WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>Time for another soccer down here one v one and

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<v Speaker 1>for this one we head out west and catch up

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<v Speaker 1>with meet the new boss same as the old boss.

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<v Speaker 1>I guess it is probably the best way to phrase it.

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<v Speaker 1>Raal San Jose is back RSJ, back in the NPSL

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<v Speaker 1>and hanging out with US owner manager Nick Rolano. Nick,

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<v Speaker 1>thanks for dropping by for a one v one.

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<v Speaker 2>Hey, thanks for having me.

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<v Speaker 1>So when it came to I want to go back

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<v Speaker 1>to the beginning, beginning, and I want to get everybody

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<v Speaker 1>acquainted with RSJ from the absolute beginning of everything. When

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<v Speaker 1>you started started the first time, What was the the

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<v Speaker 1>impetus to start real San Jose in the soccer footprint

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<v Speaker 1>there in northern California.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, uh it simply put, it was MLS left San

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<v Speaker 2>Jose and there was a void and I had published

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<v Speaker 2>a magazine starting in the late eighties and somebody had

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<v Speaker 2>to do something, and uh so I started the club

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<v Speaker 2>to see, you know, to see what would happened.

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<v Speaker 1>And what was the initial response and how did RSJ

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<v Speaker 1>grow over time in that in that first first version

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<v Speaker 1>of itself.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, the response was pretty good. Actually, we had a

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<v Speaker 2>number of players playing for us. The community showed up

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<v Speaker 2>of the games, not in like massive numbers or anything,

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<v Speaker 2>but you know, we we got a crowd uh that

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<v Speaker 2>pretty much paid for the games. Uh and uh we

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<v Speaker 2>uh we went through a lot of a massive learning experience.

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<v Speaker 1>Uh.

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<v Speaker 2>A lot of it is in my book called Midnight Game.

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<v Speaker 2>We went on this road trip from San Jose to

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<v Speaker 2>started out to go to New Mexico but didn't make it,

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<v Speaker 2>and our other part of the road trip was to

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<v Speaker 2>al Paso. Then after the Paso on Saturday, we went

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<v Speaker 2>back to New Mexico and finished the road trip. But

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<v Speaker 2>you see that was a difference, right, we were traveling

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<v Speaker 2>a lot. Colorado would come to our stadium. Uh, you

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<v Speaker 2>know we would. Uh. At the time, our division basically

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<v Speaker 2>was saving the Southwest Division and so we urged them.

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<v Speaker 2>So you're looking at maybe forty teams at our level

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<v Speaker 2>across the country and now today there's got to be

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<v Speaker 2>at least fifty that claimed to be in the fourth

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<v Speaker 2>Division just in the Bay area here. So it's a

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<v Speaker 2>big difference between then and now.

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<v Speaker 1>So what's the biggest challenge of now, Well.

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<v Speaker 2>For me, for real San Jose is to just adjust

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<v Speaker 2>back to the NPSL. We had spent the last guys.

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<v Speaker 2>Since we left and what sixteen or seventeen, we've been

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<v Speaker 2>league building. So I was involved in building a couple

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<v Speaker 2>national leagues, and at this point it was like, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>I got to do what's best for the club and

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<v Speaker 2>just concentrate only on Real San Jose. And so we

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<v Speaker 2>decided that we would go back to the NPSA and

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<v Speaker 2>just be Real San Jose.

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<v Speaker 1>Because today there is an alphabet soup. I mean, there

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<v Speaker 1>are leagues everywhere you turn. What was it about the

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<v Speaker 1>NPSL that attracted you to them and their approach and

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<v Speaker 1>their timetable and their schedules over everybody else.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, A lot of it has to do with presenting

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<v Speaker 2>the game, following standards. Okay, the last few years we've

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<v Speaker 2>been playing in parts with some teams and the standards

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<v Speaker 2>just wasn't there. I mean, they are good teams, okay,

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<v Speaker 2>But there's a difference between a glorified Sunday league and

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<v Speaker 2>a league like the NPSL, Okay, where the clubs are

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<v Speaker 2>professionally run. And during this time, Real Sanaday has always

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<v Speaker 2>operated to those standards, regardless of what league we were in.

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<v Speaker 2>We had the stadium, we had the sound of banners,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, charge admission. We did everything that a professional,

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<v Speaker 2>professionally run club should be. So for us, it was

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<v Speaker 2>just kind of getting back to where we belong.

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<v Speaker 1>And I know that a lot of folks sit there

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<v Speaker 1>and go, well, yeah, twenty twenty five the season, Yeah

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<v Speaker 1>it's over there in you know, a late late spring,

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<v Speaker 1>early summer. Yeah, everything's fine. But what a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>folks don't know is the organization that has to go

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<v Speaker 1>into that. And it's like, yeah, it's over there, but

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<v Speaker 1>it's not over there. We've got to get a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of things moving and make sure that we're there and

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<v Speaker 1>presenting things the way that we want to present them

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<v Speaker 1>as we come back into the NPSL. I always like

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<v Speaker 1>to ask this of new owners and folks. There's got

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<v Speaker 1>to be a whiteboard somewhere, or there's got to be

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<v Speaker 1>a document or a Google doc or something somewhere that

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<v Speaker 1>has this list of everything that you have to do

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<v Speaker 1>to get ready for match week one. Where are you

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<v Speaker 1>on that to do list? And what do you think

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<v Speaker 1>the next thing that you can cross off that to

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<v Speaker 1>do list is to get you ready for the season.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I mean, we can host a game tomorrow. Our

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<v Speaker 2>standards haven't changed. Uh So we're ready to go. But

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<v Speaker 2>as far as adjusting to the NPSL, we got to

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<v Speaker 2>like we uh we started this YouTube channel where we

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<v Speaker 2>came up with a lot of original music and we're

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<v Speaker 2>doing a lot of kind of fun things to kind

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<v Speaker 2>of reinvent the club. Uh and uh it's for this

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<v Speaker 2>new this new chapter. Uh so so yeah, just getting

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<v Speaker 2>them add the word out the advertising, reinvent us a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit, you know. Really that's about it. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>we've got everybody in place. We got our stadium staff,

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<v Speaker 2>I've got a general manager that's helping me out, same stadium,

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<v Speaker 2>same everything. So we're basically ready to go.

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<v Speaker 1>And you're going into I imagine you're going into Golden

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<v Speaker 1>Gate when they.

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<v Speaker 2>Get Yeah, I helped name that.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, so you're going into a conference that you

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<v Speaker 1>helped name when RSJ was there in round number one,

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<v Speaker 1>and you're going in there with El Fadlito, who made

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<v Speaker 1>it to the last game of the year. They've always

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<v Speaker 1>been strong. Napa Valley's in there, Oakland's in there, the

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<v Speaker 1>Stompers are in their Sacramento San Ramon. I mean, this

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<v Speaker 1>isn't the this isn't the football equivalent of chopped liver.

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<v Speaker 1>Or something that you pick up, you know at Ralphs

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<v Speaker 1>that's got an expiration data of today that you've got

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<v Speaker 1>to buy if you really want it. I mean, this

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<v Speaker 1>is some heavyweight stuff that you're getting into in the

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<v Speaker 1>Golden Gate.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, no fear, we know them all. I've had one

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<v Speaker 2>of my high school players played for Al far Leado

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<v Speaker 2>the last season. But there has been some major changes,

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<v Speaker 2>and this is a big change in Northern California soccer.

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<v Speaker 2>The NPSL is going through some changes, which is one

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<v Speaker 2>of the reasons why I wanted to go back in.

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<v Speaker 2>NAP is no longer with us, San Ramon's no longer

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<v Speaker 2>with us. We're bringing in some new teams and we're

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<v Speaker 2>going to be strengthening the conference at least for professionalism

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<v Speaker 2>for the most part, and I think you're gonna see

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<v Speaker 2>a better competition. You're going to see some better news

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<v Speaker 2>coming out of here, more united front from the Golden

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<v Speaker 2>Gate Conference and maybe even the West Coast, because I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>let's just be honest, it's a tough business that we're

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<v Speaker 2>in and it's you know, teams come and go. Okay.

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<v Speaker 2>I've been lucky enough to keep this pretty much the

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<v Speaker 2>same thing going since two thousand and seven. But it's

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<v Speaker 2>not easy, okay, And we don't own our stadiums. You know,

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<v Speaker 2>we're subject to a lot of the society's whims, politicians whims.

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<v Speaker 2>If you try to be a serious club, okay, you

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<v Speaker 2>got to deal with the politicians. You got to follow

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<v Speaker 2>the you know, actually you know, form an LLC, I

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<v Speaker 2>trade mark Reale, San Jose the name, you know, get

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<v Speaker 2>your yearly business license and then work with all the

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<v Speaker 2>politicians and hopefully, you know, make things happen that you

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<v Speaker 2>need to get happened. And you know, so it's it's tough.

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<v Speaker 1>What's it like encouraging others of a like mindset to

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<v Speaker 1>come and be a part of Golden Gate in the

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<v Speaker 1>Western part of the NPSL. What's it like to be

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<v Speaker 1>a party to those conversations and someone to encourage growth

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<v Speaker 1>they are in the West when it the nps selling

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<v Speaker 1>what they want to do and what you guys want

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<v Speaker 1>to do.

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<v Speaker 2>Well the brand NPSL. I mean, we've been around for

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<v Speaker 2>forever and I seen say we because I was back

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<v Speaker 2>there in two thousand and seven when it was just

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<v Speaker 2>twenty guys sitting around the table trying to grow it out. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>and so. But it has changed over the years, and

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<v Speaker 2>you can argue for the better for worse, but the

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<v Speaker 2>bottom line, okay, the league has sustained itself. It's kept going.

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<v Speaker 2>And so the one thing is the brand. Okay, that's important. Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>you know that the league's going to be around two Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>you know that you're going to be with owners that

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<v Speaker 2>take this seriously and whether they win or lose, they're

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<v Speaker 2>not looking to fold up the tents. They're looking to

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<v Speaker 2>build their brand, build a league, brand, their stability. It's

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<v Speaker 2>not like, you know, one season, you know you're going

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<v Speaker 2>to have so many teams and then you got you know,

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<v Speaker 2>then guys just drop out just because they can't get

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<v Speaker 2>enough players or whatever. There's a there's a big difference

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<v Speaker 2>where in the NPSL, you I, you're gonna have stronger

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<v Speaker 2>organizations and the players. And I don't mean this in

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<v Speaker 2>a negative way, because the players are the ones that

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<v Speaker 2>actually play the game. But you know you're gonna you're

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<v Speaker 2>gonna be able to sustain, you know, turning over rosters

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<v Speaker 2>and uh and still have your your club strong and

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<v Speaker 2>still moving. So that's kind of what how I would

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<v Speaker 2>approach it to prospective owners.

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<v Speaker 1>When it comes to your phone or your WhatsApp or

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<v Speaker 1>you're texting. Has your phone blown up since the announcement

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<v Speaker 1>that you were jumping back into the nps O.

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<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, everybody wants to sell you something, right, Uh

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<v Speaker 2>so I got that. Uh But then again, you know

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<v Speaker 2>in the post that aside a lot of players have

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<v Speaker 2>contacted have contacted me. But we've been around, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>long enough that it's not like it's just brand new.

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<v Speaker 2>Everyone kind of knows who we are, what we stand for,

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<v Speaker 2>and so yeah, I wouldn't say like the brand new

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<v Speaker 2>thing where you know, everybody asked questions. It's more like, okay,

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<v Speaker 2>how can we join, how can we sell you something?

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<v Speaker 1>Pitching up with Real San Jose as they rejoined the NPSL.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you remember that first day of twenty guys sitting

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<v Speaker 1>around a table back in two thousand and seven. What

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<v Speaker 1>do you remember about that first day?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, we had a spreadsheet open up on the screen,

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<v Speaker 2>had Excel sheet with all the expenses, and we just

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<v Speaker 2>sat around the table and argued where we were going

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<v Speaker 2>to spend the money and how we're going to get

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<v Speaker 2>enough money to keep the league going. And so it

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<v Speaker 2>was like a real business okay. I mean you sat

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<v Speaker 2>there and you had twenty business partners and we all

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<v Speaker 2>had ideas, okay, and we all just kind of somehow

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<v Speaker 2>managed to make it work. Then somewhere along the line

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<v Speaker 2>that changed, and at the time, I didn't realize what

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<v Speaker 2>the effect would be, but I really hope, and I

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<v Speaker 2>don't know if I'm speaking out of bounds here, but

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<v Speaker 2>it would be I would hope that the NPSI went

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<v Speaker 2>back to being a for profit business and got away

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<v Speaker 2>from the nonprofit business structure where the owners are owners

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<v Speaker 2>and not just members. Because when that happened, a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of the voices for the ownership the owners of the

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<v Speaker 2>clubs just disappeared because now the league was just being

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<v Speaker 2>run by a few small people. Not small people, but

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<v Speaker 2>a small number of people. So yeah, that's what I hope.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, I don't know if that's going to happen.

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<v Speaker 2>It's not. I mean, obviously I'm coming back again, so

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<v Speaker 2>I'm going to go with whatever structures there, and like

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<v Speaker 2>I said, I'm just not going to be in the

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<v Speaker 2>league building but just concentrate on my own club. But

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<v Speaker 2>that was a key thing.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you look at yourself as a role model when

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<v Speaker 1>it comes to establishing a franchise, building a franchise, maintaining

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<v Speaker 1>a franchise. Do you look at yourself that way as

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<v Speaker 1>an example for others how they can be successful?

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<v Speaker 2>Oh? Absolutely, I'd like to think that I've done things

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<v Speaker 2>the right way. There was a lot of things that

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<v Speaker 2>happened to me that first year, which I thought was

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<v Speaker 2>pretty ridiculous, and it was like a lot of people

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<v Speaker 2>were just trying to take advantage of me because I

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<v Speaker 2>was new, and I swore I would never let that

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<v Speaker 2>happen again, and I've never let that happen to any

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<v Speaker 2>new club that came in. You know, I would always

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<v Speaker 2>take real San Jose and be the first road team

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<v Speaker 2>for a lot of teams because you know they can

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<v Speaker 2>count on us to behave properly treat the event for

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<v Speaker 2>as special as it is, and help them give a

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<v Speaker 2>good first impression. Now, granted, we'd like to win the game,

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<v Speaker 2>of course, but but as far as you know, presenting

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<v Speaker 2>the league, presenting their club for the first time, okay,

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<v Speaker 2>I've always volunteered my team to go to those those games,

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<v Speaker 2>and as far as running things the right way, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>you've got to get involved with the community as best

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<v Speaker 2>you can. You. You have to follow the business structures, okay,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, former proper business and follow all those all

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<v Speaker 2>those things that are a real business is gonna do,

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<v Speaker 2>and you're just not gonna be, you know, just showing

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<v Speaker 2>up and putting the team together and going out and play,

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<v Speaker 2>you know. So yeah, I mean there's there's the standards

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<v Speaker 2>that you have to follow and take it seriously both

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<v Speaker 2>on and off the field.

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<v Speaker 1>What advice would you give to another first year club?

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<v Speaker 1>And I mean it could be you know, insert first

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<v Speaker 1>year club here. I mean this year joining in ASC

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<v Speaker 1>New York. We've talked to them and they have a

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<v Speaker 1>history in the NASL, Buffalo Stallions coming back district Elite,

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<v Speaker 1>FC Pride, We talked to Osner's PDA, you, Rostosi and

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<v Speaker 1>Santa Cruz and you're all coming into the league this year.

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<v Speaker 1>What advice would you give insert you know, soccer franchise

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<v Speaker 1>FC about a first year? What advice would you give

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<v Speaker 1>to a new owner in a league about that first year?

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<v Speaker 1>What advice would you give?

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<v Speaker 2>Manage your money? Okay? One of one of the things

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<v Speaker 2>that I've seen, it happened to me, okay, is you

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<v Speaker 2>have all this money and there's all these things you

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<v Speaker 2>want to do, and then you just go out and

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<v Speaker 2>you just spend it okay, and you think that you

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<v Speaker 2>need to and you really don't. What you need need

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<v Speaker 2>to do is stay focused on what you can do

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<v Speaker 2>as a first year team, because you have a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of first year expenses that you aren't going to have,

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<v Speaker 2>and you just can't think that you're going to go

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<v Speaker 2>first class all the way. You just can't think the

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<v Speaker 2>same sponsorship you're gonna get that first year is going

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<v Speaker 2>to be there in your two, three, four, five, six, seven, Okay.

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<v Speaker 2>So you've got to build for longevity. You have to

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<v Speaker 2>stay calm okay, and build step by step and just

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<v Speaker 2>manage your money in the right way because you know,

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<v Speaker 2>in the early years, especially, teams would win the championship okay,

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<v Speaker 2>and go broke because of the expenses of having to

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<v Speaker 2>go to the championship game and travel across the country.

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<v Speaker 2>That's why back I remember back in the when we

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<v Speaker 2>actually put in that we increase the dues, the league

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<v Speaker 2>dues enough to cover any playoff travel so that teams

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<v Speaker 2>wouldn't be u be killed for being successful. So you've

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<v Speaker 2>got to manage that and and I think that's that's

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<v Speaker 2>the key thing. Let's just keep an eye on the money.

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<v Speaker 1>Coming back to the NPSL Ral San Jose, Nick. It

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<v Speaker 1>was a great conversation. It went a lot of directions

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<v Speaker 1>that I didn't anticipate, but that's the fun part of

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<v Speaker 1>doing these one v ones is catching up with folks

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<v Speaker 1>as they get ready for the season and finding out

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<v Speaker 1>how life is in their particular part of the footprint.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for dropping by for a one v one. We'll

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<v Speaker 1>be keeping an eye on things out there, and we'll

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<v Speaker 1>be following what's going on there in the conference that

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<v Speaker 1>you named. Thanks thanks for dropping by for a one

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<v Speaker 1>v one. We really appreciate it, all

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<v Speaker 2>Right, thank you for having me