We
breathe
soccer
breathe
soccer
It all started in 2015 with 5 cities (Raleigh, Charlotte, Richmond, Cincinnati and Louisville).
Alex Isern and Marc Segarra – ISL’s CEO and ISL’s Managing Partner – closed a deal with FC Barcelona to manage official Barça Soccer Academies and Camps in the United States.
The main goal was to expand the FC Barcelona brand, values and methodology in the US, while captivating and developing young talent.
Eight years later, we may say this goal was not only achieved but very much exceeded by ISL.
The Barça Academies receive thousands of players for a year round program, and the Barça Camps create a true lifetime experience where young players train like FC Barcelona stars for a week.
The numbers speak for themselves: more than 35.000 American players have participated in ISL’s Barça Academy Soccer Camp program over the last 7 years.
“We are opening Barça Camps registrations for the 8th time and we are as excited as we were 8 year ago. We have learned a lot along the way and we want to keep giving an amazing and truly unique experience to all the players and families.”- says Albert Balsells, ISL’s Director of Barça Academy Soccer Camps.
This year, ISL is also improving the experience with even more official Barça coaches, the latest training routines from FC Barcelona and new host cities – Los Angeles and Peachtree City are now part of the Barça Camps roster!
In 2022, a total of 37 cities in more than 20 different states will welcome young players aged 6 to 17 for an unforgettable Summer camp experience!
Players will not only train and play under the Barça methodology, they will also have the chance to be selected for a Soccer Experience in Barcelona to train at Barça facilities, go to FC Barcelona matches, visit Camp Nou, explore Barcelona, and play against other Spanish teams.
Barça Academy Soccer Camps kick off on June 13th and end on July 29th, 2022.
Find more information and register here!
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.
June 11, 2019
This week, Barca Academy camps around the the country begin as thousands of participants aged 6-16 years old train and compete under the FC Barcelona moniker for a week. This is an exciting time, and a huge event management undertaking as once again we have the good fortune of partnering with FC Barcelona in representing their namesake branded camps.
FC Barcelona camps managed by ISL will be in 37 different cities, coast to coast, over the course of 6 weeks. The tour requires intricate logistical and travel management planning months in advance. The 2019 tour will have hundreds of staff members across the country to help ensure the thousand of participants all get the same high quality experience.
Since ISL began it’s partnership with FC Barcelona, each tour sees more locations added year on year, leading to consistent grow. 2019 will see 4 new locations with Washington D.C., Seattle, Dallas, and Houston added to the tour, continuing the FC Barcelona brand expansion strategy.
We have an established and trusted relationship with FC Barcelona, to which the iconic soccer club relies heavily on our Event Management team to execute all forms of planning to see that each camp is impactful, fun, and a memorable event for all players and attendees. We highly value our relationship with FC Barcelona, not just because it is a legendary global brand, but because everything they do is done with excellence. That standard of excellence is one that leads to a powerful partnership, and long term success.
This morning, ISL hosted a press conference in Orlando, Florida with FC Barcelona announcing the 50th Barça Academy will be coming to Orlando in Fall 2019. ISL have been trusted by FC Barcelona over the years to strategically plan and execute an expansion strategy for the Catalan club, and it continues with the opening of the milestone Barça Academy Orlando. Key FC Barcelona, ISL and local Orlando figures were in attendance drawing strong local media attention.
Xavier O’Callaghan, FC Barcelona managing Director North America, was quoted on the launch saying “This is a unique opportunity for Orlando-area youth to receive the methodology and values from coaches with one of the premier soccer clubs in the world.” Xavier O’Callaghan leads the FC Barcelona strategy of establishing and maximizing representation of the club in the North American market. Part of the club establishment, is led by Carles Martin, Director of the Global Barça Academy project. “One of the main goals of Barça Academy has always been to give players around the world the opportunity to be exposed to our methodology, acquiring our core values and soccer capacities” Said Carles.
Orange County Commissioner Mayra Uribe was in attendance and showed her enthusiasm for Barça Academy coming to Orlando in saying “The fact that FC Barcelona is coming to Orlando gives us the opportunity to involve our diverse community in a project that has a dedicated foundation and integration base. These standards are very well aligned to our operative mindset. This could be a major boost for Orange County.”
Barça Academy Orlando will begin play in Fall of 2019 at Austin Tindall Regional Park.
The move is part of the club’s giant push for a bigger footprint in the United States, and a worldwide boost of its Barça Academy project. ISL are looking forward to continuing its work with FC Barcelona, and ISL co-founder said of being an official partner “This new program will not only help local players experience firsthand the best international, professional and developmental soccer pathway, but will also reinforce Orlando in a Global Soccer Stage.”
Last weekend, ISL Foundation had the honor of partnering with Developmental Disabilities Resources, Inc. (DDR, Inc.) in putting on a free soccer clinic for 40 plus kids and adults in the Charlotte, NC community. “Dream, Believe, Achieve” is the bedrock on which they stand and for us, their motto is everything that embodies ISL Foundation as a whole.
The special event gained local news coverage from WCCB CW, and helped build support throughout the community leading into the event.
Kim Michel, the Leader of DDR’s Dream Squad, was quoted saying of the event “The DDR Dream Squad were in complete agreement that the soccer event this past weekend was easily one of our favorite events we have ever been a part of. This event ensured that each individual had the opportunity to stand out for a different reason, for trying hard and for being able to take risks doing something they have never tried before.”
The event was supported by Barca Academy Charlotte coaches and methodologies. Kim went on to say of the staff “I can honestly speak for the entire group when I tell you how much we truly appreciate the level of professionalism, effort, kindness, and genuine sincerity the staff put into this event.”
It was a chilly morning in Matthews, NC at the Matthews Sportsplex, but spirits were high and smiles were beaming all around. The emphasis of the day, simply to have fun, forget about the cares of the world and for a few hours train and play like real professional soccer players. After a brief welcoming introduction, players were broken up into different teams under the watchful and caring eyes of official Barcelona trained coaches and staff. Players were lead through the same instructions and drills academy players are routinely put through in preparation for league play and competitions. Passing, shooting, ball control and field formations were on the docket for the morning, before a spirited scrimmage to wrap up the morning.
ISL Foundation would like to thank everyone for making this event possible, and making it a memorable day for a special group of players.
ISL recently helped connect two of the worlds biggest sports stars, Luis Suarez and Deandre Hopkins. ESPN FC, FC Barcelona, Houston Texans, and ISL worked together to create and capture the unique moment.
Ahead of Uruguay’s friendly with Mexico, ISL facilitated the opportunity for Luis Suarez to stop by the Houston Texans training facility. The Uruguay international got a quick tutorial on how to play quarterback, and played “catch” with the 3 time NFL Pro-Bowler Deandre Hopkins. The two athletes traded jerseys, took memorable photos, and started a new friendship.
As a core element of their marketing and brand awareness strategy, Audi wished to strengthen their connection with soccer in the US. To help them to do so, ISL identified a unique opportunity to align Audi and FC Barcelona, in order to present the sporting performance and dynamism of the brand to a grassroots American soccer audience.
Audi is one of Germany’s most prestigious automobile manufacturers, and one of the best-selling luxury automobile brands in the world. Its brand identity is focused on technology, strategy, and team spirit, making it a perfect partner for the sport of soccer.
The Second Generation Q7 is Audi’s flagship crossover SUV. Lighter, more efficient and more technologically advanced than the original Q7, the new line is truly luxurious and sophisticated.
As an established partner and sponsor of regional and international sport for decades, Audi had set a new objective to more closely align their brand with soccer in America. They had already made progress towards this goal in 2015 when they signed a partnership agreement with Major League Soccer, becoming the Official Automotive Partner of MLS.
In the summer of 2016, Audi wished to build off their extended sponsorship agreement with FC Barcelona to further reinforce their relationship with the club, and with American soccer. They identified the perfect opportunity to do both by integrating the launch of their Second Generation Q7 with the FC Barcelona Escola Camps.
FC Barcelona needed help to extend their brand into the North American soccer market. To achieve this, they entrusted ISL to create an integrated management and marketing strategy that would spread the Barça name through Soccer Camps and Schools.
In just three years, ISL grew participation in FC Barcelona’s Camps and Schools by 1,470%, firmly establishing the club in the United States.
The Client
Barcelona Football Club (FC Barcelona, FCB) is one of the largest clubs in the world, having won the European Champions League five times and their domestic league 25 times.
The Challenge
FC Barcelona needed to strategically extend the Barça brand, and transmit the club’s philosophy of hard work and values, but were unable to gain traction for their Soccer Camps and Schools (Barça Academy). The club hadn’t managed to develop systems that applied to the unique requirements of the American soccer market. FC Barcelona needed a strong, strategic partner knowledgeable of the market they were wishing to reach.