Should anyone wonder what these two entities have in common, it is loyalty to the community and incredible camaraderie.
It was only recently that Tucson Electric Park elected to return to the original name of the park, Veterans Memorial Stadium. That is the name the voters were given to sell the bonds. As soon as the park was completed the name vanished in the cloud of corporate sponsorship. They could well have melded the two names together. Should there ever be a stadium to host a local team and International matches, soccer would not be that disloyal to the population of veterans who delivered the vote to build the facility, that now, quite ironically will need soccer to gain solvency. That is karma squared.
As the former Director of the Pima County Sports Authority, I watched the good ole boys of Tucson manipulate the socks off its citizens to insure there was no egalitarian approach to other sporting entities in Tucson. It was baseball or nada. The irony being that we were all baseball fans. I was a bat boy for the Cleveland Indians in 1959!
Sports marketers will inform you that the probability of a soccer player being a multiple sport participant both as fan and and rostered player is quite high. When I was trained by the National Association of Sports commissions I learned that cross marketing with soccer is a wise move, as you capture a huge population. The ratio of youth soccer players in Southern Arizona, to other sports is nearly 5:1. Add stereo parents and a few family and friends, and you hit a population of approximately 75,000 before you leave the gate. Who else can deliver that kind of package?
In my travels I visited the Rochester New York Rhinos USL Soccer Franchise and attended one of their matches at the Triple A Ball park, before they built their own stadium. 16,000 fans were in attendance. And who owned them? A local entity that owned the baseball and hockey franchise. Magic eh? Cross marketing to the max. A trinity of promotion that spanned the entire calender year.
I shared this concept with the Economic Development Office of the City of Tucson on multiple occasions, with the first being 1998. Never once was there a response. It now appears that the right people with the “right stuff,” are at the table.
I stand with great enthusiasm and anticipation that the city officials will see the opportunity that will last a lifetime in Tucson and leave many of our citizens smiling and proud to be supporters of FC Tucson and its tentacles that will bring Tucsonans together with esprit de corps.
For Immediate Release – July 8, 2011
Areas of Interest: Sports, Community Events, Economic Development, News
Contact: Demitri Downing, demitri@fctucson.com (520)909-4334
City of Tucson and Pima County Leaders host Major League Soccer Executive to Discuss Expanded Spring Training Role for Tucson
Nelson Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of Major League Soccer (MLS) will be in Tucson this weekend engaging in discussions with community leaders regarding the viability of an expanded role in MLS soccer spring training
Since the success of the Inaugural FC Tucson Desert Cup in March, where over 10,000 fans watched two MLS teams compete at a sold-out Hi Corbett Field, MLS officials and teams have taken notice of Tucson’s love for soccer. Added to Tucson’s reputation for hospitality and unrivalled climate, MLS is exploring the possibility of coming back to our community in force.
Major League Soccer’s swelling popularity nationally over the last two decades makes it an escalating economic force. This has drawn the attention of communities throughout the United States – many of which are now actively courting an MLS presence. Tucson, while not yet viable as an MLS expansion franchise city, is uniquely positioned to offer something league officials have expressed desire in achieving: a West coast hub at which MLS teams can train prior to the regular season. While MLS spring training is a concept still in its infancy, this concept is maturing rapidly, and some civic leaders have the foresight to explore the possibility of developing a mutually beneficial relationship with MLS.
After the abandonment by Major League Baseball of a multi-million dollar facility built for their use, our community has been left with an economic and social void. These facilities can be used by MLS with limited conversion costs. MLS, while smaller than Major League Baseball, will provide Tucson an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a growing sport. The presence of many MLS teams and their fans in our community over a 2 to 8 week period in the spring would create an economic benefit for local businesses as well as a general social benefit to all.
Events are planned throughout Tucson over the next three days to demonstrate Tucson’s interest in developing a relationship with MLS. Members of the media are invited to join us on this journey beginning this Friday morning, when Mr. Rodriguez arrives. There will be an opportunity for interviews at FC Tucson’s final home game Friday night in Vail at 8 p.m. and a special breakfast on Saturday for members of the media to speak directly with officials from FC Tucson, Tucson and the MLS.
Please contact Demitri Downing 520-909-4334 to RSVP for Friday game or breakfast. (Space is limited)
About FC Tucson
FC Tucson, established in 2010, is committed to bringing the highest caliber of competitive soccer to Tucson and becoming a lasting, highly successful source of pride for Tucson. Our players, coaches and staff are committed to winning Championships and recognize that our success on the field reflects on our fans, our sponsors, and our community.