Rumor: 2009 FC Indiana

Thanks MRAD12 and Kool-aide. It is very disapointing having watched several teams in Indy fold and watchig yet another team make the same mistakes that lead to financial failure, but what are you gonna do? Like I said. If they don't care no one else is going to or should they care. If you don't have fans and media coverage you can't sell sponsorships. Without sponsors you have no money. (no body will pay to sponsor something nobody will ever see no matter how good it may be). Without money you eventually have no team. I'm no expert but this seems like pretty basic stuff to me. Some one once said those who refuse to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it and doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is insanity. As far as the Bush Stadium plan, who knows. There was lots of big talk early on but as always nothing following it up. If you can't be bothered to print programs for games, have someone selling merchandise and return e-mails and phone calls I'm pretty sure you can't afford to buy and renovate a 12,000 seat stadium. Even if the could the only thing different would be the same 100 loyal fans that currently show up every night would be spead out over a 12000 seat stadium instead of the 5000 seat one they have now.
And Kool-aide, thanks for the kind words. I have already found that team to support next year. Me and my family will be supporters of the WPSL Carmel United side next spring. I got a very nice reply from them. I guess fans are some what important to them.

 

Our family was quite involved with FCI in 2008... I did the videos (you can find 'em on you tube "fcindiana2008"). We moved away and have somewhat lost touch. It is sad to hear how the 2009 season progressed (as reported in this thread). I have heard second hand that Shek only wants to coach, and nothing else. So, maybe he didn't push to promote the team in year's past. FCI did have some quasi-marketing people in 2008 who left after the season. Even in 2008 it always amazed me that the newspapers never had any info on games (at least the Lafayette papers) and soccer fans (who didn't play in their related indoor recreational leagues) had no idea that FCI existed. Also, the WPS took many quality players and some just up and moved to other WUSL teams, which put a dent in the quality of the soccer (at least I imagine it did).

I wonder if the FCI Women will be around in 2010...

 

In it's past form I would say no. Shek has taken a role with Zvezda in Russia, last year's Champion's League runner up. That is a summer league so I doubt he plans on being back for FCI's season next year.

 

Is that really true or is like the coaching job in New York which he "took" in Nov. of 2008?? In otherwords... is there a link or something (of course, I remember reading about the New York job as well and it was premature and wrong ).

Mace

 

http://www.zvezda2005.ru/news?razdel=1&sub=1&object=452

http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=en&js=y&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zvezda2005.ru%2Fnews%3Frazdel%3D1%26sub%3D1%26object%3D452&sl=ru&tl=en&history_state0=

http://www.fcindiana.com/

 

With so many teams having financial diffilculties has anyone from the league thought about lowering the league fees?

What do those league fees go toward? How much do the league officials make in salary and what do they do for that money?

It seems as these are great leagues the WPSL and W League but they cost the clubs soo much money to run that they all LOSE money running the teams and the league is the only people that make money. This is the way to ruin a league by over charging for very little.

Players are looking for a place to play and clubs are offering it but if they keep losing money they will be forced to leave.

2 youth clubs that were in the Northeast Division of the W League with a team the MPS premier club from Mass and CFC from Connecticut both pulled out of the W League and I heard the money was just too much to pay for very little back in return.

 

Also:

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/womencup/news/kind=1/newsid=910759.htm

I hope things work out for "Coach K" assisting. I wonder if Shek will take any players from FCI with him to Russia?

I had to smile when fcindiana.com was listed as a credible source.

Good luck to Eric Castro as head coach!

How much are league fees for the W-League and WPSL? Do the teams have to pay them annually?

Mace

 

So is Borkowski basically an opportunist? I am wondering now when him and Peter Wilt first made the contact to start the ball rolling on a woman's professional team in Chicago, if he was not looking out for his own interests first? Maybe the ownership of the Chicago WPS franchise (which we now call the Red Stars) made a good decision by not hiring him as coach and going with Emma Hayes who does many other things other than just coach, like clinics, camps, promote the team to the communities, etc. Would Shek have done all that?
It seems that FC Indiana was good to him. Why abandon now? Is the money at FC Indiana drying out to pay all these players?
Interesting.

 

Hi, I'm sure he's looking out for his interests, as most folks do. Rumor has it he is trying to take some of the star players (like Leyva) with him to Russia.

Knowing what I do now, I'd give a big "no" to Shek's desire to do all the other stuff (clinics, camps, youth stuff etc.).

It seems the money is drying up at FCI and Mr. Weaver now has money in the Red Stars. I wonder what will happen with the indoor Sports Center facililty and all the rec leagues there? Shek had (still has?) some ownership role in both FCI Women and the Sports Center (which is also used for rec soccer leagues of all ages, check out [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzdn9ORB_D0"]YouTube- Tour of Lafayette Sports Center[/ame]).

As for investing in FCI... I cannot for the life of me figure out how anyone could make a return on that investment. No attendance, minimal sponsership. The only positive stream seems to be the Sports Center with all the rec leagues. It would be a tough investment.

Mace

 

A good start on selling tickets and sponserships would be, oh I don't know , possibly taking the time to respond to e-mails, answering the phone, returning calls, updating the website, becoming more involved in the youth soccer community and treating the handful of fans that actually show up game in and game out as an asset rather than an annoyance. All things that cost absolutly NOTHING to do. This seems like basic stuff to me but it must be rocket science to the folks running FCI. If they were half as good at promoting and marketing this team as they are at putting a great team on the pitch maybe people in Indy would actually know they exist, show up for games and make a great product atractive to sponsers.

 

Anyone know of what became of Mizuho Sakaguchi the Japanese NT MF star who seems to have played exactly 4 games with FCI, the last one in May ? She came from Japan solely to join the team, and so I wonder if someone did not keep their end of the bargain.

 

Not sure. Let's wait and see if she gets picked up by a WPS team.

 

Any one know anything about FCIndiana for 2010? I just got on the W-League website and saw FCI was not listed for the upcoming season. I then called Melanie at the W-League office and she confirmed they are out of the W-League. Does anyone know if they plan to return to the WPSL or are they done. The website has not been updated since October. I have tried to contact FCI via e-mail and telephone and in their usual poor excuse for a professionally run opperation there is NO response. Any info you can provide this frustrated indy soccer fan would be welcomed. It is a shame that people who are so good at puting a great product on the field are so incredibly inept at promoting and running the business end of the opperation. Thanks

 

FC Indiana will not be participating at all in 2010. Hopefully they will be back in the future, though....

Here's a podcast released today with Shek Borkowski:

http://www.setpieceanalysts.com/20091221/spa-womens-soccer-pod-annual-awards-with-guest-shek-borkowski/

And some more on this:

http://equalizersoccer.com/WebPages/blog.aspx?postid=71a25463-e9ea-412e-adf4-10aeee8546e6

 

Thanks for the info cobi13. It isn't the news I was hoping for but it was the news I expected. It is a shame people who know how to put together such a fantastic product on the field are so uterly clueless as to how to run and promote it. Once again the soccer fans in Indy loose a team because ownership and management either lacked the money, intelect or both. Some day I hope some one in Indy gets the idea that maybe we should investigate why previous teams failed and maybe, just maybe try something different.(Hint: a good starting point would be to actually let someone know you are there).This might cost you some money but without this step you are going to loose it anyway. You should try it. It's just crazy enough that it just might work. But I'm not going to hold my breath on that one. I don't know what else you can do when you as a fan have experience in marketing and promotion and offer to help someone for free and they blow you off. I will continue to follow the FCI girls who cotinue to play around the W-League, WPS and overseas. Good luck to all of you. To the management of FCI if you are planning a return in 2011 or after please don't bother. You've shown your ability to run an organization into the ground and have done enough damage. Maybe you should consider a pollitical career. Thanks for following the example set by the Daredevills, Twisters, Blast and Blaze and setting the game in Indy back yet another decade. It's to bad that every idiot who wants to own a team at some point finds the need to scorch Indianapolis at least once on their way to self-inflicted bankrupcy.

 

The FC Indiana website is now gone. It had not been updated since October. It disapears without any explanation and not even a thank you to the few loyal fans they had. Still no one answers the phone. Why am I not suprised. This is par for the coarse for a classless, clueless, inept opperation. I'm happy for all the young women who played for these idiots who have gone on to bigger and better things. Had any effort what-so-ever been made by managment those bigger and better things could have happened right here in Indianapolis. Every one of you I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to over the last three years where delightful and truly appreciative of the fans. You all deserve so much better and trust me no matter where you are now playing I can asure you you are better off. We will miss all of you, especially, Fatima Leyva, Laura Del Rio and Aivi Luik from 2009 and Sessleman, Shaner, Parker, Hanks, O'roarke, Sitch, Bock, and the others from previous years You ladies are the best and will always be loved by those of us who loved this team.
Again, as great at putting a great product on the pitch as these folks where this was offset by being the most piss poor run organization in every other area I have ever seen. This took some doing but we finally found some one who made the Morris' efforts in running the Blast and Blaze into the ground look almost competent. Way to screw up a potentialy great opportunity. No longer am I dreaming of a WPS team in Indy someday. I just hope someday we can have a WPSL or W-League team again run by someone with at least two nickles and two brain cells to rub together. There are no words I can use in a public forum such as this to expess how I feel about the way you clowns screwed this up. You must have no concept of history or you would make some effort to learn something from it. The only thing you really did was make sure Indianapolis will never get another chance at pro soccer in my lifetime.
I'd love to be able to properly thank you for that in person. I have tried to thank you by e-mail and phone but I guess you haven't yet figured out how to use those great marvels of modern technology yet. I don't know how much money you lost but I hope it was everything you had. What ever it was you deserved to loose every penny of it for being so damned inept. Do the world a favor and don't EVER try to run another business.

 

Didn't CUSC have a WPSL team last year? Was that not run well?

 

Yes, Lensois, they do. I don't know a lot about them yet because we were focused on being FCI supporters. I did not think until the last month or so I would be looking for a new club to support. Hopefully they are a club that actually wants my support. We will see. We will be checking them out this year. At least they do answer the phone when you call for info and they do respond to e-mails so in my book they are ahead of the game and I'm looking forward to me and my family attending as many games in Carmel as we can. It will be a much longer drive for us but for a quality club that appreciates it's fans I'm willing to do that. It would not be posible for them or any team to be less fan friendly than the management of FCI where in 2009 ( and I want to stress my whole problem with FCI is management only. The girls on that team were great and ALWAYS appreciative and first class).

 

I feel bad for the FCI supporters. This was, from everything I heard a pretty good organization when Gary Weaver was part of it and when Shek was full blast involved. Mr. Weaver is now an owner of the Chicago Red Stars. I've talked to the guy a few times, he's very cool and seems committed to the success of the CRS and is a big soccer man himself.
It would be a shame if FC Indiana ceased operation. I live in Chicago now but I grew up in Indiana, albeit northwest Indiana or what they call "the region".

The fast demise of FC Indiana is a mystery. I'm curious myself as to what happened.

indy soccer fan, if it makes you feel any better, Chicago is not too far away. It's a few hours drive from India straight up I-65 and you could be back home that same day after the game. We have a blast at Red Stars games and Toyota Park is an awesome site to watch pro soccer. The Red Stars organization would be thrilled to have you as a fan.

I also am one of those types of dedicated fans once I latch on to a team. I follow it to the ends. And it is a sad day when it goes away.

Central Indiana is a hotbed for soccer and I would love to see Indianapolis have a pro team with responsible owners. I remember a few years back when North Carolina played Indiana University in Carmel one spring. It was during one of those showcase tournaments. I drove down from Hammond and had a blast. The stadium was packed for the UNC/IU exhibition game.

Anyway, I would love to hear some news of what happened to this once proud organization.

 

Thanks MRAD12. We will be taking you up on that offer to attend a RedStars game. We will also be making a road trip west on I-70 to St.Louis for an Athletica game. I want to try and catch both teams play SkyBlue FC as they have a number of former FCI players as well as Keely Dowling who is a local girl from Carmel. I hope either Chicago, St.Louis or SkyBlue select Lauren Cheyney who is also from Indy. In addition to going to some WPSL Carmel United game we will also cotinue to support the local college teams at Butler, IUPUI, and UIndy. Although they are playing overseas right now I also believe any WPS team couldn't go wrong with signing FCI girls from 2009 like Fatima Leyva ( my absolute altime favorite ), Monica Ocampo, Laura Del Rio, Misho Sackaguchi, and Shannon Lynn.
As far as finding out what happened to this organization, good luck with that. You coundn't even get these peoples attention when they obviously needed help and wouldn't even except it when it was offered for FREE. Maybe Mr.Weaver could share some insight as to what happened after he left and I'd love to know what happened to that working agreement that was so highly touted between the RedStars and FCI that just all of a sudden disapeared with no explanation or warning. I would guess it had to do with Chicago figuring out what a petty ,inept, clueless, classless group of people the remaining FCI management were and didn't want to continue the relationship, and who could blame them. When you are trying to run a first class opperation like the RedStars appear to be the last thing they need is to be associated with a group of people who wouldn't know what competance was if it bit them in the behind. These clowns couldn't figure out how to poor water out of a cup if the directions were on the bottom of it. Anyway thanks again for the kind words, the invite, and if you can find any details out from Mr. Weaver as to what happened and why it happened I'd love to know.
Fans, if you have a local team weather it be College, WPSL, W-League, or WPS please get out and support them. MLS seems to be turning the corner. Hopefuly the USL/NASL mess get ironed out and we end up with a solid second and third division on the mens side. We have to all get involved at every level weather it be volunteering for, supporting , or just speading the word about our local clubs to ensure the continued growth of the womens game. Hopefuly all the other teams out there want and appreciate that support. Unfortunatly I know of one who didn't and it appears they are gone. I know I tend to get long winded so thanks for letting me rant. I'm just so frustrated and mad right now at what could have been here that I can't see straight, and it didn't have to be that way. (Those who REFUSE to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it).

 

PS. Sorry for the run-on post. I had paragraphs when I typed it. I have no idea why it didn't show up that way when I submited my reply. I will admit to not being the most computer savy person on earth.

 

ISF, Leyva just signed with Shek's team in Russia, FC Zvezda

Ocampo has already signed with the Atlanta Beat in WPS so you might want to think about seeing them on one of your road trips to St. Louis or Chi-town.

Del Rio is with Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. I know some teams contemplated signing her last season but not sure what their hang up is--probably the foreign roster spot she would take up.

Shannon is in Scotland playing for Hibs, one of the top three teams in the Scottish team there. Her parents are both Scottish and she just got her EU passport with hopes of getting called up to the national team there. I know the Canadian staff had kept their eye on her last season with FCI but she realistically has a better shot of making the team and earning the #1 jersey in Scotland.

To be fair to, there were a lot of things that were wrong as you correctly point out, but there were a few good people (OK, at least one or two) within the organization who suffered like you.

 

I am shocked that Leyva went to Russia. The other players I talked to recently just laughed at the offer to play there. Best of luck to her! Hope she doesn't go out as much as she did in Lafayette... the discos in Perm can be dangerous.

Did Shek get any other Mexican or Spanish players to go to Russia?

Mace