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On Wednesday, Bay Collective revealed the appointment of Van Ginhoven, England's general manager under head coach Sarina Wiegman, to serve as their director of global women’s football operations. This new multi-team ownership group, with the San Francisco-based Bay FC as the first club within its group, has prior experience in recruiting from the English FA.

The appointment this year of Cossington, the well-respected previous technical director at the Football Association, as the chief executive served as a signal of intent by this organization. Cossington knows female football inside out and currently has gathered a leadership team with profound insight of the history of women's football and packed with practical experience.

Van Ginhoven becomes the third central staffer of the manager's inner circle to depart this year, following Cossington departing before the Euros and deputy manager, Veurink, stepping down to become manager of the Dutch national team, however her decision came sooner.

Moving on was a surprising shift, yet “My choice was made to leave the FA some time back”, Van Ginhoven states. “I had a contract lasting four years, similar to Veurink and Wiegman did. As they re-signed, I previously indicated I wasn't sure if I would do the same. I had grown accustomed to the whole idea that post-Euros I wouldn’t be part of England any more.”

The European Championship was a sentimental competition as a result. “It's sharp in my memory, discussing with Wiegman when I disclosed about my decision and after which we agreed: ‘Our ultimate aspiration, how amazing would it be if we were to win the European Championship?’ In life, it’s not like hopes materialize frequently however, remarkably, it actually happened.”

Sitting in an orange T-shirt, she experiences split allegiances after her time in England, where she helped achieve claiming two Euros in a row and was a part of the manager's team during the Dutch victory at Euro 2017.

“England will forever have a dear spot in my heart. So, it’s going to be tough, particularly now knowing that the players are due to arrive for the international camp in the near future,” she comments. “In matches between England and the Netherlands, which side do I back? Right now I'm in Dutch colors, but tomorrow it’s white.”

A speedboat allows for rapid direction changes. With a compact team such as ours, it's effortless to accomplish.

The club was not initially considered when the management specialist determined that a new chapter was needed, but the pieces fell into place opportunely. Cossington started to bring people in and mutual beliefs were key.

“Almost from the very first moment we met we experienced an instant connection,” remarks Van Ginhoven. “You’re immediately on the same level. Our conversations have been thorough on various topics concerning growing the sport and our shared vision for the right approach.”

The two leaders are not alone to relocate from prominent roles within European football for a blank sheet of paper across the Atlantic. The Spanish club's women’s technical director, González, has been announced as Bay Collective’s global sporting director.

“I was highly interested by the firm conviction regarding the strength within the female sport,” González explains. “I have known Kay Cossington for many years; during my tenure at Fifa, she held the technical director role for England, and it’s easy to make these decisions when you are aware you'll be working alongside people who really inspire you.”

The profound understanding among their staff makes them unique, says she, as Bay Collective part of a group new multi-club initiatives that have started over the past few years. “This is a key differentiator for us. Different approaches are acceptable, however we strongly feel in incorporating football expertise,” she says. “All three of us have been on a journey within the women's game, probably for the best part of our lives.”

As their website states, the ambition of this group is to support and lead an advanced and lasting environment for women's football clubs, based on what works addressing the different demands of women. Achieving this, with collective agreement, eliminating the need for persuasion regarding certain decisions, is incredibly freeing.

“I compare it with moving from a large ship to a fast boat,” says she. “You are essentially navigating through waters that there are no roadmaps for – a common Dutch expression, I'm unsure if it translates well – and you just need to rely on your own knowledge and expertise to choose wisely. You can pivot and accelerate rapidly with a speedboat. In a small team like this, it's straightforward to accomplish.”

She notes: “Here, we begin with a clean canvas to build upon. Personally, our work focuses on impacting football on a much broader level and that clean start allows you to do whatever you want, adhering to football's guidelines. That’s the beauty of what we are building together.”

Their goals are lofty, the management are saying the things players and fans want to hear and it will be interesting to monitor the progress of the collective, the team and any clubs added to the portfolio.

As a preview of upcoming developments, which elements are crucial of a high-performance environment? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve