USL PRO Feature
Thursday, August 22, 2013
One of the longest serving USL franchises has been the Charlotte Eagles, who joined as a PDL team in 1993 and moved to the professional divisions two years later. USL Second Division champions in 2000 and 2005, the Eagles have continued to put a quality product on the field while also adding an equally successful W-League team in 2000.
In addition to the two teams, the club also operates the largest and most popular sports camp program in the Greater Charlotte Area, Learn from the Pros™ Soccer Camps. Known not only for their success on the field, but also for their dedication to the surrounding communities, the Eagles continue to provide positive role models and a family-friendly entertainment product.
Owned and operated by Missionary Athletes International, the Eagles are led by MAI President Patrick Stewart.
Q: What inspired you to acquire the franchise?
PS: Brian Davidson was the founder of the Charlotte Eagles, a division of MAI. The mission of MAI is to see lives transformed and Brian felt that a pro team that modeled how that transformation affected behavior on and off the field would add credibility to the message.
What is your favorite aspect of operating your team?
Seeing the transformation of people's lives as they come to a place of recognizing that their identity is not based on their performance. In particular, the last few years of having players who live in urban neighborhoods to mentor inner-city youth has been especially rewarding.
What differentiates your franchise from others?
We are a non-profit religious organization so we are driven by metrics of changed lives rather than other metrics like attendance. Our goal is to generate support for the organization based on our mission impact rather than financial return.
What words of advice would you provide to potential franchise owners?
Do your homework on the market. Be conservative in your financial projections. Don't let pride and ego drive you to make emotional decisions about competitiveness on the field instead of objective business decisions. Don't count on the youth soccer organizations to support you - they are busy with their own issues.
Where do you see your franchise in 3-5 years?
We want to be more involved in youth development through our Urban Eagles program. We believe that we have a unique value proposition to offer youth that has been applied in all of our teams, including the Charlotte Eagles, the Lady Eagles, and the Southern California Seahorses (PDL).
What is the most challenging aspect of your franchise/team?
As a non-profit organization, we have to be able to operate on a break-even basis without the backing of an ownership group to fund operating losses. This puts a lot of pressure on us to make decisions driven by cash flow.
What traits do you find valuable when adding members to your staff?
The primary requirement is alignment with our mission, but in addition, we need flexible self-starters who are willing to serve because our mission is more important than individual fulfillment.
How does your previous employment/business experience translate into running a successful sports franchise?
I was involved in two startup operations for a regional health insurance organization, so I know what it's like to operate in a low-structure, entrepreneurial environment. I also co-founded a consulting organization that was built on our sweat equity, which prepared me to pinch pennies and operate by faith.
Who has been the greatest influence in your career? Please explain.
In the book of Proverbs, Solomon writes: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do and he will establish your plans.” I applied this in the different positions I held for the 20 years prior to coming to the Eagles/MAI. For the past 11 years, I’ve been surrounded by an amazing group of men and women who work together as a team because we all pursue a value of “Ministry first, soccer second.” I’m influenced on a daily basis by the lives of the people I work with. It’s a very fulfilling environment to be a part of.