MASL ANNOUNCES 2019 EARL FOREMAN AWARDS

KANSAS CITY (June 14, 2019) – The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) has announced the winners of the 2019 Earl Forman Awards. Named after one of the founders of arena soccer, the Earl Forman Awards recognize the best off the field performances of the season.

BEST SOCIAL MEDIA – UTICA CITY FC
The Utica City FC social media team had the task of introducing the game of arena soccer to a new market of passionate fans. With creative promotions, fun commercials and great interviews, the Utica fans were able to embrace their new team and cheer them on to their first ever Eastern Division regular season title.

BEST GAME DAY EXPERIENCE – MONTERREY FLASH
From the very beginning of player introductions to the final whistle, fans are treated to an incredible game day experience. The team’s mascot, Chily Wily, entertains the crowd throughout the game, the public address announcer is engaging, and the flames are literally flying after every goal. The fans are excited for every single game and the team rewards them with one of the best home winning percentages in the MASL.

BEST BROADCAST (ENGLISH) – MILWAUKEE WAVE
The Milwaukee Wave have been named the best English broadcast for the third straight season. Even beyond the play-by-play team of Tom Wynn and Art Kramer, the overall broadcast continues to be of the highest quality and an example for the rest of the league.

BEST BROADCAST (SPANISH) – MONTERREY FLASH
The Monterrey Flash broadcasts have the tough task of putting together a broadcast that entertains and matches the high-paced action on the field while half of their viewing audience may speak another language. Each week fans could tune in to see the Monterrey Flash and follow the excitement of the game, even if they didn’t quite understand all the words being spoken. The one word everyone understood, GOL!

BEST BRANDING THEME – UTICA CITY FC
When the announcement was made that arena soccer was moving into the Adirondack Bank Center, the community was challenged to ‘Join the City’ and show their support for the club. The campaign that encompassed social media, traditional marketing, player interaction and more was successful and helped the team to sell out their final eight games of the season.

BEST PROMOTIONS – MILWAUKEE WAVE
The Milwaukee Wave continued their tradition of having a unique theme for all of their home matches this season. Some of the new themes this season included Camp Wave, where kids were able to camp out on the Wave field and enjoy a movie played on the arena scoreboard, and their ‘80’s Prom Night held in conjunction with their annual New Year’s Eve game. The creative promos and execution have helped the team to once again be one of the top teams in attendance across the league.

BEST SALES TEAM – SAN DIEGO SOCKERS
The San Diego Sockers had already created several great ticket sales initiatives this season revolving around their 40th Year Celebration. Utilizing Sockers legends and classic uniform styles, the team was able to drive attendance, sponsorship and revenue. Following the signing of U.S. Soccer star Landon Donovan, the team was able to capitalize even more, increasing average attendance by nearly 25% over last season and leading the league at the turnstile during the regular season.

ED TEPPER HUMANITARIANS OF THE YEAR – FRANCK AND UZI TAYOU
The success of the Tayou brothers on the field is clear. The two have helped their teams to several records and multiple championship game appearances. They might argue their true success can be found in their efforts to help their communities. This past season, Franck and Uzi connected with a local orphanage in Monterrey to make visits and encourage the kids throughout the season. Their support did not stop there. On their own, they sought out sponsors and organized several fundraisers for their new friends. The pair are inspired to use their platform to inspire kids and better their communities thanks to their upbringing and the encouragement of their mentor Patrick Lawrence. Lawrence housed both players when they first came to the United States. When they left, Lawrence challenged them to pass it on and now they hope they can inspire kids to do the same.

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR – DAN KUENZI, MILWAUKEE WAVE
Dan Kuenzi just completed his fifth year as the head of the Wave organization and helped guide his team to their first MASL Championship in May. Kuenzi took over the storied franchise at a down-point in their illustrious history. By surrounding himself with top-level talent and empowering his front-office staff, he has nurtured the Wave into one of the league’s most successful franchises.

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR – UTICA CITY FC
Utica City FC blazed new trails in their first year in the MASL. The newly relocated club connected with their new fanbase without alienating the long-time fans of the Syracuse Silver Knights. They parlayed their success on the field to great promotions and helped their fans to connect with each player in unique and exciting ways. The team sold out their final eight games of the season and have maximized their efforts to renew and grow their season-ticket base for the 2019-2020 season.