Note to Community

Hello team,

I’m writing this note to clarify & restate some quick items. Thank you for reading.

Business Model

QSL is not a nonprofit, as I’ve been legally advised by three lawyers that this is not possible for our organization. Currently, QSL is not making any profit nor covering all company costs, but I hoped one day it would profit to compensate me for the average 30 hours a week I dedicate to QSL, to pay Co-Leads and Gear People; and to cover all business fees.

Each ten-dollar ticket pays for two full hours of completely organized soccer, a safe field, all gear provided, laundry service, limited players to ensure adequate playing time and all business efforts taken care of. QSL also offers free tickets to all players, free tickets to Co-Leads & Gear People, and several free pickup games.

For additional context, here are my current labor duties: buying gear ($160), replacing gear (up to $160), paying for outdoor and indoor fields upfront ($600-$2,700), paying taxes (up to 30%), filing taxes ($60-$120), paying website costs ($20-$50 per month), running the website, creating events, consulting legal counsel (unknown cost), fronting LLC filing fees ($200), fronting LLC publication fee ($375 - $1000), email services (minimum $5 per month), managing Co-Leads and Gear People (up to $10.00 per person in reserves), paying processing fees (0.03 - 0.06%), paying Gear People’s laundry fees when requested (up to $10.00 per person in reserves), creating a liability waiver ($197), enforcing waiver signage, applying for fields, running all marketing channels and strategy, creating marketing content, writing copy, designing logo and branding, creating and managing a chat, creating a privacy policy ($197), creating the safest COVID policies, creating a cookie policy (unknown cost), creating a refund policy ($247), creating a terms and conditions page ($347), creating feedback and contact forms, fielding requests and raising funds for new chapters ($160 per chapter), answering emails daily, consulting players, managing community discussions, asking for regular feedback, hosting free events, conducting consistent research on structure, costs and all QSL aspects; crafting emails, conducting outreach, promoting other queer leagues and clubs, securing name and logo rights, paying for name and logo rights (minimum $250), making calls with unsafe weather (loss up to $300 gross sales), getting contact information in case players are hurt and need help, paying for ice packs and First Aid items (up to $40), creating merchandise, purchasing merchandise (minimum of $300), creating our current ticket options, preparing budget hits for stormed-out or undersold games; and running each game.

At the rate we are going, I will be personally fronting costs to keep the business running. Running soccer teams in NYC is expensive, which is why most leagues charge $150+ for 6-8 games and why these leagues do not offer one-off ticket purchases.

QSL is a brand-new business and I am a first-time business owner. That means it takes time to create a sustainable, legally-protected structure as this is a constant experimentation for what works best for me & the community I’m playing with.

Co-Leads

As stated, these organizing players are not paid in cash for their time, as QSL cannot currently afford it. These players are sponsored by other players’ tickets to play free in exchange for their support during games. Gear People are compensated $10.00 per game, if needed and requested, to cover the cost of laundry. When Gear People or Co-Leads specify the games they’ve covered and send me their Venmo via email, they are paid. New Co-Leads & Gear People are welcome to sign up anytime through email.

Communication

I ask for player feedback and work to prioritize players’ needs through consistent communication, countless 1-1 chats, weekly emails, cost transparency, IG posts and stories updates, website information, chat updates and so on. I also ask for support as I am only one person serving hundreds of players.

Because of constructive player feedback, QSL now has safe fields to play on, First Aid kits, a comprehensive & legally protected website, extensive outreach and partnership, several free pickup games & tickets, diverse organizer leadership and so much more.

Without feedback, effective change cannot happen. I am doing my best to reach out to the community. If you have constructive feedback on QSL and/or this message, please do your part to connect with me respectively and through the correct channels. I have made it very clear how players can contact QSL and which channels are appropriate to do so. Messages in WhatsApp (where I am often inactive), personal IG DMs and confronting me during live pickup games are not appropriate. I take all suggestions seriously as we constantly work to improve QSL, even if those changes cannot happen overnight and even if I cannot create those changes alone.

Inclusivity

I try my best to ensure QSL games are a safe space for all queers of every racial identity, gender identity, gender presentation, ability, etc. through outreach, policy updates/creation, low costs, free games, free tickets, securing safe fields and doing frequent research for even more methods.

Everyone is welcome to step up and volunteer their time to contribute to these efforts, as well.

WhatsApp Chat

This chat was created as a temporary tool to coordinate QSL pickups and outside hangs, as stated, then later evolved into a platform for ticket exchange. The chat has recently transformed into a space I am no longer personally equipped to handle on my own. As someone untrained in crisis management and not a full-time employee, I am sticking to running the business and delegating what I cannot handle. This chat is not effective for group conversations on serious QSL matters and has also outgrown its original purpose with 100+ members. Months ago, I recruited a player to help moderate the chat and player feedback but they have since stepped down, which means I need a new strategy and have not found one yet, nor a better platform.

I will be shutting down this chat and leaving this chat until further notice. If anyone has a solution for creating a better space for ticket transfers (especially a website feature), please reach out.

In terms of the race matters brought up recently in the chat, let me be clear: QSL does not tolerate racial discrimination, harassment, aggression, etc. and neither do I. This issue is not yet resolved as I finish speaking to all players involved and we take next steps.

Thank you to all the players who have reached out to me to chat over the phone, grab coffee with me, brainstorm QSL structure, improve our pricing strategy to be more inclusive, donate money, lend a hand in running games and so much more. Your support in the past few months and the past week has been overwhelmingly kind.

QSL is here to welcome all queer players to the field. To do that, we have to constantly evolve. Thank you to everyone who points out areas for improvement to help us grow. I am committed to learning and listening. I look forward to seeing how our team grows.

-Hannah Kate Kelley, 6/7/22

*I reserve the right to update this text for accuracy.