“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” ~ Vince Lombardi
Sarah Bridges is the Chief Experience Officer for NC Fusion. She is a stalwart and bright daily presence who leads the charge for everything NC Fusion promotes. She is in place to help with “building athletes who thrive beyond the game.” Her journey and intentions are discussed below.
Talk about where you grew up and your sporting path as a youngster.
I’m a Winston-Salem native. While born in Blacksburg, VA, we moved south when I was a toddler and laid roots. Fortunately, my whole family is still here – my parents and my brother’s family. Despite moving around a bit as an adult, Winston-Salem has always been home.
Having an athletic older brother who was into any and everything sports related set the tone for my own sports journey as I wanted to do everything he did. We were sports junkies playing everything in the neighborhood from soccer and basketball to roller hockey and tennis.
On the competitive sports front, I started early in gymnastics, basketball, swimming and soccer. I later played volleyball as well for my school but, as the years passed, soccer and basketball became the joys of my sporting journey.
What does your role as CEO entail?
While it may be an unusual name in the sports world, it really does speak to what I do as I’m responsible for the experience of all stakeholders in the organization – our players, our parents and our staff. Essentially, I oversee the programs we provide and the people who are involved.
Were you always destined for a leadership role in sports or were there other initial inclinations?
Honestly, we’re all destined for leadership, aren’t we? We’re all leading others in one way or another – whether we want to or not. Whether it’s our peers or our kids or our neighbors, I feel confident that someone is always watching each of us and either striving to be more or less like us. With that in mind, I’d say yes, I was always going to land in a leadership role in the sports space in some capacity – whether coaching at varying levels or in a position like I’m in now. Leadership is a weighty responsibility, and we all have it. It’s what we do with it that’s up to each of us. I can only hope that I’m having some kind of positive impact regardless of the role in which I’m serving.
What are the ideals Fusion has for players, parents and officials?
The Core Values of NC Fusion are the heartbeat of who we are, and when our staff leads by example in this space, we hope and have experienced that there’s an overflow of impact into our players and families. We hire (and even fire) by these values, so they really do set the tone of the expectation within our organization, and the trickle down effect is palpable as it’s become part of our actions and language from top to bottom.
Core Values: Model the Mission. Be Accountable. Care Deeply. Sweep the Sheds. Communicate Well. Invest in Your Development.
What are things to celebrate in Fusion’s journey, and what are some things always to improve upon?
There’s certainly much to celebrate as we’ve witnessed countless players and staff have significant impact in the community presently but also move on from their youth sports journeys to thrive in whatever their future holds – whether that’s athletically, academically or in the community – within their families, in the work force, etc. That’s the goal, right? Impacting all stakeholders so that they’re prepared for whatever comes next. Having been a part of the organization for 12 years, it’s been a joy to watch that happen in real time.
One of the things that I love about NC Fusion is the collective spirit to always improve and be a pioneer in the youth sports space. We are never satisfied knowing there is always space to get better and more opportunity to provide a deeper impact for our players, families and staff. Through seasons, as an organization, we consistently reflect and review with a mindset of improvement just like a coach does for their team after a training day or game weekend. While we have improved upon multiple things this year from the last, the expectation will be the same for next year and so on.
Speak to the importance of youth sports.
I’m a firm believer that there may be no better teacher of life than a youth sports environment. There’s something about the safe space of a team, a coach and a competitive environment that creates tremendous opportunity to develop life skills if we let it – resilience, grit, work ethic, effective communication, collaboration, how to lose, how to win, etc.
Youth sports also can become a universal language for all of us. Regardless of our backgrounds, language or journeys, we can share a court, a ball or a field, and the environment is leveled and protected. Sports are a powerful tool that organically creates community.
What does the future hopefully hold for Fusion?
Since you said hopefully, I so hope the future for NC Fusion – in the simplest terms – is a lifelong community impact. That the mission of NC Fusion would continue to be deepened and elevated so that the community and the people of the Triad (and beyond) are better because the organization is here.
