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Long before ISL formed into a global marketing and management firm, co-founders Alex Isern and Marc Segarra grew up in the futbol rich city of Barcelona. They were both gifted in being selfless in looking out for others and helping each person they came into contact with reach their fullest potential. This passion transferred into their vision and goals for providing opportunities to players through ISL.
After successfully completing a senior year on the field playing for the Winthrop University in South Carolina by winning the Big South Conference Championship (2012) and graduating with honors, the two childhood friends decided to take their passion for the game and (ultimately) for people and put it to work by staying in the United States and forming ISL. Initially the focus was being a soccer company, but ISL has since matured and grown over the course of 7 years into a battle tested and seasoned company with an array of offerings outside of the beautiful game, but still with a people first emphasis and ideology.
The U.S. has become one of the most competitive markets in the world for youth soccer, so it only made sense for the co-founders to bring the same values and methodologies that they both grew up playing under in Spain and infuse them into a budding system. Through summer camps, and eventually starting their first academy in Charlotte, NC their new dream of helping players achieve their goals started taking shape and began to thrive.
After inking a deal to represent FC Barcelona throughout the United States with their academies and nationwide camps ISL were now able to identify kids from around the country who were believed to be next level talent by trained FCB coaches and staff, and get them over to Europe to play against top academies and club teams in Spain.
Talented players have continually emerged from ISL events. Many players have impressed with their field IQ, skill and level of play over the years, but some more so than others have stood out head and shoulders above the rest. We have been fortunate to be able to work with them and to help mold their style and technique, but more importantly their attitude and philosophy toward the game.
The list of players continues to grow as each year passes, but some have made that jump from the academy system and international tournaments to signing contracts with MLS and USL teams, notably Tucker Lepley (USMNT (U17)/Sporting KC); Brennan Conger (DC United) and Chris Thaggard (Charlotte FC). Other up and coming names to keep an eye on that have come through ISL include, William Cardona (New York Red Bulls), Ryan Fessler (Sporting KC), Donovan Roux (Rapids), Edric Zhang (Charlotte FC) and Julian Ramirez (Charlotte FC). For each the future is bright.
ISL stays committed to these players in order to keep helping them achieve their goals, as well as future players seeking to achieve the same thing. Alex Isern and Marc Segarra promise to keep providing these opportunities to players, and
“Each trip is a different and unique experience, in the sense that each player is handed an opportunity to prove his or herself and their abilities on an international stage of top level competition, all the while refining their skills and getting better each day.” – Alex Isern (CEO and Co-Founder)
The chance of building a company that has helped future stars reach their potential in taking the next step and to chase down their dreams is the greatest reward and ultimately life changing. We look forward to seeing each of these stars rise, as we continue in our commitment to helping others achieve their goals and life pursuits too.
“We love people and we love the game of futbol. So, for us we get to marry those two passions and see dreams become a living and breathing reality. It’s exciting and humbling to be able to do what we do.” – Marc Segarra (Managing Partner and Co-Founder)
Yesterday it was announced that Innjoo, a technologies company, has signed a sponsorship agreement with Deportivo Alaves brokered by ISL.
Earlier this year, ISL inked an exclusive deal with the Healthcare arm of InnJoo, a Spanish based technology company, to act as their business development partners throughout the continental U.S. With the relationship spearheaded by ISL’s Bruno Diaz, and his long standing relationships with clubs around Europe, it led to the possibility of brokering this exciting sponsorship deal.
Innjoo will feature on the back of the shorts of the Deportivo Alaves players in matches during the 2020/2021 season. The financials of the deal are not released. This is the first major kit sponsorship deal brokered by Bruno Diaz for ISL.
Haritz Karejeta, CEO of Alaves, acknowledge the values of Innjoo were at the core of this relationship as well as how this deal continues to signify the international growth of the club. Karejeta was also keep to acknowledge the he valued the relationship established with ISL through this deal. In addition, the Marketing Director of Innjoo, Pablo Guerrero spoke to the core of this deal, “Innjoo identifies with the same values as the Baskonia-Alavés Group, a benchmark for life both in Vitoria and in the Basque Country”. He also stated that with the sponsorship Innjoo hope to “reach the people”.
Bruno Diaz, ISL’s key figure in the deal, said of the sponsorship “With relationships like Alaves and Innjoo who understand the value of sponsorship, and are open to find win win situations, it’s always a a pleasure to close such a valued partnership. We are sure it will be a long term deal.” Bruno also added “With this deal, we’re excited to help businesses in the future achieve their marketing goals through sponsorship.”
This is not InnJoo’s first foray into sponsorships, but it is a first in partnership with Alavés. We are looking forward to seeing this sponsorship relationship grow, as well as the opportunities this announcement brings to the ISL sponsorship team in the future.
August 30, 2020
While European soccer clubs are making their final preparations for the 2020/2021 season, ISL Tours and Friendlies team are busy connecting clubs throughout the continent in order to safely and efficiently tune up their teams. We are proud to announce that our team successfully completed the agreement between SL Benfica and Stade Rennais, both Champions League clubs, for a preseason friendly. The match will take place September 5th at Estadio Da Luz.
This signifies that business is getting back to usual for the Tours and Friendlies team, and we look forward to more deals in the near future!
Another summer camp tour across the nation has come and gone. Once again, in partnership with FC Barcelona our team traveled multiple routes with staff members to cities all around the country to instruct boys and girls in Barca values, techniques, style and tradition. From San Diego to Philadelphia, Austin to Boston, and Denver to Portland we hosted camps in over 16 different cities.
Unlike most summers past, this year was quite different for a number of reasons, but mainly due to the global Covid pandemic which forced us to scale back on the size of campers we are typically used to hosting, as well as the number of camps we plan to put on around the country.
Pre-Covid, our efforts to have another sellout summer of training and fun began it’s planning stages in Q4 of 2019, with routes being established, facilities being booked, coaches and staff committing to 7 weeks on the road, as well as the logistics of ordering uniforms for campers and the housing in each city. It’s a big deal to coordinate, but one our team thoroughly enjoys seeing come to life.
It was by mid-march when we first started to see what might lay ahead for the summer plans and all the hard work that had been put into place. Up until that point we were quickly on track to selling out camp at a record pace, but then the country started to shut everything down, namely ALL sports for the foreseeable future. As you can imagine, registrations nosedived almost immediately and facilities that had been locked down for months began to cancel agreements left and right.
One moment everything is moving along smoothly and then the next thing you know everything is out of your control, but not to ever back down from a challenge, we decided to take a step back to reassess the situation and to plan accordingly and in line with what government officials and the CDC recommended to make sure in keeping with utmost safety.
We scaled back our itinerary from the original plan of 40 cities nationwide to under half that to 16 camps, coast to coast. Our logistics team contacted and confirmed bookings with parks and recreation facilities. All of our coaches and staff were trained immediately in the correct procedures of keeping all of the campers safe, as well as each other. Commitments were made to wearing gloves and masks at all times at camp. Additionally, one way in and out check in stations were set up where campers were allowed to enter and leave facilities. With all of the logistics sorted out, we still wanted to emphasize an atmosphere of fun and growth for the campers. As one of the few companies hosting nationwide camps and expecting over 2000 registrants to participate we made this our ultimate goal, given the current global climate.
As we wrapped up week 7 in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, we reflected on the summer to date and how our commitment to keeping everyone safe was validated in the precaution and safety measures we took. 2 weeks after the fact we have still had zero Covid incidents for either campers, coaches or staff.
Thank you for trusting us this Summer and we look forward to making it back to your city in 2021. Be on the lookout for cam announcements in the fall.
In the past little had been known about this fast growing sport, or as some have referenced it as the little brother of soccer, but futsal is the only form of indoor soccer endorsed by FIFA. It earned the status of FIFA’s official form of indoor soccer in the 1980s as it was recognized as a scaled down version of outdoor soccer played indoors. It is a 5 v 5 small-sided game played on a hard surfaced, basketball sized court with a smaller, heavier low bounce ball.
Futsal is played with touchline boundaries and without walls. It is a game that most recognized outdoor soccer players around the globe play to refine and maintain their control skills and touch. Great soccer superstars such as Ronaldo, Messi, Kaka and Neymar grew up playing the game and credit futsal with developing their skills.
The mission of our indoor program is simple, develop top tier players and people through the uniqueness of this sport, all the while providing a comfortable platform for all to learn and advance on and away from the court. The philosophy is unconventional in that the overall approach is holistic and centers on the encouragement of individual creativity and player intelligence. In itself, futsal is a very distinctive game, and often takes players out of their comfort zones in order to stretch their skills to reach their next level. The goal in these circumstances is to help ensure players are constantly striving for loftier goals and succeeding.
Governing the success and growth of Futsala for ISL are Adam Brundle, Pedro Oliveira and Caio Maciel. This trio oversees academies in both Austin, TX and Charlotte, NC. Along with the support of the ISL family have taken a concept of humble beginnings and transformed it into one of the hottest programs in the nation.
Programs vary, depending on interest and individual development within the game, but can be specialized to fit specific needs of the player. There are 2 core categories that are open to players, with a week long summer camp option for all skill levels looking to continue to refine their techniques or simply check out the sport for the first time.
To break it down, Futsala offers a year round academy aimed at player’s 4- 18 years old with varying levels of background experience from beginners to experts. In addition, Futsala has a Classes & Sessions program, which offers players the opportunity to continue playing during holidays. This program is not exclusive, but rather open to all, but still ensures top level and quality coaching. Also, each player will be matched up with a group of kids to fit their needs and to ensure the optimum learning environment.
Since forming, Futsala has experienced a string of rapid successes for both players and coaches. It has even gained national and international attention for top level play on the court. Recently our ‘03 Barefoot-Futsala girls Team were crowned the National Champions In addition, there has been recognition at National ID’s, with twelve of our players getting invited to participate with the US National Youth Team.
Trips that were once just a short drive from home to the courts are now around the country and abroad to compete against the best the nation and world have to offer. It is a far departure from its humble beginnings, but a journey that is just beginning and with a big, bright future ahead. If you would like to have a futsal program near you, let us know.
We are thrilled to announce that we have officially kicked off the start of the 2020/21 season signifying our continued partnership with FC Barcelona. From coast to coast boys and girls ranging in array of age categories return back out on to the fields to continue their education in FC Barcelona values, style and techniques.
For some this will be their first season with us, having gone through summer tryouts at our different locations and finding that the philosophy of the Barca way being in line with helping them advance in their skills, field IQ and overall love for the beautiful game. In Charlotte, NC we were especially proud to announce that our Academy there has expanded regionally and around the city, as well as with 2 new locations across the border into South Carolina.
With all of the excitement of getting going again and watching our players grow, we are earnestly keeping in mind that we are still in the midst of a global pandemic. For the past 7 weeks we have been actively putting into practice safety procedures that are in line with CDC and government regulations at our camps from around the nation and truly believe that we will continue to refine these practices in order to keep all of our players safe. This is non-negotiable for us and will always be our number one priority in each city that we have an Academy.
Many protocols have been put into place to ensure utmost safety, including mandatory temperature checks and hand sanitization. Redesigning drills at a safe distance, as well as disinfecting all training materials. Players will only interact with their own ball for individual games. For cooperation games players will share a ball, through which they must achieve a common goal. For opposition in a non-shared space, players will cooperate with a shared ball to achieve a common goal, sharing only their space and without defensive contact.
These are just some of the procedures we are putting into practice and will continue to communicate with you through email and social media as these protocols are added and refined.
ISL prides itself in putting on unparalleled experiences for clients, brands and athletes, all the while exceeding expectations. The launch of MICFootball USA in 2019 was no exception, and we have been looking forward to the tournaments second installment.
“We are at the helm of a sport that vast numbers of people live and breathe that has been laid low by this invisible and fast-moving opponent. It is at times like these that the football community needs to show responsibility, unity, solidarity and altruism.” Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA President.
Considering the recommendations from WHO, UEFA and the local authorities, ISL and MIC Sports acknowledge the worldwide impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk it represents to global health.
Under these circumstances, ISL regrets to inform that the MICFootball USA tournament 2020 has been postponed to 2021.
“We are very disappointed that the tournament will not take place, but as an active player in the soccer scenario, and an important piece in developing and inspiring the new soccer generations, ISL’s priority is the health of our local communities, fans, players, volunteers, sponsors, employees, vendors, and everyone involved with the event”, says Marc Segarra, ISL co-founder.
MICFootball is one of the major youth soccer tournaments in the world, where legendary players like Messi and Neymar have made their competitive debuts. Thousands of talented participants were expected, but we will have to wait until 2021 to see the stars of the future shining again.
“We will not let down our young players and their dreams, we will do everything within our reach so that they can enjoy this experience in a safe environment”, Marc Segarra.
ISL apologizes for any inconveniences this decision may have caused, and intends to share updates on the tournament.
We will get through this together and we will be back on the fields soon enough and stronger than ever. See you at the IMG Facility in Bradenton, FL. in 2021.
Esports has quietly made its way into the forefront of the gaming world, taking its place in the sports landscape. Teams are popping up in major cities around the world and it has turned into a multibillion dollar a year industry with significant prize money and endorsements on the line.
It’s hard to deny the popularity of Esports. Viewership is increasing year over year, there’s constant experimentation with new revenue models and it’s redefining the way we engage with online content. It’s a fresh, digitally native take on watching competitive sports, and it’s here to stay.
ISL is proud to announce a new partnership with the Ultimate Gamer – the worlds first and only multi genre esports proving ground – to find the Best Gamer on Earth, offering a $1Million prize purse during an upcoming esports tournament. The partnership reflects ISL’s vision for a future where sports and esports play together.
The partnership consists of high profile ambassadors helping promote the tournament and take it to audiences that otherwise wouldn’t be reached. ISL connected Marcelo, Real Madrid defender, Sergio Busquets, FC Barcelona midfielder, and Darko Peric, actor in the hit television show Money Heist, with Ultimate Gamer. The three celebrities will be using their social media influence to promote the tournament.
The goal of this partnership is two fold, to help Ultimate Gamer break into the sports and entertainment market, while helping sports and entertainment personalities connect with Ultimate Gamer, building everyones brand in new markets.
We’re looking forward to the partnership with Ultimate Gamer, and continuing to disrupt the esports scene. The partnership is set to continue for further ventures in the space. Follow us on social media and sign up for our newsletters for future announcements on this partnership!
With over 500,000 competitors worldwide, the Ultimate Gamer brings people together through the power of gaming, and the best part is: you can join in for free and from the comfort of your home, anywhere in the world.
The tournament will feature 17 of the most popular video games in the world, including Fortnite, Fifa, LOL, Apex Legends, Dota 2, Overwatch, or Counterstrike. Registration ends and qualifiers begin September 1st.
From the offset of forming ISL as a company the main focus has always been about community and giving back. Each of us that make up the team come from different walks of life and have at some point needed a hand up to move forward, in one way or another. It is with that sentiment and the current global climate of COVID-19 that we collectively agreed that there has to be a way to get involved and be able to put our efforts into pouring hope into the lives of those who are desperately in need during this time.
Recently we rolled out a “Same Team. Same Goal.” campaign in tandem with the global call for people to stay at home in hopes of combating this pandemic and flattening the curve. We received an overwhelming and positive response to the mocked up “Home Shirt” jerseys in the graphics we laid out for social media and an article written to support the campaign. The only logical thing to do at this point was to move the concept forward into production and ultimately do good with it.
Now, there are many companies that are vying to get involved and help out in aiding those in need, but for the most part those donations are being funneled into a centralized disbursement organization and the turn around to get them to those people who are now reliant upon receiving those distributions are being lost in the shuffle or having to hold on a bit longer until they are able to receive aid.
For us, immediate disbursement of aid was non-negotiable. People are going without and the goal for us is get them help as soon as possible. ISL is going on 7 years strong now, but we have done well at remaining true to our roots. The early days began in Charlotte, NC and although we now call many parts of the world home, the Queen City will always hold close in our hearts.
Soccer is the world’s game and if you are a part of it you will come to quickly understand that it is a very small and close knit community with many arms. Soccer serves many purposes outside of being a game to watch. It unifies cities and countries. It’s colorblind. It doesn’t know or care what your socioeconomic status is. But, above all it serves. Soccer and the players that we have come to cheer on have always poured resources back into one outreach or charity that they are fortunate to be partnered with. To us, we have always had the utmost respect for our friends at Project 658.
Project 658 believe in transforming communities and pouring hope into restoring each life they are able to engage with, regardless of race, sex or religion. These are values that we believe in and only hope to try to replicate in our daily lives. 658 are a holistic ministry providing services for at-risk families in Charlotte and Nashville, moving them toward sustainability; with a key focus on the international and refugee communities. This is a non-brainer for us, as many of our team are from different parts of the globe.
The beauty of this project was two fold, in that we had the opportunity to help those in need, but additionally it gave the folks at 658 the chance to put a few of their staff back to work, even if it were for a short period of time, as they have an onsite screen printing and distribution department. Given the climate of things right now being able to uncover a company to do this project and turn it around in a timely fashion could present itself as a bit of a challenge, so we were excited to learn that this was a capability of theirs.
Beyond being an outreach ministry, 658 have diversified their facility to be host a variety of different things such as wedding receptions, to continued education classes, vocational training classes, an after school daycare and tutoring, to a fully operational restaurant style kitchen to which they have the ability to cater events on the premises, as well as feed those in need. They even have the ability to convert the banquet space into a fully capable futsal court for local youth to play on.
Without the delay the concept of #HomeFC was born. The purpose behind the jersey was a simple call to stay home, save lives in the attempt to get this pandemic behind us and to get back out on the playing field. Additionally, it gave us the opportunity to be able to reach out to our network to help those who are most in need.
With all hands on deck we ran a limited time offer jersey sale for 7 days utilizing our ISL social media channels and an email marketing campaign. Orders from around the U.S. started coming in almost immediately, which for us validated even more the type of community we have come to know and love. As quickly as it began it was over. All in all we sold over 200 jerseys and raised over $5000.00 for Project 658 and a couple other organizations affiliated with our foundation.
This number may not seem like much, but for the lives of those in need during this time it truly made an impact, even if it were for a short period. To everyone that helped support this campaign, thank you. You may never meet the folks who you help support, but we can assure you that they are equally grateful to you too.
To learn more about our foundation and organizations that we work with follow this link.
We work in a world that can be characterized into two simple words, “Sports Marketing.” This however can bring a lot of questions as to what goes into sports marketing, and could make someone unprepared when one is offered the chance to rattle off a dreaded 30 second elevator pitch. It’s in that vein and of the utmost importance to give clarity to these questions, but more importantly to separate yourself from other companies who claim to be in the same field.
By definition Sports Marketing is a subdivision of marketing, focusing both on the promotional aspects of sporting events and the teams that compete in those events, as well as the promotion of products and services associated with those sporting events and sports teams. It is a service in which the element promoted can be a physical product or a brand name.
Like most vibrant companies we are diverse and multifaceted, meaning that we are not just siloed into a specific space. Although our focus is that of the sports industry, we have many arms that make up our brand, all the while we continue to branch out into other new and exciting areas. ISL prides itself on being cutting edge, as well as hiring some of the most talented folks in the industry to help make dreams become reality, not just as a company, but for our clients and guests.
We have a variety of services to offer. To date there are 8 different ways in our portfolio to be able to engage with current clients and new potential customers. This includes everything from experiential design, brand development, marketing and sponsorship, event production, tours and friendlies, product research and development, travel management, and all the way to our player management arm. Each services works with one another to seamlessly achieve our clients goals.
As a company we like to meet challenges methodically and head on. So, as our brand continues to thrive and grow into new areas. We are proud to be a Sports Management and Marketing agency, providing sports business services and solutions for clients and partners, as well as ISL owned and operated brands.
To learn more about ISL, the different services we have to offer and how we are able to work together contact us. See you on the field.
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