GO Indoor

20 M M ike harris of plex indoor sports in Columbia, South Carolina, has long worked with the University of South Carolina, creating a strong relationship with many Gamecock programs that lease both of his Plex Facilities. The USC Gamecock Hockey Team calls Plex Ice their official home for all Southeastern Conference hockey games, including hosting regionals once a year. The Plex Sandhills facility is the home court for the USC Roller Hockey team, and Cocky, the mascot, has attended many Plex events, from their Plex Kids Fest to their youth practices, as have many sports players from various USC athletic teams. For the past ten years, Plex leadership has worked with the Sports Commission, which has brought in regional tournaments such as the "Two Hot for Ice" inline hockey tournament with over 100 teams from 14 states and Canada. Mike, along with his co-owners and staff, has been a huge supporter of many of the sports programs in communities throughout most of South Carolina, and they deem this a part of their marketing mix and long term success. Indoor sports facilities in communities with professional, semi-professional and college sports markets are not necessarily competing with these organizations for sponsorship dollars. Most sponsors want to do business with the indoor sports facilities because they are firmly ensconced in the community. To participate in the competitive market for sponsorship, indoor sports facility management can embrace relations with pro, semi-pro, and college teams, whether they play indoor or outdoor sports. One way to get involved with these organizations is for management to serve on local boards and committees. Kerry shubert, General Manager of soccercity tulsa and one of the owners of both SoccerCity Tulsa and soccercity oKc, serves on several soccer committees, including the Tulsa Sports Commission. Kerry's work with the Commission was instrumental in bringing the Tulsa Revolution, the first professional indoor soccer team, to the BOK Arena. Kerry and his fellow owners are currently working with the Commission, as well as the management staff of the Tulsa Drillers Stadium (a AAA minor league baseball park), to reinvent the beloved Tulsa Roughnecks and, by spring 2015, the Roughnecks of the USL will also play at Drillers Stadium, adding to the sports market dollars and local economy. Meanwhile, Matt fansher, General Manager for SoccerCity OKC, has been serving on the Advisory Board for a USL team based in Oklahoma, Energy FC. Matt has a history with the Oklahoma Soccer Association, the major driving force for outdoor competitive and recreational soccer throughout the by Chris Moler teaM affiliatiOns can gain spOnsOrship

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