Headlines for the week of January 8, 2006:
Wizards prepare for 2007 SuperDraft
Preseason travel plans finalized
Corporate leadership packages announced
Youth soccer update
Coaching clinic comes to Kansas City
Draft order
Wizards prepare for 2007 SuperDraft
Since the end of the 2006 regular season and the hiring of Technical Director Peter Vermes and Head Coach Curt Onalfo, the team has been geared toward one thing: improvement. With the addition of Kevin Hartman between the pipes, the team has already taken steps in the right direction, but the draft offers another opportunity to add more talented players to the roster.
Held Friday at 11 am ET in Indianapolis, Kansas City has the third overall pick. Kansas City does not have a second round pick after trading second round picks in the 2007 and 2008 drafts to Los Angeles for Hartman, but they will pick third in every other round of the draft.
The draft will be televised live on ESPN2 starting at 11am ET. Coverage will also be available at www.kcwizards.com and www.mlsnet.com.
Preseason travel plans finalized
With the first regular season game only three months away, Kansas City has all the preseason training schedules set. The team will train for just over two months prior to the first game, with sessions in Kansas City, Bradenton, Florida, and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The training schedule is as follows:
January 30 - February 10
Players arrive in Kansas City for physicals and meetings; training begins.
February 11 - 27
Team travels to Bradenton, Florida for warmer weather and matches against area college teams and other MLS clubs.
February 28 - March 4
Team returns to Kansas City for recuperation and further training.
March 5 - March 22
Team travels to Buenos Aires for eight split-squad matches against local club sides and training sessions.
March 23 - April 12
Team resumes training in Kansas City in preparation for first MLS match.
April 13
Team leaves for Washington, D.C.
April 14
First match of 2007 regular season @ D.C. United.
Corporate leadership packages announced
The Kansas City Wizards have put together a package that is designed for area businesses intent on showing their associates and partners a level of entertainment, professionalism and courtesy not currently available elsewhere in the Kansas City sports community.
Corporate Leadership packages include ticket sales, hospitality event and charitable donation aspects and are customizable to a company's stature and position within the marketplace.
To qualify for a CLP, a company must participate in at least two (2) of the following four (4) options:
Hold a minimum of four full-season tickets
Secure a VIP/Hospitality tent with a minimum of 20 tickets
Purchase a minimum of 20 season tickets
Purchase a minimum of 50 reserved group tickets
Also, a donation must be made to one of the Wizards preferred charities, which include:
Kicks for Kids
Tickets for Troops
The Guadalupe Center
Other custom options
For more information, contact Business Account Executive Logan Smith at 913.387.3400 ex 311 or by email lsmith@kcwizards.com.
Youth soccer update
The Kansas City Wizards will continue its strong support of youth soccer this weekend during the Winter Magic Indoor Tournament, which runs Friday - Sunday at four locations throughout the metropolitan area.
Wizards staff members will attend the event Saturday at All-American Indoor Sports and Sports City tournament locations. Prizes and ticket information specifically designed for youth soccer clubs will be available.
For more information about youth soccer team sales and events, contact Youth Soccer Account Executive Brian Roberts at 913.387.3400 ex 312 or via email at broberts@kcwizards.com.
Coaching clinic comes to Kansas City
The 2007 Midwest soccer expo is being held in Kansas City this year. Running February 9 - February 11 at The Kansas City Chiefs indoor practice facility adjacent to Arrowhead Stadium, the expo is designed to expose local coaches to national and international practices.
Among the prominent figures attending the conference are:
Tony Car of the world-renowned West Ham United youth academy
Jan Olde Riekerink of the Dutch club Ajax FC
*Schelles Hyndman of former #1-ranked Southern Methodist University
For more information or to register, call 888.342.6224 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. central. More information is also available at www.worldclasscoaching.com.
Draft order
1st ROUND:
1. Toronto FC
2. Columbus Crew
3. Kansas City Wizards
4. Real Salt Lake
5. Los Angeles Galaxy
6. Colorado Rapids (from New York Red Bulls) - A
7. Chivas USA
8. Chicago Fire
9. FC Dallas
10. Los Angeles Galaxy (from Colorado Rapids) - B
11. D.C. United
12. New England Revolution
13. Houston Dynamo
2nd ROUND:
14. FC Dallas (from Toronto FC) - C
15. Columbus Crew
16. Los Angeles Galaxy (from Kansas City Wizards) - D
17. Colorado Rapids (from Real Salt Lake) - E
18. Colorado Rapids (from Los Angeles Galaxy) - F
19. New York Red Bulls
20. Los Angeles Galaxy (from Real Salt Lake, Chivas USA) - G
21. Chicago Fire
22. FC Dallas
23. Los Angeles Galaxy (from Colorado Rapids) - H
24. D.C. United
25. New England Revolution
26. Houston Dynamo
3rd ROUND:
27. Toronto FC
28. Dallas (from Columbus Crew) - I
29. Kansas City Wizards
30. Real Salt Lake
31. Colorado (from Los Angeles) - J
32. DC (from Colorado, New York) - K
33. New York Red Bulls (from Chivas USA, Columbus, New England, Chivas USA) - L
34. Chicago Fire
35. Colorado Rapids (from FC Dallas) - M
36. Colorado Rapids
37. DC United
38. New England Revolution
39. Houston Dynamo
4th ROUND:
40. Toronto FC
41. Columbus Crew
42. Kansas City Wizards
43. Dallas (from Real Salt Lake) - N
44. Los Angeles Galaxy
45. LA (from New York Red Bulls) - O
46. Chivas USA
47. Chicago Fire
48. FC Dallas
49. Columbus Crew (from Colorado Rapids) - P
50. D.C. United
51. New England Revolution
52. Houston Dynamo
