Cheesesteak FC!

Welcome to MLS, Cheesesteak FC! MLS announced yesterday that Philadelphia would be the next expansion team to join MLS in 2010.

Officials announced the new team yesterday afternoon in Philadelphia. The team will play at a brand new yet-to-be-constructed soccer-specific stadium just south of Philadelphia in Chester, PA.

Even more exciting is that the team will let the fans assist in choosing the name. "This will be a team for the fans," said CEO Nick Sakiewicz.

If the team is NOT named Cheesesteak FC, I will be disappointed.

Our First FA!

Last year, we signed our first client in Bermuda, the Bermuda Hogges of USL's Second Division. Over the course of the 2nd half of 2007, six additional Bermuda groups came on board, including the Bermuda FA.

Today, I am happy to announce the first step in a multi-faceted revitalization for Bermuda FA with the "soft launch" of their new website, www.BermudaFA.com.

Over the coming days and weeks, more content will be added in advance of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Additionally, we will be working with Bermuda FA officials to implement a scheduling system for all professional and youth leagues as well as a national registration system for the nation's youth.

Welcome aboard!

MLS "Fantasy"

Oh, the world of fantasy sports! As Donald Trump might say on the 'Apprentice', fantasy sports is a $4 billion dollar a year industry in the US.

Currently, the most popular sports are baseball and football. Third would be basketball. These sports lend themselves very well to a fantasy point scale.

In the past few years, other sports have attempted to duplicate this success but the result isn't the same. MLS has released the rules for the 2008 Fantasy Challenge, and it's a mixed bag.

In soccer, it's tough to make it work because forwards score much more often than midfielders and light years more than defenders. Therefore, they have to offer strange ways to compensate for defenders and keepers, mostly by giving them big bonuses for not giving up goals, small deductions for goals allowed, and even a point per 10 minutes played.

I definitely agree that MLS is doing the best it can to try and create a compelling scheme to get more people interested in following the league on a greater level, but baseball and football are still better optimized for the fantasy realm.

I'm not sure how they can do it, but soccer leagues might want to start looking into ways to more seriously tweak the 'fantasy' game to appeal to soccer, or form a different means altogether of hooking people up with the sport on a deeper level.

Spring Buzzzzzzzzzzz

Spring is here! At the high school where I coach, Spring sports began yesterday with a 6 am workout. Aside from the 30-something temperatures in the Washington, DC area, things are looking positive.

In the national spotlight, both MLS and MLB are underway with preparations for their long seasons. On many of the sports sites, the baseball previews are up...everything from team updates to fantasy sleepers.

Unfortunately, we hear nothing about MLS. True fans must go to either their team's site or to MLSNet.com to hear anything about preseason action.

Maybe there's good reason things are kept under wraps. In the final of the new four-team Pan-Pacific Championship, Houston Dynamo lost 6-1 to Japanese squad Gamba Osaka. Ouch.

The Secret World of the AGM

This weekend, I spent some time in Little Rock for the Arkansas State Soccer Assn. AGM and in Phoenix for the Arizona Youth Soccer Assn. AGM. The format for these meetings was different than most of the shows we attend each year.

Instead of the normal 9a-3p vendor workshop, these events favored some sessions in the morning followed by the AGM in the afternoon. The actual AGM takes roughly 3 hours.

At the end of the day, I guess it isn't all that different from other states except they don't usually have many vendors attend.

With the format the way it is, I became more curious as to what actually happens in the AGM. Yes, yes, I know policy measures, rule changes, accomplishments and the like are discussed, but what happens during the voting period when board member positions are up for elections?

Is there on-the-spot campaigning? Are the ballots kept anonymous? Are voted read aloud? I'm probably over-excited about such a monotonous process, but I want to know!

Final Travel Weekend!

Starting today in Little Rock and finishing in Tempe, I'm thrilled that this weekend is the last of 8 consecutive weekends of travel to start 2008.

In that time, I've been a ton of places (see list below). Lots of traveling to be sure. It will be nice to be in the office for a full week and then not leave the DC area over the weekend. More travel is in store later this year, but none on consecutive weekends like we've seen in January and February.

Want us to come to a meeting near you? Email extratime@demosphere.com and we'll see what we can do!

• Cal South SoccerNation (Los Angeles)
• USASA Region IV Workshop (San Diego)
• NSCAA Convention (Baltimore, MD)
• North Carolina Youth Soccer AGM (Greensboro, NC)
  
• US Youth Soccer adidas Workshop (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Arkansas State Soccer Assn. AGM (North Little Rock, AR)
• Arizona Youth Soccer Assn. AGM (Tempe, AZ)

Creativity Abound!

We hear about professional sports promotions all the time. From the funky (crazy mascots) to the cost-effective (ticket discounts), professional teams are always looking to draw more fans to the game to increase the bottom line.

However, in the youth market, organizations are forced to be even more creative in soliciting funds. As non-profits, it's always hard to break even on a year-to-year basis with hardly any (if any) full-time staff members supporting the cause.

Working with a diverse group of organizations on a daily basis, I know many have devised creative ways to raise money, whether it's via a creative tournament sponsorship or apparel giveaway.

For example, one group in the Pacific Northwest allows parents to bid on the space in their website header. If Mom and Dad want "Johnny" to appear at the top of the club's homepage, it will cost them. Believe it or not, this raises a few thousand dollars a year for small piece of virtual real estate.

That's just one example. Does your organization do anything unique? Feel free to post it in the comments section. We'll go more in depth on some ideas, then expand from the "what" (the ideas) to the "how" (how you made it work).

I'm sure we'll get some feedback everyone can learn from!

Football Football Everywhere!

After a few days exploring the beaches of Mexico, I realized it wasn't only the weather that spoiled me. When turning on the TV after a long day in the sun, there were no fewer than 3 soccer games on TV at any particular time. 3 games!!!!

Coming from the US, where there might be one game on Fox Soccer Channel or maybe, just maybe, an MLS game on ESPN2, having some variety was refreshing. To be fair, many of the games were from the Mexican First Division, but there was the occasional European match thrown in as well.

Let's be clear: I don't think anyone wants to see every MLS game. Toronto/Salt Lake isn't an appealing match. However, the ability to be able to change away from such a dreadful matchup to a more intriguing one would mark the next stage of development in the American Soccer market.

They Play Football Where?

In my never-ending surprise at some of the locations where soccer is played around the world, I stopped on the beautiful beaches of Cancun, Mexico. Yes, friends, the same Cancun known to Mexicans as their "most important tourist destination" but to Americans as one of the Spring Break Capitals of the Western Hemisphere (the link is "G" rated).

In 2007, however, Atlante FC was acquired and now makes its home in Cancun. In their inaugural campaign in their new home, Atlante won the 2007 Mexican First Division League’s Torneo de Apertura. The win results in a spot in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. If they win their first leg against Deportivo Saprissa, they might find themselves in a semifinal match against Houston Dynamo of MLS.

With such a successful opening season, locals have taken notice. After the Champions' Cup, the rest of CONCACAF will surely know of the boys from Cancun!

Reality TV Hits The Pitch!

Great news! I am soon to be a partial owner of Ebbsfleet United. Who? Ebbsfleet United, an English club team participating in the 5th Division Blue Square League, that's who!

In a plot straight from Reality TV, the new site myfootballclub.co.uk has taken control of this team. The twist is that the team is owned by a collection of soccer fans, around 26,000 to be exact. Each owner pays roughly $75 and has a stake in running the club.

According to a Wall Street Journal article, by voting online, owners can choose match lineups and buy new players. This leads to an unprecedented new level of reality access for fans. Want to sub out an underperforming striker? Vote online!

In this collision of Fantasy vs. Reality, could this structure actually keep some lower-performing groups in business? Before you answer, first consider whether this is a novelty that may or may not wear off after a first season. Further, would this work in the US?

Are You Ready for Some Football?

This post should have been titled, "Are You Ready For 9 Months of Football?"

Late last week, MLS published the 2008 schedule. Mark your calendars now for first kick on Saturday, March 29. Keep marking that calendar straight through to MLS Cup on Sunday, November 23.

Wow. A record 10 months of soccer this year. Yes, I realize the Olympics in Beijing will put the season on hold, but 10 months is a little excessive for any sport. It's also interesting the league decided to break for the Olympics when it did not do so for the World Cup in 2006.

The length of the season really only rivals NASCAR and the PGA Tour. It. Never. Ends.

A season like this raises some serious questions. First, how does MLS expect to carry interest for that long? It's a bit much to ask teams to play other conference teams 3 times in a season.

There is also a problem with injuries. Rarely are teams at full strength for an entire season. This hurts marketing if your top athletes are unavailable for extended periods of time and true fans wonder whether or not injured player(s) would have factored into the final result.

Finally, and most importantly, too many teams make the playoffs! With only 14 teams in the league (15 in '09), more than half make the playoffs each season. Under this scenario, it's way too easy. Teams can be (and routinely are) absolutely terrible in the first half of the year and put together a string of a few wins to sneak into the playoffs. Once they're in, who knows what could happen.

Will I be watching on March 29th? Sure. Just don't expect me to watch that third DC United/New York Red Bulls game on Saturday, August 30th.

Leave Politics to Politicians

After a day recovering from our time in Pittsburgh for the US Youth Soccer adidas Workshop this weekend, I remembered by favorite moment of the weekend: a visit to our booth by Louise Waxler.

Louise is involved with soccer in innumerable ways as the 58th President of NSCAA, Director of the Discovery Cup, Kicks Against Breast Cancer, and also involved with the Washington Freedom of the W-League and soon-to-be Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) League. It's safe to say she's a very well known name in the soccer community.

Anyway, on Saturday afternoon, as the Workshop was winding down, she stopped by just to let us know how much she appreciated our work, especially throughout the last year. Let me be clear -- many current customers approached us over the weekend to share positive stories including New York State West Youth Soccer Assn. and Anoka Ramsey Athletic Association, but Louise's words were stronger.

After complimenting our work, she went on to say that people in the soccer industry need to look out for each other more. If someone helps you, thank them. She said (and I agree) that we don't do this enough on the whole. Many folks are more concerned with playing politics and trying to force change than actually trying to enhance the game and its impact on the youth that participate.

While it's clear that Louise said the very thing that many of us think, it was terrific to hear a person of her stature say it. I respect her words and hope everyone can take a step back and make an effort to say thank you for a job well done.

It Can't Be True!

Let me start by saying that I refuse to believe the above statement is true. Yesterday marked the conclusion of the annual US Youth Soccer adidas Workshop. The show wasn't too bad and I came away surprisingly impressed with Pittsburgh as a city. Hopefully San Jose won't disappoint next year.

Yesterday also marked the first ever "Kick Zone" geared towards attracting more Pittsburgh locals to the event. Exhibitors including Fox Soccer Channel, AC Milan, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and Columbus Crew. Each group had fun soccer activities that were enjoyed by the PAWest youth.

Outside the event, there were numerous signs that included the above picture. It was mostly a liability statement, but even in the scope of the rest of the sign, still seemed out of place.

With 3.2+ million players in the US Youth System and various sessions over the weekend on the importance of KidSafe and background checks, one would hope US Youth Soccer would be more careful with their message in the future.

Take Me To The River...

I am happy to report we're still standing after the first full day of the US Youth Soccer Workshop in Pittsburgh. Held at the Lawrence Convention Center on the banks of the Allegheny River, we met with many state and league representatives including a great number of current customers.

Each year we welcome this opportunity to connect with customers. Aside from State Association Workshops, this weekend is usually one of the only times to meet with customers face to face. Being in a technology-oriented business, it is nice to match faces with names and voices from many email and phone conversations over the past year.

Another day still to go, so check back tomorrow!

Whoaaaa Mexico...

Last night, 70,103 packed Reliant Stadium in Houston to watch the Men's National Team take on Mexico. Wow. 70,000+!

For those who watched the game, youth was served for both sides, as many younger players got a chance to exhibit their skills for their country. Jozy Altidore (above) was a shining light for the US and scored in his first ever start. The game finished at 2-2.
Thankfully, about an hour before the start, a friend of mine told me the game would be airing on ESPN2. "There's a game tonight?" I asked him.

For an event that attracted 70,000+ spectators, you would never have known it was played at all. There was ZERO news on ESPN, SI, etc yesterday. How does that happen?

Even after the game, a summary article barely cracked the front page of ESPN, below an article on college basketball, six on the NBA, two on the NFL and MLB respectively, and just above an article on cockfighting.

How is it that an event that drew more spectators than all the above events combined last night cannot garner more attention, even when airing on ESPN2?

It all circles back to that problem of soccer not being as popular as the big three-- NFL, NBA, and MLB. It also doesn't help that the link from USSoccer.com to the game article doesn't work.

For those that continue to support soccer at both the grassroots level and the National Team level, continue supporting! To the higher ups, PLEASE start promoting these games! It's OK to run some ads!

Curiosity Surrounds Pittsburgh

We are now only a day away from the US Youth Soccer adidas Workshop in Pittsburgh this weekend. Second only to the NSCAA convention (held in mid-January), the US Youth convention attracts attendees from across the country.

Each year Demosphere attends a number of national and state workshops and each year it appears the theme and audience change from event to event.

This year, US Youth Soccer has made a push to attract more local administrators to the event. The main attraction for these folks is a new "Kick Zone", a large reserved playing area in the middle of the exhibit hall. In year's past, field exhibitions have taken place in separate areas that were not heavily advertised.

The focus on the "Kick Zone" appears directly correlated to the declining number of vendors exhibiting their services at the show. While Demosphere has exhibited consistently for a number of years, other vendors have realized less of a value from the event.

"Strength in numbers" is helpful at large events like these. A smaller vendor exhibition area is, on the whole, less significant for attendees and gives them less of a reason to stop by to browse.

In reviewing some marketing literature on the US Youth Soccer website, they state that "over 200 exhibitors" will be there. However, when looking at an updated vendor list published on 2/1, the number of vendors is around 95.

We'll soon find out the impact of the "Kick Zone" and whether or not it has drawing power in the greater Pittsburgh area this year. If it does turn out to be popular, the question will change from, "Why haven't we done the 'Kick Zone' before" to, "Why was the 'Kick Zone' only open one out of the three days of the convention."

Into The Icebox

As I went running yesterday in balmy 50 degree weather (for Washington DC, at least), I started to consider a topic that arose again over the weekend briefly in Austin at the South Texas Youth Soccer Assn. meetings--the weather.

It occurred to me what some of us believe subconsciously -- warm weather parts of the country have a distinct advantage in the development of youth athletes as opposed to cold weather climates. For the purposes of our mini-sample, we'll stick to soccer players.

While players in cold weather climates like Boston, Detroit, and Chicago must spend many months indoors, players in San Diego, Houston, and Miami can play outdoors nearly year round.

That leaves the cold players at the mercy of indoor facilities. Location, additional fee(s), and time restrictions all play a part in determining their access to such facilities for training. Please note that many more pieces go into developing athletes like level of coaching, private training, athletic pedigree, dedication, etc.

As you can see, this would make a great research project. However, looking specifically at weather, I took a look at the rosters of the US National Team Player Pools to gauge the hometowns of the players on the list.

Out of 26 players on the Men's side, 17 (65%) came from warm weather climates. Only 5 (19%) came from cold areas, with the remainder coming from weather neutral area.

On the Women's side, only 9 out of 26 (35%) came from warm climates while 8 (31%) came from cold areas.

Based on this small sample, can we prove weather is a deciding factor in the development of athletes? Not necessarily, but if given the choice, being in a warm weather climate can only be beneficial.

Viva....Helsinki?

In late December, DC United agreed to transfer goalie Troy Perkins to Norwegian club Valerenda. Based in Oslo, Valerenga paid approximately $750,000 for Perkins. The transfer gives Perkins quite a raise--he'll more than double his salary in 2008.

By itself, the Perkins transfer is certainly newsworthy on a number of fronts, but the news last week that New England Revolution Forward Pat Noonan is making a similar transfer this season begs the question: why Finland?

Noonan's transfer to Aalesund comes three years after former Rev Adin Brown made a similar jump to Aalesund.

Now, with at least 6 Americans playing in the Tippeligaen (Norway's First Division), has US Soccer officially colonized Norway? The bigger, more serious question is whether or not we'll ever hear from these players again on either the club or national stage. It is unknown whether or not a transfer from MLS to a second-tier European league will help or hurt their chances at either a National Team call up and/or another transfer to a more prestigious league.

At present, we can only wait and see. We do know, however, that training camp started in Early January with 25 degree temperatures. Let's hope there's an indoor facility for them...

Super Bowl Sunday

As everyone knows, it's Super Bowl Sunday. Everywhere you look, either on TV, online, or otherwise, there's news of the big game.

Without a doubt, the Super Bowl is the single most popular sporting event in the US each year. Abroad, however, it's likely that the top 5 events each year are some form of soccer game.

The question, then, is at what point will a soccer game crack the top 5 in the US? Will it happen on our lifetime? If/when it does, will it be an MLS game or a World Cup/National Team game?

My guess? I think we'll get there one day, most likely a World Cup match, especially if the Men place well in 2010 or 2014. It would be tough to gather enough viewers for an opening round game, but a World Cup Semifinal, Final, or 3rd Place game? Who knows...

A DC United Fan's Dream

One of the attractions in Austin at the South Texas Youth Soccer Association (STYSA) WGM is "Dos Copas" -- the 2 MLS Cup Trophies won by Houston Dynamo.

As a native DC United fan like many of us in the office, all we can do is dream about such an accomplishment for our team. While United can still lay claim to the title of "most storied MLS franchise", it may not last long.

To top it off, Dynamo acquired fan-favorite Bobby Boswell in the offseason from United. While I won't really miss him that much on the field, I did think his blog was top rate. I still check it for quality MLS entertainment, but it's not as much fun with him on another team.

First Ever Demosphere Trifecta

Never previously attempted, this weekend (Feb. 1-2) marks the first time Demosphere has attended three state workshops concurrently.

• Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA). Held annually in Richmond, 2008 marks the 11th year we have hosted VYSA.com.
• Oklahoma Soccer Association (OSA). Held in Tulsa this year, OSA has been registering players and operating a website with Demosphere since 2004.
  
• South Texas Youth Soccer Association (STYSA). We're in Austin as part of STYSA's Winter GBM for the first time this year. A brand new STXSoccer.org will be launched in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Stay tuned for pictures as the weekend progresses!

Welcome to Demosphere Insider

Hello all! Welcome to the inaugural post of the Demosphere Insider, a daily blog about soccer, sports, and otherwise...with a Demosphere twist, of course. Keep us bookmarked!