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breathe
soccer
On August 17th, ISL partnered with BCN Sports from Toronto, Canada to provide Travel Management services for a unique sports trip to Europe. For the first time, ISL’s Travel Management team partnered with a Canadian group in executing all travel needs during an international trip. The group will be be enjoying the trip until August 26th.
Travel Management aided in customer services, travel logistics, cultural activities, and setting up elite playing opportunities in Spain. Our partner, BCN Sports, is an organization committed to delivering top quality sports and educational programs for young athletes. From soccer camps and academies in Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand and China, they offer a wide range of programs to players interested in developing themselves as players and as individuals. Our partners relied on our ability to execute a seamless experience for their group.
ISL continue to build strong relationships around the world with clubs and organizations. We look forward to helping others achieve their Travel Management goals. Our Travel Management team provides sport trip experiences around the world for groups of all cultural backgrounds, and we couldn’t be more proud of the execution of a truly professional team.
Soccer in the U.S. has grown tremendously over the past few years with over 2.3 million youth soccer participants across the country. It has become the youth sport of choice for many households around the country. There are a variety of clubs in cities around the country hoping to produce the next standout player that can make a concerted run at getting a college scholarship, make to the pros or bet yet get a call up to the National Squad to represent the Stars and Stripes.
Recognizing that the value of growing the FC Barcelona methodology within the United States, FCB leaped at the chance to be able to infuse the tradition & values that nurtured scores of FC Barcelona legends into the domestic youth system. In their endeavor to paint the world blue and red, the plan of global expansion continues just as recently as naming Orlando, FL as the 50th Academy. A proud day for them and ISL, as Orlando is now the 7th such Academy that Blaugrana has entrusted us to run in the U.S. and Costa Rica.
Barca Academies around the country recently kicked off with FC Barcelona legend and now current Ambassador, Juliano Belletti, with him visiting Academies around the country.
To put it into numbers: ISL runs 6 Academies around the country and 1 in Costa Rica. In total we have 2300+ boys and girls (and growing) ranging from 6-18 years old, 85 coaches and 25 staff members. So, as we look forward to another successful season ahead, we are grateful to all of the friends and families that trust us with each of their budding soccer star loved ones and helping them each achieve their dreams.
To follow along with each Academy over the course of the year round season follow @BarcaAcademyUS on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook
Recently, ISL Foundation continued its commitment to being involved in local communities in the cities we have a footprint. ISL Foundation partnered with Big Brothers Big Sister of Miami to put on a 10 week soccer training program for 20 boys and girls, ages 8-14. Once a week for 90 minutes at various fields around the city, ISL employees took time out of their work week to spend time, train and support these amazing youngsters from different parts of the world including Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala and the U.S.
Serving their community since 1958, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami (BBBSM) are the premier nonprofit mentoring organization in South Florida. They are the champions of hope, transformation, and social good, all the while defending the potential of children who need it the most. BBBSM strives to make Miami a safe haven where children can grow and thrive. They have developed a network of strategic partnerships with local businesses and community organizations, aligned within the vision of “together we can do big things!”
From the start, ISL’s core values of putting people first, being active within the community and having involvement in local charities has always been our way of making decisions in hopes of making positive impacts in the lives of everyone we work besides or have the good fortune of coming into contact with. It’s to that fact that all the years of selfless, philanthropic work that has collectively been done as a company crescendoed in the birth of ISL Foundation.
The mission of the Foundation is to give back to aspiring athletes and communities that are underserved. We do our utmost to give each of them the chance to experience top levels of training and competition in world class facilities across their respective cities. Our hope is that we teach valuable lifelong lessons that will influence change. We measure our success by aiming to put smiles on as many faces as we can and the more they smile, the better we are doing.
To learn more about ISL Foundation and how we are changing lives follow this link.
The curtains have drawn to a close on six action packed weeks of FC Barcelona youth soccer action across the nation. Summer soccer camps 2019 is officially a wrap, and once again ISL have had the great honor of helping FCB and Barça Academy paint the country blue and red. This is the 5th year that Blaugrana have relied upon ISL in helping make sure the nationwide tour was executed seamlessly.
A lot of planning goes into this countrywide tour, from recruiting coaches from Barcelona for the Summer, staff to aid in the day to day operations, identifying facilities for the week, accommodation in each city, it’s truly an example of countrywide event management execution.
To break it down in numbers, we were in 37 cities from coast to coast, with 125 coaches and 150 staff members, but most importantly, 5000+ kids were instructed in the traditions, values and methodologies that have served generations of FC Barcelona superstars.
This year we were fortunate to be in numerous cities across the country, most of which we already have had a footprint in from past Summer camps. In addition to the existing locations, we were able to break ground into new territories and make headway into developing new lifelong relationships in parts of the country, including San Francisco, which boasted our largest turnout of close to 400 boys and girls. Be sure to check back with us in December as we get set to announce cities and dates for 2020.
Earlier this month over 3 days, the ISL Travel Management team were able to partner with Donosti Cup management in order to provide their service to a group of teams planning to compete in the internationally known youth soccer tournament. Several teams from all over the United States were arriving a few days early to prepare, and to take in the unique culture of the tournament location of Barcelona, Spain.
In the lead up to the 2019 Donosti Cup, tournament management were in need of travel management help for a large group of players and families from the United States. The group were seeking travel logistical help, aid in finding training facilities, friendlies against local clubs, and cultural activities to experience the special city of Barcelona. The ISL Travel Management team were able to help with all aspects, and helped prepare the group for their competition in the Tournament.
Historic La Liga team Real Betis, commonly known as Betis, was on a recent postseason tour in the U.S. and around the globe as part of an aggressive growth strategy to expand into foreign markets to gain a larger fan base. The tours focus was to give current fans the opportunity to see them play locally, but also to test their futbol prowess against international clubs from around the world.
It was upon learning that the team would be stopping off as part of their travels in the nation’s capital to take on Wayne Rooney and D.C. United for an exhibition match that Toni Ortega, the International Business Manager for Real Betis and (long time ISL friend) Marc Barta, reached out to our Events Team to put together an itinerary for the players during their brief stay in Washington.
ISL Relationship Director, Pere Segara, arranged full access activities for the club. For many of the Betis players this was their first time to the Washington, D.C., let alone traveling to the United States, so what better way to experience America than taking in the countries traditional past time, baseball. Betis took in a Washington Nationals game to cap off a memorable trip for the club, players, and Betis fans.
ISL recently helped connect two of the worlds biggest sports star, Zlatan Ibrahimovic of LA Galaxy and Mariano Díaz of Real Madrid. ISL worked closely with Mariano Díaz and the LA Galaxy in order to meet Mariano’s childhood hero, and lifelong role model, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, to create and capture a unique moment for both of the soccer stars.
Majority of European clubs are currently on their summer offseason, meaning Mariano Díaz had the time to visit Los Angeles where Ibrahimovic was training with LA Galaxy, who are in the middle of their MLS season. With ISL facilitating, the two met at LA Galaxy’s training facility, where they exchanged signed jerseys and kind words. Mariano Díaz was then shown around the impressive LA Galaxy Facility.
The two stars are at very different stages of their careers. Mariano Díaz came up through the Real Madrid Academy ranks, and now the 25 year old Real Madrid forward is working to take his club career to the next level. Ibrahimovic is in the later stages of his career, but it hasn’t stoped him from taking the MLS by storm, similar to every other club he has played at, with 35 goals in only 42 games. Earlier this week, Ibrahimovic received the ESPY for 2019 MLS player of the year.
ISL Talent Relationships Director, Pere Segarra, has a long time relationship with Mariano Díaz’s manager, who reached out to Pere to arrange the moment. Pere was able to quickly and happily set up the meeting for Mariano and his team.
As part of our 6 year anniversary celebration, we’re taking the time to look back at our short yet productive history as a company. Each month over the next several months, we’ll be revealing a part of our story, a story that wouldn’t exist without everyone who has helped support ISL along the way.
For our third look back at our story, we take a look at some of the biggest milestones that changed the future of the ISL family, and propelled us forward for years to come.
Typically, it’s difficult for American soccer fans to connect with international soccer stars in intimate, grassroots settings. Players are often either competing for their European clubs or their international teams, meaning the closest they get are through a TV screen. However, the summer brings a welcome opportunity for players and American soccer communities to connect while players are on their vacations and staying in shape outside of the public eye.
Recently, ISL were able to help some of the biggest names in soccer connect with the Los Angeles soccer community. Romelu Lukaku, on vacation after recently wrapping up the UEFA Nations Cup, traveled to California and connected with ISL to put on grassroots opportunities over 2 days of soccer and community.
The Belgian and current Manchester United forward took time out of his vacation to put on pickup matches open to the LA soccer community in tandem with ISL. Lukaku’s management team, and ISL connected the LA community with Lukaku and his fellow professional soccer playing friends like Ben Arfa, and Jerome Boateng.
Over 2 days, Director of Talent Relationships for ISL Pere Segarra, helped the stars with private facilities to train and keep sharp as well as play grassroots pickup games with the L.A. Community. For the local L.A. players it was a truly once in a lifetime opportunity to play alongside some of the biggest stars of soccer in an intimate setting. It was a great couple of days for everyone involved, and ISL continued to strengthen it’s connection with the biggest names in the world of soccer. We wish the best of luck to new friend, Romelu Lukaku, on his upcoming season.
As part of our 6 year anniversary celebration, we’re taking the time to look back at our short yet productive history as a company. Each month over the next several months, we’ll be revealing a part of our story, a story that wouldn’t exist without everyone who has helped support ISL along the way.
For our second look back at our story, we have a look at when ISL truly began to establish itself, and continue to prepare for the growth that we couldn’t predict to come.
