CAO Program


Quicklinks: Registration | Rules & Regulations| Instructor Bios| Teleseminar Series

USIndoor's Certified Arena Operator Program is a must for anyone serious about running an indoor sports facility or in having a career in recreational sports management. With emphasis on day-to-day management, the CAO Program is the industry’s only professional credential. Lead by respected industry leaders and academicians in their areas of expertise, this intensive two-day program includes lectures, panel discussions, audience participation, written materials and an exam. Besides a new title, attendees leave the program with measurable skills and knowledge essential for the general manager position. For facility owners, the Program also offers a means to improve the quality of existing staff, keep up with industry trends, and make better hiring decisions.

The CAO course takes place each year in conjunction with USIndoor's annual Facility Operators' Conference and Trade Show. Annual recertification is subject to additional requirements consisting of an annual certification fee and continuing educational units, which may be earned in a variety of ways, including attending the Conference, participating in USIndoor's educational teleseminar series, writing articles or giving lectures. For a complete set of rules, visit CAO Rules and Regulations.

Click to Register

2007 Curriculum

Topic Instructor
The Business Model
For-Profit, Non-Profit
Comparisons & Benchmarks
Peter Spanos, CAO
Management Theory
Facility Governance
Staffing
Job Descriptions
Peter Spanos, CAO
Human Resources
Recruiting
Hiring Practices
Employee Training
Mark Davidoff
Financial Management
Cash Flow
P&L Statements
The Budget
The Balance Sheet
Bookkeeping
Tax Preparation
Don Crowe, CPA
Customer Marketing
Print and Web Publications
Media Advertising
Frank Cuzzi
Administrative Software
Financial
Scheduling
Panel
Business Competition
Jim Cline, CAO
Customer Service
Programs, Products & Services
Turf
Court
Ice
Extreme
Jan Eric Nordmo, CAO
Sponsorship/Ad Sales
The Sales Presentation
Closing the Deal
Fulfillment
Operations
Manuals
Checklists
Jan Eric Nordmo, CAO
Topic Instructor
Legal Issues
Contracts
Forms/Waivers
Americans w/ Diabilities Act
John Wolohan, Esq.
Risk Management
Basic Insurance Forms
Participant Accident
Workers' Compensation
Mark Grossman
Security
Premises
Data
Background Checks
Intellectual Property
John Wolohan, Esq.
Concessions
Profitability & Concept
Menu
Equipment
Mike Holtzman
Retail Sales
Video Games
Facility Systems
HVAC & Ventilating
Fire Suppression
Burglar Alarm
Maintenance
Housekeeping
Operational Audits
Jim Cline, CAO
Career Development
Jim Cline, CAO

2007-2008 USIndoor Teleseminars

USIndoor has announced its 2007-2008 Educational Teleseminar Schedule. Each of these will be a 60-minute educational teleseminar, and the topics were chosen carefully based on feedback from our members, non-members and Certified Arena Operators. The speakers chosen are the experts in their respective fields. The only item needed to participate in these teleseminars is a phone, and you may invite your whole staff to listen in! You may even ask questions through an easy, user-friendly, operator-assisted method! What a great, affordable way to train your whole facility on the issues that matter most to our industry! Each teleseminar will be worth one CEU for Certified Arena Operators.

Understanding the Complexities of Employee Management
Thursday, May 29, 1:30 pm EST

Speaker: Matthew Callahan, 02HR

Between HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA and ADA, on average, over 200 labor laws change each year in the United States. Mr. Callahan will teach the USIndoor members how to stay on top of these laws and regulations, assuring that you are protecting your employees, your facility, and yourself. He will also focus on how to most efficiently and cost-effectively administer your payroll and taxes, workers compensation, and employee benefits programs.

REGISTER TODAY!

Matthew Callahan, 02HR Matthew Callahan has been The Business Development Manager for O2HR, LLC, since August 2006. After completing military service with the 82nd Airborne and attending Manchester Technical College, Matthew began his professional sales career, a career that spans almost 17 years. Prior to working with O2HR, Matthew had a successful career as a Business Development Manager with Unibind Inc., a European-based manufacturer of thermal binding systems. Over the years Matthew has built successful relationships with companies and institutions such as UBS Financial, Regents Bank, Harvard University, The University of Miami, The Miami Dade School System, The State of Florida, and QVC Home Shopping Channel, to name a few. Having competed in his first 5k race at the age of ten, Matthew became an avid runner, competing in numerous races over the years – from the United States to Central Europe to South America. Matthew resides in Hollywood, Florida with his wife Ingrid and four year old son, Noah.

2007 CAO Instructor Bios

Program Director, Jim Cline, CAO
A former general manager with several indoor soccer companies, Jim consults full-time for facilities all across America. Founder and principal of The Goals Group, an indoor soccer and sports consulting firm based in Columbus, Ohio, Jim has been involved with soccer teams, soccer stores, and indoor facilities for more than twenty years. He is on the boards of several youth soccer associations in two states and has operated more than 75 youth soccer tournaments. His career has included more than thirty years in real estate development, commercial design and construction for several national firms. Jim was recognized recently by Major League Soccer as one of the top 100 soccer leaders in Ohio. His practice is limited to indoor soccer and sports facilities and their related operations. He is a member of the United States Indoor Soccer Association's team of professional consultants and has been the featured indoor soccer speaker at the USIndoor Operators’ Conference and the Athletic Business Conference. In addition to current projects in Illinois, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Indiana, California, Georgia, Texas, Massachusetts, California,Washington, Rhode Island,Washington, Maryland, and Virginia, he is an indoor soccer consultant to indoor equipment manufacturers and vendors as well as development groups, non-profit organizations, and municipal parks and recreation departments. Jim is also active in indoor sports projects in China.

Don Crowe, CPA, CAO
Don worked for Arthur Anderson & Co until 1990.While CFO and Treasurer of the Board with ICON Communications, he negotiated the acquisition of 6 telecommunication companies and the all-cash sale of ICON to a public company in 1998. He has been CEO of Arena Sports’ 3 Seattle-area facilities since 1999 and owns and operates Sports IT and Lil’ Kickers.

Frank E. Cuzzi, President, Corner Kick International
Frank Cuzzi is President and Founder of Corner Kick International, an integrated marketing company which owns publishing, licensing and promotion properties and provides marketing consulting and project management. He is a marketing and sales executive with over 25 years experience developing and directing national promotion, advertising and sales campaigns. A builder and innovator, Mr. Cuzzi has promoted new ideas, developed new markets and managed projects from concept through implementation. He is also a college Professor for sports management, marketing and sales courses. Recognized as an integrated marketing expert, Frank has developed over 80 marketing programs for national corporations, linking them to publishing, special events, TV programming, licensing, international tournaments and public relations. His clients have included M/M Mars, Times Mirror Magazine, Grey Advertising, MacGregor Sports, Pepsi Cola, American Cyanimid, RJR Seagrams’, Heublein, NEC, Franklin Mint, Swissotel, and two professional sports leagues. In his experience with the leagues, he was successful in gaining corporate sponsors Clairol, Philip Morris, Toyota, Gatorade, Budweiser, and Bata Shoe, among others. Frank has been Director of Marketing for the Major Indoor Soccer League and he co-Founded the North American Soccer League Marketing, Inc. as VP Advertising/Publications. His commissioner-level sports management experience includes sponsorships, promotions, special events, and publishing. His successful track record in magazine publishing has resulted in the three most successful soccer publications ever in North America: Kick, Missile and World Cup ’94. Frank created a documented/national marketing impact for the NASL and the MISL, and was honored for Leadership by Sports Management Review. In 2006, he founded the AISL’s New York Hampton Surf professional indoor soccer team in Southampton, New York.

Mark Davidoff, Managing Director, O2HR, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Mark joins the CAO staff for his strengths in industrial and labor relations. At 23, he was recognized as “Man of the Year” by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, and in 1985, he received a Masters degree from Cornell University. From 1972 to 1992, Mark was the CEO of one of the largest labor organizations in the northeastern United States. His career since then has amounted to over 15 years experience in the professional employment industry, including his position at O2HR, a professional employer organization (“PEO”). In addition to his business management and leadership skills, he is known for having developed strong relationships within the hospitality, sports, and restaurant industries both within the United States and abroad.

Mark Grossman, President,Monument Sports Group & Owner, Sports Center of Richmond, VA
A native of Richmond, VA, Mark lettered in 5 sports and earned High School All-American status in soccer. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an interdisciplinary major of Sports Public Relations/Marketing and Speech Communication. After UNC, Mark spent the next two years in the front office of theWashington Diplomats, a team in the North American Soccer League (NASL). Returning to Chapel Hill, he owned and operated "Heels OnWheels," an outdoor/indoor roller skating business. Mark entered the insurance business in 1981. He purchased the independent agency where he was employed in 1987 and in 2000 founded The Monument Sports Group to service the insurance, financial services, and marketing needs of both professional and amateur sports owners, operators, and players. Monument Sports is proud to be the exclusive insurance agency for the United States Indoor Soccer Association. Mark is a member of USIndoor’s Advisory Board of Directors.

Michael Holtzman, President, Profitable Food Facilities, Poway, CA
Michael Holtzman received his BS in Restaurant Management from California Polytechnic University in Pomona, California, and now has over 25 years of restaurant industry experience. . He is now President of Profitable Food Facilities, a company specializing in captive market restaurant locations including indoor soccer parks, outdoor sports facilities, sportplexes, water parks, golf courses, ski resorts, health clubs, and day spas. In particular, he has worked with more than 310 “captive market” facilities in 42 states, Canada, England and the Middle East to enhance restaurant design and customer service, while building sales and profits.

Over the past few years, he has been asked to speak at many different conferences including the Indoor Soccer Association, the Sportsplex Operators & Developers Association, the Athletic Business Conference World Waterpark Association, the National Recreation and Parks Association, the PGA of America, the Club Managers Association, the National Ski Areas Association, the National Golf Course Owners Association, the, and the International Health Racquet & Sports Association. This past summer, he was one of two Americans that were invited to speak in England at the Bodylife conference for Leisure World Industries.

His partial list of clients includes Pinnacle Sports in Ohio, Vetta Sports in St Louis, Tennis Corporation of America (TCA), The City of Bolinbrook in Illinois, the Metro Park Authority in Detroit Michigan, The City of Golden in Colorado, the City of Roseville in California, the Winward Lake Club in Georgia, and TBG Development in Missouri. He has also designed the kitchen operations for over 110 other “captive market” facilities including the Boston Celtics Training Center

John Miller, CAO
John is presently an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Health, Exercise and Sport Sciences, Texas Tech University. He is a Fellow in the Research Consortium Fellow and has been given the Distinguished Scholar Award from the School and Community Safety Society of America. He has been the president of the national Safety and Risk Management Council as well as a member the Board of Directors of the Sport and Recreation Law Association. He has more than 65 presentations at national and international conferences, 25 published articles and 3 book chapters primarily dealing with legal issues and risk management in sport and athletics. John also works as a consultant associated with Southwest Sport Management located in Albuquerque, NM.

Jan Eric Nordmo, CAO
Jan founded Off theWall Soccer in 1991 and began operations in 1993 in the heart of the Silicon Valley in Santa Clara, California. Jan Eric also branded two other Off theWall Soccer facilities: one in Chico, California, and one which recently sold in the Portland, Oregon area. Mr. Nordmo's operations were among the first in the country to utilize player membership cards and the internet for informational and practical applications. He has consulted with other arena developers utilizing his past development and geotechnical engineering background. In addition to his entrepreneurial expertise in arena soccer, Jan Eric is very active in the world of player development and coaching. He holds a current USSF "A" license and is currently coaching several club and high school teams as well as a State Olympic Development coach for Cal North and ODP Region IV coach, in addition to being a coaching instructor for the CYSA Coaching School. He is also the co-founder and partner in the Premier Arena Soccer League and serves as the Pacific Division Director of Operations and is the founder of Soccer Scouts USA, a player scouting and reporting company.

Peter Spanos, CAO
Peter Spanos is principal owner of Vetta Sports Clubs, which has five indoor sports facilities, all in the St. Louis, MO, area. A former collegiate soccer player and Xerox employee with a masters of business administration, Pete was running the family dental lab when, driven by passions for teaching and for making a greater impact on the community, he drastically altered his career. Soccerdome, where Pete had regularly played, was his first location in 1988. Expansion plans later included ground-up construction, and in 1996 his family joined the team of long-term staff. Combined, Vetta (named after Pete’s paternal grandmother) has over 200 employees and 1.5 million visitors per year. Pete has served on USIndoor’s Advisory Board of Directors since 2003.



United States Indoor Soccer Association, P.O. Box 6569 Arlington, VA 22206
Fax: (509) 357-7096 | Email:
pr@usindoor.com
Click Here to view Copyright and Privacy Information