run on volunteer coaches. Every coach is required to background check. Every first time ONE Sports Nation coach must attend a Coach Clinic with the commissioner to ensure that the coach understands the proper philosophy and emphasis. Coaches also get all the equipment and resources needed to run practices.
We also try our best to make it convenient for families. Our schedules and standings page utilize the team logos and the game schedules are downloadable to your mobile phone.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
There is a quote by Roman philosopher Seneca, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity”. I’ve always known that I wanted to create a family business of some sort but I was never sure of how that would manifest itself. In preparation, I read a lot of books in relation to personal and business development, made sure I saved enough, and prayed for guidance; so when the opportunity to start ONE sports nation came along, I was able to take a leap of faith despite my fears.
In regards to the business, there are a couple of things that I guess you would consider “lucky”. I’ve been fortunate enough to cross paths with incredible people who have been able to help me along my journey. For example, my family has been volunteering at the birthday party project for about a year. On one of the sessions, my husband went out of town and I was hesitant on going because I was by myself with three kids. I’m not the type to not follow through on my commitments, so I went. One of the coordinators from Star of Hope happened to be there that day and we clicked instantly. It just so happened that he was a youth fitness coach and was a referee for various youth sports organizations. His energy is infectious and his knowledge has been a great help for me. In addition, as I was signing on to start ONE sports nation in the Spring, ONE sports nation in Fulshear was kicking off their season, so I was able to follow them on their journey and gain some experience from them.
Pricing:
- Right now we have our introductory prices on our website. Sign up now because these prices wont last. The earlier you sign up every season, the best prices you will get. Remember registration fees include your branded uniform, eight scheduled games, all the practices, the end of season tournament and a medal or trophy depending on the outcome of the tournament. Its a ten week commitment, so that’s less than $15 /week!
- For NFL flag football and soccer
- Early Bird Rate: $119
- After Jan. 4th: $139
- After Feb 1st : $159
- After Feb 29th: $179
- For soccer (U5)
- Early Bird Rate: $99
- After Jan. 4th: $119
- After Feb 1st : $129
- After Feb 29th: $139
Contact Info:
- Website: www.onesportsnation.com/spring
- Phone: (832) 263-3350
- Email: spring@onesportsnation.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onesportsnationspring/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onesportsnationspringtx/
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