Inside The Clubhouse: Team Administration Director Grant Clark

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]So, how come you didn't tell me the game was moved?

[00:00:02]>> [laughter] >> Well, they uh moved the goal posts on us. Moved the goal posts on us.

[00:00:07]>> So, it wasn't you?

[00:00:08]>> Of course not.

[00:00:15]>> Hi, I'm Grant Clark and [music] this is Inside the Clubhouse.

[00:00:18]>> Hey, we got to get going.

[00:00:21]>> You know, I was born in Scotland. Uh >> [music] >> my dad played at a decent level.

[00:00:25]Um I was the first guy in our family to go to college, to UCLA. When the league started, I felt drawn towards the league and wanted to participate in helping in San Jose [music] 30 years ago.

[00:00:42]This last April 6th, we had the inaugural MLS game and I was there.

[00:00:47]>> This is 1996, totally different era in American soccer. The MLS is going to prove just how dramatic a difference it's going to be.

[00:00:56]>> We used to have a war room at our training facility [music] in Starfire.

[00:01:00]Adrian asked, "What do you think your responsibilities will be?" and we wrote down four pages of responsibilities, mostly between Vince and [music] I.

[00:01:09]Uh I still have the handwritten notes in my files. And uh Adrian at the end of that said, "My goodness, that's a lot of work."

[00:01:17]>> Your passport's got to be signed, Mr. Lopez.

[00:01:21]Signed?

[00:01:23]Okay, perfect.

[00:01:23]>> We uh are kind of a middleman, if you will, between the team side and the club and the league office. And you handle all the travel, [music] you manage the their their benefits, uh any of their issues, problems that come up. Uh it it seems to all come through us. Before I come in here, I just confirmed a police escort [music] for the LAFC game from the Hotel Indigo downtown uh to [music] Field.

[00:01:52]Everything works off the calendar and then you work backwards and you fill in all the details. And it [music] starts with uh the charter flights, and then there's manifests that need to go into that. Buses, we all know the vendors.

[00:02:03][music] Hotels, we all know the vendors.

[00:02:05]But, it's just a lot of information that needs to be laid out well in advance so that there's no hiccups. And there's always hiccups.

[00:02:13]>> This game will not kick off as scheduled at 5:40 p.m.

[00:02:17]>> This is not even Seattle weather.

[00:02:20]>> This is different.

[00:02:21]>> Big question, how long is it going to take the field to drain?

[00:02:24]>> Yeah.

[00:02:24]>> And uh all of you guys need to set up to get warm up here.

[00:02:28]>> Yeah, here's your shot.

[00:02:28]>> We're quick. We're quick to do all that.

[00:02:30]>> I won't announce anything other than to the head coach.

[00:02:34]>> We'll reconvene 6:40.

[00:02:35]>> Perfect.

[00:02:36]>> Hey, so all right. Thank you very much, everybody.

[00:02:37]>> Some people say >> [music] >> you're like a duck in the water. It looks nice and calm on the surface, but underneath I'm paddling like crazy. When things like that happen, people are looking for [music] a little bit of leadership.

[00:02:50]And my philosophy at that point during those kind of things is to try and stay calm, but be assertive. One day we're in New England, we're in Foxboro, and [music] Zig and I were having a breakfast together, a cup of coffee.

[00:03:05]And [music] uh my phone kept buzzing, and it wouldn't stop.

[00:03:09]And I tried to deal with some of it, and some of it you know that you can wave until you finish your coffee [music] and toast. And Zig said, "Wow, you really do deal with problems [music] all day long."

[00:03:21]And I said, "Zig, it's only a problem if it gets to you." I said, "If I can resolve it or take care of it before it gets to [music] you, it's not a problem." And he just kind of sat back and nodded his head a little bit.

[00:03:34]And uh I thought, "All right, well, I got to go."

[00:03:38]>> [laughter] >> Do you know who we're supposed to be in the tunnel? I need you. Thank you.

[00:03:42]>> I thought when [music] we first got hired that it would last a couple of years. And the way professional sports went, uh we would be we'd have a bad year. We wouldn't make the playoffs. It would be a mess.

[00:03:54]And [music] we would all be replaced. And a lot of times when the coaching when you have a new coaching staff, they want to bring [music] in their new administrator, the new operations people.

[00:04:04]There was a loyalty from ownership that I think [music] we all valued and felt.

[00:04:10]And I think that we wanted to repay that [music] with as professional and enthusiastic effort that we could give. [music] And uh I know I will look back on this experience and I know more and more and more it'll mean a lot.

[00:04:28]When you're in the middle of it, there's no time for reflection for me.

[00:04:34]Uh but I know that one day there will be and I will be very, very proud of what we accomplished.

[00:04:41]>> The Seattle Sounders have done it!

[00:04:44]MLS CUP WINNERS IN 2016!