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This past Wednesday, Bay Collective revealed the recruitment of Anja van Ginhoven, England's general manager working with Sarina Wiegman, to serve as their director of global women’s football operations. The new multi-club ownership body, which includes Bay FC of San Francisco as the initial addition among its holdings, has previously engaged in hiring individuals from the Football Association.

The selection in recent months of Kay Cossington, the influential previous technical director at the Football Association, as the chief executive acted as a signal of intent from Bay Collective. Cossington is deeply familiar with women’s football inside out and currently has put together an executive team with a deep understanding of women’s football history and filled with practical experience.

She is the third key figure of Wiegman’s setup to depart this year, following Cossington leaving prior to the European Championships and the assistant manager, Arjan Veurink, moving on to assume the position of manager of the Dutch national team, however her decision came sooner.

Stepping away was a jarring experience, but “I had decided to exit the national setup quite a long time ago”, Van Ginhoven says. “My agreement lasting four years, similar to the assistant and head coach did. When they renewed, I had already said I didn’t know if I would do the same. I had accepted the notion that after the European Championship I would no longer be involved with the national team.”

The Euros became an emotional competition because of this. “I remember very clearly, vividly, speaking with Wiegman in which I informed her regarding my plans and then we said: ‘Our ultimate aspiration, what a triumph it would represent that we win the Euros?’ In reality, it's rare that hopes materialize often however, remarkably, it actually happened.”

Wearing a Netherlands-colored shirt, she holds dual affections after her time working in England, where she helped achieve securing consecutive European championships and served on Wiegman’s staff when the Netherlands won in the 2017 European Championship.

“The English side will forever have an emotional connection for me. Therefore, it’s going to be tough, especially with the knowledge that the squad will be arriving for the upcoming fixtures in the near future,” she says. “In matches between England and the Netherlands, who do I support? Right now I'm in Dutch colors, but tomorrow I'll be in white.”

You can change direction and move quickly in a speedboat. In a lean group like this one, that is simple to achieve.

Bay FC was not part of the equation as the strategic expert was deciding it was time to move on, however everything aligned at the right time. Cossington initiated the recruitment and mutual beliefs proved essential.

“Essentially upon meeting we met we felt immediate synergy,” remarks she. “We were instantly aligned. We've discussed extensively about different things around how you grow the game and our shared vision for the right approach.”

The two leaders are among several to make a move from well-known positions in Europe's football scene for an uncharted opportunity across the Atlantic. Atlético Madrid’s technical director for women's football, González, has been unveiled as Bay Collective’s new global sporting director.

“I was highly interested to that strong belief of the power within the female sport,” González explains. “I have known Kay Cossington for an extended period; back when I was with Fifa, she held the technical director role for England, and decisions like this come naturally knowing you will have around you colleagues who drive you.”

The extensive expertise among their staff sets them apart, notes she, as Bay Collective one of several new multi-club initiatives to launch over the past few years. “This is a key differentiator for us. Various methods are valid, however we strongly feel in ensuring deep football understanding,” she states. “Each of us have traveled a path in female football, for most of our lives.”

According to their online statement, the mission for the collective is to support and lead a forward-thinking and durable system within female football clubs, built on proven methods addressing the different demands of women in sport. Doing that, with collective agreement, without having to justify actions for specific initiatives, is incredibly freeing.

“I equate it to going from a tanker to a speedboat,” remarks she. “You’re basically driving in uncharted waters – that’s a Dutch saying, I'm unsure if it translates well – and it's necessary to trust your own knowledge and expertise for making correct choices. You can change direction and move quickly with a speedboat. In a small team like this, that’s easily done.”

González notes: “In this role, we have a completely white sheet of paper to start with. For me, what we do focuses on impacting football on a wider scale and that white paper permits you to undertake anything you desire, within the rules of the game. That’s the beauty of our joint endeavor.”

Their goals are lofty, the executives are saying the things players and fans want to hear and it will be interesting to observe the evolution of this organization, the team and other teams that may join.

To get a sense of future plans, what are the key aspects in a high-performance setting? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve