TEAMPLAYR SPOTLIGHT: Nic Heffernan, Brighton SC

Welcome to another post in our TEAMPLAYR SPOTLIGHT series, where we delve into the journeys of individuals and organizations who are shaping the North Texas soccer landscape. In this edition, we sit down with Nic Heffernan, the founder of the newly launched Brighton Soccer Club. Born and raised in Brighton, England, Nic shares his rich experiences navigating through the English football system, his worldwide exploration of soccer, and how his American journey eventually led him to the heart of Texas.

This inspiring story not only provides insight into Nic's background and the formation of Brighton Soccer Club but also offers an in-depth look into the club's unique philosophies and future plans. Whether you're a fan, player, parent, or a football enthusiast, this post promises to offer a fresh perspective on the beautiful game. Let's dive right in!

Note that the following interview was conducted in person and the following text has been edited for conciseness and clarity.

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Alright, tell me about your background as a soccer player and coach, and then how you got plugged into the North Texas soccer community.

I am from Brighton, England. I spent a lot of my childhood coming up in the English football system. I went through the Academy. I got released for being “too small” when I was about 13, and that hurt… but my Dad told me to keep going. So, I spent a lot of time in the London academies. I played at a high level and enjoyed every second, really.

When I turned 18, I traveled the world and really just wanted to understand soccer. Not just from a player perspective, but from the culture, coaching, and business side as well.

My mom and dad had actually taken me to America when I was14 – to the Disney World Park in Orlando, and I was obsessed. I remember, my mom turned around in the car and said “you’re going to live here one day” and I was like “I know!”

So when I turned 21, there was an 18-year-old kid I was playing against on a Saturday afternoon in England and he was getting scouted to play in America. Turns out, I went out that night and woke to a phone call from a coach at a school in Montana. He offered me a full scholarship to come and play.

It was an amazing experience. I was captain of the team, and had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my coach learning about college recruitment and the ins and outs of recruiting.

After graduating in 2012, I put three cities in a hat to decide where I was going to live – turns out I drew Portland, Oregon. After spending some time living in New Mexico and California, I finally made my way to Texas with my fiancée and her kids in January 2023.

That’s amazing. So here you are in Texas … tell us about how Brighton Soccer Club came to life?

Well, it all started in Portland. I actually started a club there in 2014. It grew very quickly, but my young and naive self quickly became a little overwhelmed by the whole thing. I didn’t hire the right people around me and I didn’t communicate the off-the-field business side very well. I tried to do it all myself and that was my downfall. I let a few people down and I will always regret that. But I am proud of what we did in Oregon. That is a big reason BSC Texas is starting. I have a wealth of experience behind me now (both the positive and negative experiences) and have hired the best people to help BSC thrive.

In talking to my fiancée, who is a holistic wellness coach, and watching her son play travel basketball – I noticed a lot of similar aspects to soccer in the States. Everyone was frustrated, there wasn’t a sense of community … and so we started talking more, and eventually, we started making a plan.

Then I met our now Director of Board Members/Club Treasurer, while watching another team’s practice. We got to talking about our shared frustrations, so I shared with him my plan.

We continued speaking with parents, watching more practices– we kept hearing the same theme of frustrations.

So now, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to change the game.

When did Brighton Soccer Club launch?

My fiancée, Calie and I actually talked about BSC all through 2022 and decided it was time to run with it. We went through the registration process towards the end of last year, got all those 'fun' things sorted – and now we have shifted our entire focus towards building this club the right way and making sure we have the best people around us.

As a brand new club, what are some of the unique things that Brighton Soccer Club is doing relative to other clubs in the community?

[Nic] So, I think everyone's different. Everyone pushes that they are different. There’s going to be pros and cons to everything, but to me, it's a constant theme across the board, mostly talk, saying the right things, but not actually delivering on those “promises” once the season starts. All you have to do is head down to a game on the weekends and you will mostly see bootball. That is why when I come across coaches pushing for more of a possession-based playing style, focusing on development, it makes me smile.

With Brighton Soccer Club the emphasis, of course, has to be player development – again, I think a lot of clubs and coaches say it, but going by the training sessions I’ve seen, the standard is so low that I don’t think, generally, the minimum standard of what’s acceptable is being met.

For us, our sessions are very, very high intensity. All coaches are playing all the time. Every single practice, we are there, getting touches on the ball. For me, if I’m on the sidelines telling and directing, I’m not showing.

Also, off the field, for us, it is about transparency. The parents are putting time and money into something, we want to bring them in and take them along for the ride. Showing them exactly where their money is being spent. Showing them the practice plans for the upcoming weeks based on what the players and team need to work on. We will also encourage our parents and players to engage in our wellness aspect of the club, focusing on nutrition, mindset, strength, and conditioning, etc.

What is this I saw about Brighton not requiring player contracts?

That’s right – We want to try and change the game as much as possible. Of course, we have player and parent agreements put in place which are there to best serve the families and the club. Expectations, non-negotiables, etc. But yes, We will never have financial contracts. We will work on a monthly membership-based model.

When I got to Texas, it was shocking to me that parents were financially obligated to a single club for a year. What if the club isn’t a good fit for a player? I have spoken to many parents who, by say February, are running down the clock, waiting to be able to leave. That isn't right and that isn't how it should be.

For us, if for any reason a player doesn’t feel they are getting the development they deserve, that’s not down to them, that’s down to us as a staff and as a club.

There are many I’ve heard from who think there’s no way this is going to work – they think all the other clubs are going to come and poach our players during the season.

But again, for us, we believe that if what we’re providing to those players is truly of a high standard, they aren’t going to leave. Why would they if you are being true to your mission and values as a club and providing the best possible environment for them?

Our hope is that in five, six years' time all of the clubs will be doing the same thing.

That is definitely “changing the game!” Tell us about your player development philosophy.

We have a curriculum designed to get the most out of every player and team, like every club has. As I said, I’ve coached all over the world, so have a few of our staff, so we will implement these snippets from every different culture and playing style and add them into our curriculum.

We want our players to understand that there is a right and a wrong way to play soccer. The wrong way, you see 9 times out of 10, and I mean no disrespect, but you see a lot of the youth club culture is chasing the win and not chasing the development. You so often see players just looking to get the ball forward as quickly as possible. There’s no development play in possession – and in the “out of possession” play, the intensity and the pressure are lacking. For us, we are about very, very high intensity play. With that high-intensity philosophy, our players are able to get more out of their training sessions and games. From a style point of view, we want to be possession-based, but for us, it also has to be entertaining. Soccer is meant to be fun and exciting, not just for the players but for those watching as well! We invite everyone to come watch us practice because we know once BSC gets really going, people are going to be talking about us.

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What does the future have in store for Brighton?

‍I mean, you could dream right? You could have these visions and plans, and we do. We have some exciting teams planned for this upcoming 2023/2024 season and we invite anyone looking for something a little different to come down for a session! Our overall vision is to become an integral part of the local community, setting high standards, and earning respect from other teams and clubs. We want to be able to have relationships with them, pushing each other on to do better for the players. We're planning to get our own facility within the next three to five years, in which we aim to include strength conditioning and nutritional support for our players. We want to educate our players from the youngest age all the way up to college. We believe parents will start to appreciate our philosophy and transparency, and we're eager to build something that makes a positive impact in our community and tries to stop the negative and frustrated feelings that surround youth soccer today.

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Nic, thank you so much for your time. We'll be looking forward to seeing Bright SC on the pitch next season! 

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If you're interested in connecting with Brighton SC, check out their team profiles on TeamPlayr!