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This past Wednesday, this new ownership entity announced the appointment of Van Ginhoven, the English national team's general manager under head coach Sarina Wiegman, to serve as their overseer of worldwide women's football activities. The freshly established collective club ownership initiative, which includes Bay FC of San Francisco as the initial addition within its group, has a history in recruiting from the national football governing body.

The appointment this year of Kay Cossington, the influential former FA technical director, as the chief executive acted as a signal of intent by this organization. Cossington knows women’s football inside out and currently she has assembled a management group that possesses extensive knowledge of women’s football history and filled with professional background.

She marks the third central staffer of Wiegman's coaching team to leave this year, following Cossington exiting before the Euros and the assistant manager, Arjan Veurink, moving on to assume the position of head manager of Holland, however Van Ginhoven's choice came sooner.

Moving on was a jarring experience, but “I had decided to depart the Football Association well in advance”, she says. “My agreement lasting four years, exactly like Veurink and Wiegman did. Upon their extension, I had already said I wasn't sure whether I would. I was already used to the whole idea that post-Euros I wouldn’t be part of England any more.”

The European Championship turned into a deeply felt tournament because of this. “I recall distinctly, speaking with Wiegman when I disclosed of my choice and we then remarked: ‘There’s just one dream, what a triumph it would represent if we were to win the European Championship?’ In life, it’s not like hopes materialize frequently but, absolutely incredibly, ours came true.”

Wearing a Netherlands-colored shirt, she has divided loyalties post her tenure in England, where she was part of securing consecutive European championships and served on the coaching setup when the Netherlands won in the 2017 European Championship.

“The national team retains an emotional connection for me. Therefore, it will be challenging, particularly now knowing that the team will be arriving for the upcoming fixtures soon,” she notes. “In matches between England and the Netherlands, where do my loyalties lie? Today I have on orange, but tomorrow it’s white.”

You can change direction and move quickly in a speedboat. In a small team like this, that’s easily done.

Bay FC was not initially considered when the management specialist was deciding that a new chapter was needed, but everything aligned at the right time. Cossington started to bring people in and common principles proved essential.

“Virtually from the start we connected we experienced an instant connection,” says she. “There was immediate understanding. We have spoken at length on various topics related to developing women's football and what we think is the right way.”

The two leaders are among several to uproot themselves from well-known positions in the European game for a blank sheet of paper across the Atlantic. Atlético Madrid’s female football technical lead, González, has been introduced as the organization's worldwide sports director.

“I felt strongly drawn in the deep faith in the potential within the female sport,” González comments. “I have known Kay Cossington for an extended period; back when I was with Fifa, she was the technical director of England, and such choices are straightforward when you know you are going to be surrounded by individuals who motivate you.”

The extensive expertise in their team makes them unique, says she, for the collective among a number new multi-club initiatives that have started over the past few years. “It's a standout feature of our approach. Various methods are valid, but we definitely believe in having that football knowledge on board,” she says. “The entire leadership have traveled a path in female football, probably for the best part of our lives.”

As outlined on their site, the ambition of Bay Collective is to support and lead an advanced and lasting environment for women's football clubs, founded on effective practices for the diverse needs of female athletes. Succeeding in this, with everyone on the same page, with no need to make the case for specific initiatives, is incredibly freeing.

“I liken it to transitioning from a tanker to a speedboat,” remarks she. “You’re basically driving across unmapped territories – that’s a Dutch saying, 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 using a speedboat. In a lean group like this, that’s easily done.”

She adds: “Here, we have a completely white sheet of paper to build upon. Personally, what we do is about influencing the game on a wider scale and that blank slate permits you to undertake any direction you choose, following the sport's regulations. This is the appeal of what we are building together.”

Their goals are lofty, those in leading roles are voicing opinions players and fans want to hear and it will be compelling to follow the development of this organization, Bay FC and future additions to the group.

For a flavour of what is to come, what are the key aspects of a high-performance environment? “{It all starts and ends with|Everything begins and concludes with|The foundation and culmination involve