USSA Programs

Mission Vision Values and Culture


“The three musts of a successful mission: 1) Look at strength and performance. Do better what you already do well – if it’s the right thing to do 2) Look outside at the opportunities, the needs and 3) Look at what you really believe in.” – Peter Drucker from Managing the Nonprofit Organization: Principles and Practices


A good mission statement explains:

1.     Why the organization exists — its overall purpose

2.     Who the organization serves

3.     How it serves them

4.     What is(are) the most important desired outcome(s)

A mission statement should be one to four sentences long and general enough to encompass all that your organization does yet specific enough to drive clear organizational vision and goals.

The vision statement articulates the future of the organization and the community that it serves. The vision statement, when compared with the current reality of the organization or the community, implies the work that still needs to be accomplished. In this way, it lends credibility and motivation to the mission statement. The vision can be more of a narrative and may change as the organization grows and meets its goals, whereas the mission of the organization is less likely to change very often (and changes to the mission need to be done more formally and may have legal implications).

In short, the mission guides the organization in its ultimate purpose and daily work, while the vision inspires the organization and the community to identify and constantly pursue its future goals.

The values of the organization will become as powerful as the mission and vision; the values will reinforce the image of the club in the community. The value statement will establish a framework of expectation for the athletes and coaches, and help to bridge the gap between mission and vision, and implementation.

For example, the USSA core values are Team, Respect, Courage, Accountability, Integrity, Loyalty and Perseverance.

Culture is deliberately created by how the staff and volunteer leadership of the club implement the Mission, Vision and Values discussed above.

Leadership is at the core of the long-term success of any club program. How club leaders give feedback, handle frustration, listen to complaints and communicate through body language all contribute to their image as leaders. Part of a leader’s role is to be self-aware and understand how his/her actions impact others, the organization and the program. Leaders manage people and inspire them to reach goals by acting according to agreed-upon values. Leaders set the tone and maintain the organization’s culture by leading through example.

Clubs have many options regarding their leadership structures. Regardless of the structure, the board, executive staff leader, head coaches, parent leaders, key volunteers and athletes must know, understand and be able to represent the mission vision and values - this is essentially the most critical component of a successful organization.

- Lawrence M. Miller