There’s a sense of ceremony that accompanies the start of every game in the USL. From the gathering crowds in local bars and restaurants, to the tailgate parties and supporter’s march to the match, to the player’s arrival and preparation that leads up to kickoff, everyone – from fan to coach to player alike – has their own traditions or rituals.

For FC Cincinnati Chief Financial Officer Sarah Huber, there’s one particular part of the buildup to a game that stands out.

“I think my favorite part of the ceremonial piece is when the players walk out onto the field,” Huber said recently. “It’s so fun to see the stands react. Our supporters groups, they sit in a section called ‘The Bailey’, and they go nuts. It’s setting a really cool tone, and I think it’s really fun for the players to feel the support from the fans and the city.”

As one of the senior executives who has helped FC Cincinnati come roaring out of the gates off the field, and a former player herself, Huber has been thrilled by the reaction the city has given to its new club. Having previously worked for major business consultant Ernst and Young, and local Cincinnati start-up Vantiv, joining the club took Huber down a new path in her career, one that she is enjoying greatly.

“The sports industry is one that’s pretty hard to break into,” Huber said, “so when this opportunity presented itself, once I got past the, ‘man, this is kind of a risk,’ it was, ‘but how cool is that, that I’m going to be able to combine my first love – which is soccer – with something I’ve been trained to do and have done for the last 10 years of my career?’ That’s like a dream for most people, so it was a pretty easy decision at the end of the day.”

With her decision to join the club, Huber immediately became one of a handful of female executives in the USL, joining Louisville City FC President Amanda Duffy, Richmond Kickers General Manager Shelley Sowers, and Sacramento Republic FC VP of Communications and Marketing Erika Bjork.

Huber and Duffy recently had the chance to team up at the USL Experience, hosted by FC Cincinnati just over a week ago, where the two executives got the chance to talk to the 35 elite female players who attended the event. Both former players, Huber said she and Duffy quickly struck up a good relationship, as Huber looks to build her base of knowledge in the sports realm.