The North County Battalion is one of the newest professional soccer teams in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of American so
The North County Battalion is one of the newest professional soccer teams in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), the fourth tier of American soccer. Based in the northern part of San Diego County, NC Battalion hopes to engage the vibrant soccer community through a variety of great initiatives. San Diego’s north county has a population of about 850 thousand residents so they certainly have a large audience. How do they plan to engage the local soccer community, without having a youth team set up like many of the other teams in the league?
Well…The Battalion have a “give first” mentality and ethos towards spreading the beautiful game to San Diego. They plan to use half the revenue from ticket sales to their home games in the 2016 season to act as a fundraiser for local youth soccer clubs. The caveat is that the local youth soccer clubs must use the revenue to provide scholarships for children in the neighborhood that want to play competitive soccer, and the revenue has to be split evenly between boys and girls scholarships. Several youth clubs such as Vista Storm, Encinitas Express, and the Oceanside Breakers Soccer Club have already partnered with the Battalion, and there are more clubs in the partnership pipeline.
NC Battalion hope that this revenue sharing will help build a deeper bond with local clubs, engage the surrounding community, and provide a solid fan base. Team owner Jason Barbato states, “This youth club initiative is not just a PR stunt, we want to send the right message that were all in this together.” The NC Battalion is truly a team of the community, using professional soccer as a medium to bring people together. The grassroots effort is a way for teams, parents and players to put away their competitive differences in support of something greater; a pro soccer team that they can all get behind.
NC Battalion hopes that this grassroots initiative strikes a chord with the local community to support the team. You can also support the team by becoming a founding member on their website, following them on social media (@NCBattalion) or by buying merchandise at their team shop.
NC Battalion wishes you and your family happy holidays!
