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PART-TIME SOCCER INSTRUCTION TO NATIONAL FRANCHISE: LUKE VERCOLLONE AND MIGHTY KICKS ___________________________________ By KEVIN A. GUGLIOTTA ___________________________________ A DISSERTATION IN PRACTICE Submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of Creighton University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership _________________________________ Omaha, NE April 7, 2015 Copyright 2015, Kevin A. Gugliotta This document is copyrighted material. Under copyright law, no part of this document may be reproduced without the expressed permission of the author. iii Abstract Professional minor league athletes often have to take on other jobs to supplement their income. Many find work coaching or instructing in the sport they play. The question arises: how do individuals’ passions for sports motivate them to such a degree that they are able to turn them into successful businesses? This research documented the experience of one such individual, Mr. Luke Vercollone, a professional minor league soccer player who transformed a part-time instructional soccer coaching business into a national franchise called Mighty Kicks. This case study used in-depth interviews, and public and private documents to explain the key factors, process, and journey that contributed to the formation of Mighty Kicks. The study resulted in five themes attributed to Mr. Vercollone’s success: his personality, background, and experience; the responsibility he had to provide for his family financially; the development of an in- school mobile soccer program; the design of a unique age-appropriate soccer instruction curriculum for children; and a comprehensive support system for franchisees. This study may benefit other professional minor league athletes who desire to start a business in their chosen sport, or individuals interested in child development programs. Future research can include conducting an empirical study to validate these findings, and a separate study to better understand the personality traits of professional minor league athletes who start businesses in the sports they play. Keywords: franchise, soccer, business, minor league athlete, child development iv Acknowledgements I would like to first, and foremost, thank Mr. Luke Vercollone for allowing me to research this case study about him and his company, Mighty Kicks Franchising, LLC. Everything included in this dissertation about Luke and Mighty Kicks has been used with his permission. I also want to thank the men and women who participated in this study who willingly shared everything they knew about Luke. I would like to thank my dissertation committee, Chairwoman and Advisor Dr. Donna Ehrlich, Dr. Peggy Hawkins, and Dr. Tim McMahon for their expert scholarly guidance, patience, and support. It has truly been a blessing to have such a distinguished committee to oversee my dissertation and generously share their time and talent with me. I would also like to thank Dr. Isabelle Cherney, Ed.D. Program Director, for her dedication and interest in each student to succeed; Dr. Jim Martin for his excellence in teaching, passion for academic research, and assistance in helping me to refine my study; Mrs. Chris Karasek, and the Ed.D. Interdisciplinary Leadership staff for their support and help; and Dr. Gretchen A. Oltman and Mr. Ryan Borchers for their time and expertise in dissertation formatting and proofreading. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends who have encouraged, supported, and prayed for me throughout the course of these past three years. God bless you all. v Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v List of Figures .................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 Background of the Problem ........................................................................................ 1 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................ 2 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................... 2 Research Questions ..................................................................................................... 2 Methodology Overview .............................................................................................. 3 Definition of Terms ..................................................................................................... 3 Assumptions ................................................................................................................ 5 Delimitations ............................................................................................................... 5 Limitations .................................................................................................................. 6 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................ 6 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................ 8 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 8 Professional Minor League Sports .............................................................................. 8 Passion ........................................................................................................................ 9 Product and Service Development ............................................................................ 10 Soccer Instructing and Coaching ...................................................................... 11 vi Child Development ........................................................................................... 12 The Franchise Start-up Process ................................................................................. 12 Leadership and Organizational Management ................................................... 13 Legal Status and Documentation ...................................................................... 14 Marketing and Sales .......................................................................................... 15 Ongoing Franchisee Support ............................................................................ 15 Summary ................................................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY .................................................................................... 17 Research Design – Case Study.................................................................................. 17 Data Collection and Analysis .................................................................................... 19 Ethical Concerns ....................................................................................................... 22 Bracketing ......................................................................................................... 23 Institutional Review Board ............................................................................... 24 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 24 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH FINDINGS ........................................................................... 27 Luke Vercollone ........................................................................................................ 27 Early Years ....................................................................................................... 28 Personality and Characteristics ......................................................................... 29 Family Life Growing Up .................................................................................. 32 Married Life ...................................................................................................... 33 Faith/Spirituality ............................................................................................... 33 Education .......................................................................................................... 35 Sports ................................................................................................................ 35 vii Elementary School, Middle School, and High School ............................. 35 College ...................................................................................................... 36 USL Premier Development League .................................................................. 37 Professional Soccer ........................................................................................... 37 USL ........................................................................................................... 38 USL PRO .................................................................................................
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