Back in May, I was given the responsibility of launching a new professional soccer team for the sixth time in my career, and on the 17th of that month, we announced that a club in Madison, Wis., would become a founding member of USL Division III, the new, third-tier league. With play set to begin in March, 2019, we began working immediately to build awareness and passion for the club in the city.



Building a new professional soccer team is about convincing a community that they should care about the team. We want to give the public a sense of ownership, and allowing people to participate in the foundational building process is critical to the team’s long-term success. The most important element in this process is building the brand. Get this right and it will make people aware of the team before a single ball is kicked and give you the best chance of getting people through the gate when the soccer is ready to be played.



Allowing the public and especially key...