THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 3, 1996 TAG: 9607020162
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY REA FARMER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 134 lines
LAST SATURDAY NIGHT, fans lined up across the parking lot at First Colonial High School. An hour before the game, almost 500 people stood at the two gates. It was free soccer ball night and the hottest state professional soccer matchup of the year - the Hampton Roads Mariners versus the Richmond Kickers.
By 7 p.m., kids were running through the stands comparing their free autographed balls or trying them out on the side fields at the high school. By 7:45, more than 2,300 people were in the stands. While most appeared to be immersed in the game, some trickled down to the face-painting booths, or danced with Soccerhead the mascot or talked to the clowns. By the end of regulation, all eyes were glued to the field. The Mariners battled through a 1-1 game, then through a scoreless overtime to play their first home shootout.
Keeper Matt Olson made three spectacular shootout saves and denied a fourth challenger a shot on goal to save the Mariners and push the team to 10-2, 6-1 in the inaugural Select League of the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues.
Afterward, children flooded the field with their free Jones Printing autograph booklets and posed for pictures with Olson.
For the Mariners, it was just another step toward gaining recognition in both the league and in Virginia Beach.
For two years, the Mariners have had the distinction of competing as the only professional team in the Beach. While other teams compete in organized, semi-professional leagues, Hampton Roads is the second-tier in a growing national soccer organization.
Next year, Major League Soccer will continue as the highest level, and the Select League, in which the Mariners compete, will be designated Division II status, the equivalent of a Triple-A baseball team. Two former Mariners, Brandon Ward and Garth Lagerwey, moved into the MLS this season.
The step is a natural progression for the Mariners. They debuted as the amateur Hurricanes three seaons ago under the ownership of Ellis Gillespie, the owner of a local security company, then climbed to the professional ranks last year after being purchased by Mark Garcea and Page Johnson. This season, attendance is up nearly 15 percent to about 1,900 a game.
``From infancy, we started to crawl and now I'd say we've taken some baby steps at the end of last season,'' assistant general manager Rick Miller said. ``We're walking now, and we're looking forward to running.''
The Mariners have built a formidable team. Olson has collected five shutouts, forward Jesse Marsch leads the team with eight goals in seven games and Mark Waite has been one of the top midfielders in the league.
Garcea and Johnson have plans that will solidify the ties between the city and the team. They have worked continually to move the Mariners into the top ranks of professional soccer. The core of fans has grown steadily, and the team is off to its best start yet.
Off the field, they are working to entrench the players in Beach activities. The Mariners have held free clinics, putting young players through drills, handing out advice and giving participants tickets to upcoming games.
Down the road, Garcea and Johnson want to develop a scholarship fund for a Virginia Beach athlete and to expand the clinics.
``Any request, we try to adhere to,'' Johnson said. ``There's nothing we ignore. We even do commercial things. Six of them were at Hecht's (Saturday) promoting the men's department. That's the difference in these guys and the Norfolk Tides. They do this because they love the sport. There's no money in it. Even in the major league, the bucks aren't there yet.''
The Mariners have a core following of youngsters and their parents. What is missing is the 20- and 30-something crowd. When trying to market to this audience, the Mariners are stymied by the constraints of First Colonial, their home playing field.
No alcoholic beverages. No extra restroom facilities. Limited concessions. Limited parking. When the crowd swells to more than 4,000, as it did for this season's exhibition against the U-23 National Team, problems ensue. On that night, people turned around when they couldn't park. After paying $10 for tickets, many spent upwards of 30 minutes in line for snacks and sodas. People wrapped around the restroom facility.
``That night, a lot of people said they wouldn't come back,'' Garcea said. ``There were lines everywhere. People don't want to wait like that. We had so many complaints, even about the parking. We had people turn around because of the parking. We lost people that night.''
Garcea is hoping it will be different next year. The Mariners have asked the city to build them a stadium. Nothing as opulent as Harbor Park. All the Mariners want is a facility with 7,500 seats to start, enough room for the fans to schmooz, adequate parking and a place the team can call its own.
``I don't think people can see what we really are at First Colonial,'' Garcea said. ``If you put the Tides here, they wouldn't be drawing either. We have all the ingredients, have everything lined up to do, but we can't do it here. The field's terrible. We have a lot of injuries because of the field.''
Garcea believes the team gives a lot to Virginia Beach. A permanent place to play in the city would merely be the next logical step in the relationship.
``We bring the city some recognition,'' Garcea said. ``We do a lot with kids, our players are role models. They do a lot of camps, a lot of volunteer work. We're not in this to make any money. We want to make money, but we want to put it back into the city with scholarships and camps. That's our goal.''
Mike Barrett, president of the Hampton Roads Soccer Council, said members of his organizations (the HRSC comprises the Beach FC, Virginia Beach Soccer Club, Atlantic Youth Soccer Club and the Southeastern Women's Soccer Association) would favor a move by the Mariners to their own stadium.
``I don't think we've had the opportunity to provide the value that a fan is looking for in a professional sport,'' Barrett said. ``Obviously, people will go watch soccer in great numbers. Major League Soccer is averaging (23,792) people per game. The NCAA tournament in Richmond last year was a totally sold out tournament. Every game was sold out. It isn't that people won't go watch soccer. I think professionally when people go they are looking for value. Unfortunately, we don't have the venues for the sport yet.''
Now, all they want to do is build the stadium. And see if they come. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos on cover by MIKE HEFFNER
The Mariners' Sterling Wescott, right, and Lexington's Ansu Sirleaf
battle for a loose ball...
Mariners goaltender Mike Payne...
Staff photos by MIKE HEFFNER
ABOVE LEFT: Off the field, the Mariners go after fans with
aggressive promotions, gameday giveways and community involvement.
At a recent exhibition, the first 1,000 fans received free Mariners
gym bags. ABOVE RIGHT: On the field, the Mariners sell talent, like
defender Chris Penny.
Mariners fans watch as the team takes on the Lexington Bluegrass
Bandits in an exhibition recently at the less-than-professional
First Colonial High field.
The Mariners' Shane Weems, right, dribbles past Lexington's Tyrone
Marshall. Designated Division II, the Mariners are akin to a
Triple-A baseball team like the Tides.
Mariners mascot ``Soccerhead'' greets Joe Burns and his 3-year-old
daughter, Caroline, during a recent game. Burns, of Chesapeake, said
he was surprised at the level of play in the USISL Select league.
``The quality of players out here is just fantastic,'' he said.
Amanda Thompson, 11, has collected more than 20 Mariner autographs
this season. The rising sixth-grader at Salem Middle School joins
dozens of young fans after games to meet the players. by CNB