ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, May 4, 1996 TAG: 9605060116
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Jack Bogaczyk
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
Roanoke doesn't have a pro soccer franchise. Never did.
That was part of the Roanoke RiverDawgs' problem a year ago. No one seemed quite sure what the USISL franchise was, much less what the USISL was.
The RiverDawgs begin their second season tonight against the Jackson (Miss.) Chargers at the Cave Spring Junior High School field. The 'Dawgs play in the amateur division - Premier League - of the mile-monikered United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues.
Remember when soccer names were short, like Pele?
Anyway, while the players on the field for the RiverDawgs might be amateurs - and some of them are very good ones - the front-office organization must be more professional than it was in 1995.
If the team wants support, it can't do bad-to-the-bone things like change the night of scheduled games and notify next to no one except the players. The club says it averaged about 1,100 fans per home game last year, but who-knows how many of those were freebies. Roanoke needs to average about 1,500 paid spectators this season, with $6 and $4 tickets, or the club could be 'Dawg-gone.
``Our goal is to break even,'' said Phil Benne, the RiverDawgs' vice president and director of player personnel who is also the women's soccer coach at Roanoke College. ``We lost about $10,000 last year. We can't do that again. We really have to make it work. It's a really pivotal year for us.''
The RiverDawgs have a chance to prosper, but they must finish better than last year's 5-13 record. Of their 12 home dates in the USISL, nine are on weekends. The 'Dawgs have more than a few familiar names on the roster, not to mention regional college stars.
Soccer remains a hot youth sport, and the introduction this spring of Major League Soccer, and its telecast schedule, can only help the game. The USISL is the farm system for MLS, and Benne said the RiverDawgs, linked with Bruce Arena-coached D.C. United, hope to build on that affiliation that includes USISL Select and Pro clubs in Richmond, Hampton Roads, Baltimore and elsewhere.
Benne said the RiverDawgs are in good position because they're the lone USISL amateur club in a region in which college soccer, particularly in the ACC and Colonial Athletic Association, is strong. Think of the USISL Premier League as just like the well-entrenched Valley League for college baseball. It's an off-season development program.
The RiverDawgs have added two investors - they now have nine - and last summer gave the club enough familiarity to increase sponsorships. Although the club still needs to increase its visibility, it does have full-time operations personnel this year. There's no question that the coaching stability provided by Ed McMichael, also the head coach at Patrick Henry High School, should aid progress.
Benne said the best aspect of the RiverDawgs' first season was the camp program, and that may be the case over six weeks of instruction again. The players who made promotional visits to schools last year were well-received, and 600 youths not only paid to learn soccer, they also kept the RiverDawgs afloat.
The club has a logo that is attractive to kids, and Benne admits, ``We didn't do as good as we could have with that last year. We have to do a better job of merchandising. We need to make it work among the camp, attendance and sponsorship, not just one of those.''
If the RiverDawgs want to keep kicking, he's right.
LENGTH: Medium: 66 linesby CNB