USL News Release
Monday, September 23, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – The 2013 United Soccer Leagues Annual General Meeting (AGM), a celebration of a year of accomplishments and professional growth as well as an important working and educational weekend, is set for December 11-15 at the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach. The event draws hundreds of owners, executives and coaches from USL’s professional and amateur teams, as well as influential figures from national and international soccer organizations.
This year’s annual gathering will feature a new class of USL franchises joining the 100-plus existing teams for a combination of business and social activities, including operational, educational and scheduling meetings and annual team and executive awards presentations at the USL Hall of Fame Awards Dinner. The Clearwater Beach setting provides a getaway for families and a welcome escape from winter for the representatives of USL’s professional and amateur clubs that will attend from throughout North America.
For the third consecutive year the USL AGM will run in conjunction with USL’s Major Beach Soccer National Championships, which will be held on Clearwater Beach December 14-15. This is made possible by the support of the City of Clearwater Parks & Recreation Department and the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission
“Having the AGM on Clearwater Beach the past two years has revitalized the event, creating a highly productive working environment within a pleasant atmosphere for teams and partners in attendance,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said. “With the new initiatives USL has begun, and the partnerships we have entered into in 2013, we expect this to be our most important AGM in USL’s 27-year history.”
The 2013 MBS National Championships will bring more than 130 teams from throughout the U.S. that qualified through a series of 11 Major Beach Soccer and Soccer in the Sand tournaments this summer. They will compete for titles in the Co-ed Open, boys, and girls (U14-U18) age groups on pristine Clearwater Beach, just steps from the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach and the USL AGM.
The 2013 USL AGM will get underway on Wednesday, December 11 with new franchise orientation, with the majority of teams arriving on Thursday, December 12 for registration and a kickoff social event. Friday, December 13 includes a full day of meetings and special seminars including individual league meetings, player registration, broadcast operations, international affiliations, marketing and communications, and social media.
The annual USL Hall of Fame Awards Dinner concludes Friday’s festivities as the teams gather to honor the teams and executives for their performances during 2013 and the induction ceremony for the USL Hall of Fame. The AGM continues Saturday, December 14 with continued league meetings and scheduling, and closes the morning of Sunday, December 15.