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[ MEDIA RELEASE ] |
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[ 01-09-2004 ]
NARRATIVE
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Subject: "Developing a Fan Culture: The Missing Link in American Soccer" to be formally presented at the NSCAA Convention
Headlines/Future: Anson’s Tar Heels Draw Over 8,000 for the Fifth Time This Season! MLS Hits 33,000 Season Attendance Average! Men’s Collegiate Soccer Final Entertains 36,000! 450 Watch Johnnie Score Hat-Trick Last Saturday at MunHollinger Park! Mia Say’s Goodbye Before Full House at RFK! Hoosier’s Pack House for Lion’s Match! Girls State Olympic Development Program’s Win in Front of 5,000 Fans! WUSA Breaks Season Attendance Average! MLS Playoff Draws 102,000 at LA Coliseum! National High Schools Rank Soccer #4 in Fan Interest!
Is this just a dream? Could it ever happen? Could American Soccer ever rival other mainstream sports in attracting a loyal fan following?
Core Sport Consultants and Colone Associates, sports business consulting firms based in upstate New York, have entered into a joint agreement to develop a long range research initiative designed to analyze and assess what would be necessary to strategically build sustainable loyal fan support at all levels of soccer in the US; from youth to the professional leagues. It’s called the National Soccer Fan Assessment and Strategic Initiatives Program. The overall plan is to conduct an on-going, comprehensive national assessment of the prevailing attitudes and interests of sports fans of all ages over a multi-year timeframe. It is expected that the results of this research will provide clues as to how key soccer-interested stakeholders can create and retain loyal American Soccer fans. The research design is a multi-phase, multi-year effort that will involve extensive data collection and analysis through the use of in-depth interviews. Based on the results of this research, various strategic initiatives will be generated including the development of potential fan-building models as related to in-venue, television and internet-based viewer/spectator interests.
The program will be officially introduced at the NSCAA Convention, Friday, January 16th at 9:00 AM in Convention Center Room #207. The program entitled, “Developing a Fan Culture: The Missing Link in American Soccer," will be presented jointly by Dr. Ted Fay, team leader for Core Sports Consultants and Albert Colone, representing Colone Associates.
Presenter bios are as follows:
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Dr. Ted Fay is an Associate Professor and Director of the Sport Management Program at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Cortland. He is also currently a research fellow for Sport in Society's Disability Sport Research Initiative at Northeastern University. Fay holds a Ph.D. in Sport Management from the University of Massachusetts, a M.P.A. in Public Affairs from the University of Oregon, and a B.A. in Government from St. Lawrence University. He has been an active member of the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) and several national governing bodies including the US Ski & Snowboard Association, USA Hockey, USA Team Handball and the US Biathlon Association. Dr. Fay has a previous research history involving relationship marketing and the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
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Albert L. Colone, prior to forming Colone Associates, held the position of executive director of the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, New York from 1979 to 1997. He pioneered efforts towards creating the definition and concept for the Hall and subsequently, helped found and establish the National Soccer Museum and its allied educational programs. Prior to his years at the Hall, he founded and organized City of Oneonta adult recreational soccer programs and the Oneonta Mayor’s Cup Collegiate Soccer Tournament. Visit the Colone Associates website at: www.colassoc.com
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