MLS Philly’s Sakiewicz Thanks EPYSA

Dear EPYSA Members:

We’ve been waiting a long time for this day to arrive – the day when the eyes of soccer fans from around the world are focused squarely on Eastern Pennsylvania.

February 28 was an historic day with a packed Turbine Hall in the Wharf building along the waterfront in Chester. Excitement and anticipation filled the room. The Polish American String Band played “Four Leaf Clover” and soccer enthusiasts young and old – including more than one hundred representatives from the Sons of Ben, college coaches and representatives from every soccer organization including EPYSA – cheered with delight as MLS Commissioner Don Garber awarded Philadelphia Major League Soccer’s 16th team.

Broadcast and print media outlets rushed to share the great news – from hometown outlets like Comcast SportsNet and the Philadelphia Inquirer to national and international players like USA Today and the International Herald Tribune … not to mention SportsIllustrated.com and ESPN Soccer.

We were humbled when, within 24 hours of the announcement, more than 1,000 season tickets were sold! And, despite the fact that we’re two years away from playing our first game, we already have sold more than 3,400 season tickets – and the number keeps rising every day.

There is no better time to be a soccer fan in America – and, more specifically, in Eastern Pennsylvania! Soccer is the world’s most popular sport for a reason – it transcends all borders. Soccer participation is not limited by gender or age, with boys, girls and adults of all ages playing the “beautiful game” across the entire country – and around the world. According to SGMA, soccer has the highest growth rate of any team sport with 17 million participants – 78 percent under the age of 18.

Soccer is not just a sport for fans to admire and professionals to dazzle – it is also a great educational tool for children looking to have fun and learn valuable life skills. Eastern Pennsylvania area youth soccer organizations, like EPYSA, have done a phenomenal job establishing an extensive web of soccer enthusiasts. I am amazed there are more than 200,000 players, coaches and referees in EPYSA alone!

As we bring the 16th Major League Soccer team to the Philadelphia area, our goal is to make the area’s young people even more excited and inspired about soccer, learning and their futures. You’ve already given so much to us, through your support, enthusiasm and energy, that we want to do whatever we can to give back to the youth soccer community and support the EPYSA’s mission: “to foster the physical, mental and emotional growth and development of America’s youth through the sport of soccer at all levels of age and competition." We wouldn’t be where we are today without the work of EPYSA and its individual clubs and members, and we are looking forward to working together in the future. EPYSA is an amazing organization that not only teaches kids about such a great game, but also aids their physical, mental and emotional growth and fosters a healthy sense of competition.

It is a great time to be a part of youth soccer. We are excited for what the future holds and anticipate a unique partnership in the years ahead.

Sincerely,
Nick Sakiewicz
CEO & Operating Partner
Pennsylvania Professional Soccer, LLC