SECAUCUS, N.J. - The New York Red Bulls proudly announced Mahwah Raiders Soccer Club have become the club's first "Student of the Game" partner for the 2007 season.
"We are excited that Mahwah Raiders have signed on as our first "Student of the Game" partner this year. We look forward to working closely with this organization throughout the season with events in Mahwah as well as Giants Stadium," said Red Bulls Director of Sales and Fan Services Rich Searls. "We have several other clubs in the Metropolitan Area who will be coming on board in the very near future. Due to the high volume of deliverables included in this partnership, we are limiting the number of partners to just 20."
"The Mahwah Raiders and the Red Bulls New York have been holding events for the past three years. At each event, the teams in our club have a tailgate party and the kids get to play a game in the stadium. The event is so well planned and executed that it has quickly become one of our favorite fundraisers," said Frank Gatta, President of the Mahwah Raiders Soccer Club.
The Student of the Game program is designed to provide youth soccer clubs in the tri-state area with a series of educational, motivational and inspirational benefits to assist players but also coaches and parents. The recruitment and retention of parent volunteers remains a challenge for most youth soccer organizations.
The "Student of the Game" program provides clubs with various tools aimed at assisting in this area. One aspect of the program is a special Club Outing at Giants Stadium for a Red Bulls home game. The purpose of this outing is to give youth players the opportunity to watch a game live, learn from professionals and provide parents an opportunity to meet each other in a social setting. The "Club Night Out" is the ultimate team-building event.
"There are many benefits to the Student of the Game package but the three areas that we are looking forward to are the Behind the Scenes talk for the coaches, the On Field experiences for our children, and the group ticket sales for the parents, coaches, and children of our club to enjoy the day and the game," Gatta said.
Through this partnership, a member of the Red Bulls coaching staff will travel to Mahwah to lead the club's coaches through a clinic and give them tips on game strategy and team tactics. The Red Bulls will assist soccer clubs with their fundraising efforts throughout the season and organize sportsmanship clinics designed by specialists to help create players who are successful both on and off the field.
Additionally, players, coaches and parents from the Mahwah Raiders Soccer Club will be able to develop personal relationships with Red Bulls players through player appearances at their respective home fields.
"Part of the Mahwah Raiders player development program is to go to a live match and we facilitate this by purchasing a ticket for every child in our club to attend the game. While soccer is an easier sport for children to start and pickup, it is a very difficult sport to develop and play at a higher and more competitive level. There are many tactics and positional play opportunities that you need to see live. An example of this is how the teams support each other defensively and on the ball. The ability to see the whole field, how the play develops, and how the players think their way through the game is a visual enhancement of what we are coaching and teaching our children," Gatta said.
For more information on the Student of the Game program, please contact the New York Red Bulls at 1.877-RBSOCCER.
