Offseason only applies to the matches. The NISA offseason has been a wild one and we’re not even a month in. New clubs have announced, players are on the move, Detroit City exited (technically that happened before the season ended), and clubs have new owners (even if it isn’t technically public yet). To go along with all the excitement, rumors are flying from inbox to inbox, each more shocking as the previous. It’s the best of times and worst of times if you’re a lower league soccer fan.

On the more negative side, we’ve heard that Chicago House AC was making some tough personnel decisions and all the staff had been furloughed. So we decided to reach out to Club President and CEO Peter Wilt to discuss what’s going on this offseason in Chicago.

Wilt began our conversion by focusing on the highlights of season one for Chicago House. “First of all, we're real proud of what we built this last year. We invested heavily in it, obviously to build a great foundation. And I think the identity of the team - the whole mission-based, the values around social justice - we really put a lot into that, and we did a lot of good, on the field and in the community, but it came with a price. Literally, the price…I've got a list of twenty five things that I sent to our investors the other day, that we're really proud of that we succeeded on.” The pride in his voice was there, as Wilt has always had for the projects he spearheads.

But after discussing the aspects of the club he’s excited about, Wilt got to the nitty gritty. The club indeed had furloughed employees and is using this month to “revisit our entire staff and take a step back. And in January, next month, we're going to revisit that and see who it makes sense to bring back and see who it doesn't. And then perhaps bring in some new staff members that weren't on board last year in a context that will better fit our overhead model going to 2022.”

Wilt was transparent in admitting that the club’s model had not taken into account the length of the pandemic (which continues onward each day) and the extended affect the disruption would have on every aspect of the club. However, he noted that, while the club hadn’t drawn the support they had hoped for, attendance had improved throughout the season. “It was third in the league after Detroit and Chattanooga, two teams that have been around for a decade and it [attendance] was actual, we didn't pad it a single one and so we're proud of that and it grew as a year went on. So that's a good sign.” On the field, the club also surged throughout the season, becoming more and more dangerous as the season went on, climbing from last place on the table to finishing tied for 4th. Wilt highlighted the addition of Ian Cerro and his contributions to the team as a key spark to the surge.

So the club may look a little different in 2022, as overhead will have to be reduced to a more reasonable level in a pandemic-shaped future, but the club plans on continuing to play professionally in NISA. Rumors abound that CJ Brown is on the move to Chicago Fire (Wilt offered no comment), so a new coach may be on the wish list for next season. If the overhead cuts extend to the roster, it will be interesting to see which players remain from 2021. Certainly many decisions are left to make regarding staffing, and few of them are fun.

While it might be easy to see the situation in Chicago as negative, plans must be checked and adjusted in any business. Approaching the situation with logic can yield a better-run, leaner club, which long-term has a better chance of surviving. The lingering question for budget cutting is the current home of Chicago House AC, SeatGeek Stadium. Wilt had no comment on that question, but it’s obvious the stadium has become a millstone around the young club’s neck. Had the club’s support spiked as the projections had counted on, there’d be no issue, but now a season in, it’s clear the club is playing in a stadium well beyond its means or needs. Finding a smaller venue that sucks less cash and exiting an agreement with SeatGeek feels like the next logical step for a club trying to adjust to the reality it faces. If those two things are possible, however, remains to be seen.

- Dan Vaughn