Meet the Member M
In 2019, we were so successful that we received an invitation to participate in the 2020 US Open Cup, the largest, most important soccer tournament in the United States, and one that includes the professional teams from leagues like Major League Soccer. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the tournament to be canceled that season and again in 2021, so we didn’t get to actually participate. Every season since we started, we’ve gone into the last game with a chance to finish in the top two in our conference and qualify for the playoffs. Q: Med City FC became a member of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce in April of 2021. What do you find valuable in your membership to the organization? A: One thing that I find valuable is the ability to be connected to other businesses in the area and the networking opportunities. I think the pandemic has made it harder to take advantage of those opportunities and I’m looking forward to the chance to get out to events and activities more often to make connections and explore partnership possibilities. I also enjoy being kept informed about what’s happening with businesses in the area through materials I receive from the Chamber. Q: What is a unique fact people should know about Med City FC? A: Every summer, our players donate more than 240 hours to community service in the area. That includes volunteering at schools, area soccer clubs, and various other organizations in and around Rochester. We actually have a community service requirement for them to be offered a position on the team. Each year, we get as many as 150 video highlights from players expressing an interest in wanting to play for us. These videos come from players across the country and around the world. We typically have players from as many as 12 different countries on the roster in any given season. Q: What is the outlook for your business and industry? A: I think that the outlook is mixed. Soccer continues to grow its footprint in the US, and I heard recently that it is now considered the fourth most popular
sport in the country behind football, basketball and baseball. Major League Soccer continues to add teams to the professional league here. And there are more and more teams popping up playing in leagues like the National Premier Soccer League. At the same time, Covid-19 continues to have a challenging effect on our continued operations. We lost the entire 2020 season to the pandemic and were under a number of restrictions at the start of the 2021 season. Those things have affected our attendance and the momentum we had gained pre-Covid. As part of the entertainment industry, we’ve felt the pain of not being able to have people gather to watch us play. We’ve also had to deal with uncertainty from sponsors and partners who have concerns about their own ability to plow forward in the face of the pandemic. We’re optimistic and see things improving for 2022, but the latest variant is once again throwing up some uncertainty. Visit Med City FC online to learn more or buy tickets to their games at www.medcityfc.com.
Owner Frank Spaeth (pictured) founded Med City FC in December of 2016. The team played their first game in the summer of 2017.
Advantage Magazine | 9
March 2022
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