Ching moves to next phase of career

HOUSTON » It was a move Brian Ching had never considered. But as his final year of playing professional soccer wound down in 2013, the Haleiwa native met with Houston Dynamo president Chris Canetti, who presented him with an interesting option.

Canetti wanted Ching, who was concluding a 13-year playing career in which he was a six-time MLS All-Star and competed on three MLS Cup-winning teams, to run Houston’s new entry in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Ching wasn’t immediately sold.

"At first, my initial reaction was no, I only want to be on the men’s side," Ching said. "And then, I really thought about it and saw this as an opportunity for me to learn everything about the sport on a smaller scale quickly and I’ve been able to do that."

Ching always wanted to remain part of the Dynamo organization once he hung up his boots, so he accepted. And last December, after the Dynamo held a testimonial match to honor him for his years of service, he started his new gig. The first task was to hire a head coach, something that best represented his shift from the playing side to the business aspect of soccer.

"It’s not easy going from the field to the office. It’s a lifestyle change," Ching said. "I jumped right into it. There are times throughout this year that have been extremely difficult and I still deal with that moving forward as well the challenges of a new job. But having said that, I think Chris has been extremely understanding and patient and he is allowing me to find my own way and I feel extremely fortunate to be in the position that I’m in."

His official title with the Houston Dash is managing director, and plenty of on-the-job training has accompanied a rapid transition. And that’s a good thing considering he needs to be well versed in every area of the Dash’s operations. That includes doing things like pitching corporate sponsorships and making sales calls. He also oversees the college draft, expansion draft, player housing and contract negotiations.

As for the team itself, Houston is 5-10-2 this season and sits in eighth place in the nine-team league that is in its second season. The Dash have 17 points. The league-leading Seattle Reign have tallied 43 points with an impressive 13-1-4 mark. And while his time with the Dash has been a whirlwind, Ching realizes how much he’s already learned.

"You name it, I’ve done it. It’s been just a tremendous learning experience for me," he said. "I’m still finding my way, finding where I can be most effective for the organization, and that’s why this is a learning process and a learning year, because I’m finding out a lot about which parts of the jobs I enjoy, which parts of the job I have expertise in and which parts I need to learn a lot in."

Ching’s new gig has also given him a newfound appreciation for women’s soccer.

"I think there definitely is an audience out there and there should be an audience out there," he said. "I think people should be willing to support professional women’s sports. For one, it’s not very expensive to come watch. It’s entertaining, which I have definitely come to find out this year, and the women are playing more for the passion and the love of the game than for money or accolades."