Q: How would you sum up 2016, on and off the field, for the Charleston Battery?

Andrew Bell: It has been a remarkable year for the Charleston Battery beginning with the ownership change in February. We saw an immediate and significant investment in the stadium infrastructure, including a 3,000-squarte-foot video screen, locker rooms, pub kitchen and more recently in the operations staff. In addition to enhancing the fan experience at the stadium it is also allowing us to increase our involvement in the Charleston community and broaden the reach of the club.

On the field, I felt that the team performed very well. We are fortunate to have stability on our technical side with Head Coach and GM Mike Anhaeuser completing his 12th year in charge and I think it’s reflected in the consistency that you see with our results. Obviously we would like to have gone a step or two further in the postseason but overall we are very pleased with the way our team competed and we feel good about being able to build upon this in 2017.

Q: The side was good again on the field, reaching the USL Cup Playoffs for a sixth consecutive season and the Eastern Conference Semifinals for a second straight year. How have the Battery been able to maintain that standard over the years?

AB: Our guiding philosophy has been stability on the technical side combined with offering a very professional environment for our players. Mike has done a very good job managing this and I think it’s a big part of the reason why we have been able to keep some key players for multiple years. In recent years we have also been able to integrate some young MLS players into the mix. For example, our current affiliation with Atlanta United was very successful in 2016.