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Business Off The Pitch: Red Bulls optimistic about growth in New York City
Goal.com speaks exclusively with Chris Heck, President of Business Operations for the New York Red Bulls
Dec 26, 2011 6:18:00 PM
By Christopher Savino
New York Red Bulls
New York Red Bulls President of Business Operations Chris Heck
It's no secret that 2011 was a year to forget for the New York Red Bulls. This time around, though, the club will not just look to big name signings to turn its fortunes around, but to an experienced front office.
It has been nearly five months since the resignation of Erik Stover – New York Red Bulls’ former managing director – following the Major League Soccer’s All-Star Game held at Red Bull Arena.
The transition involved significant changes at the club, including the hiring in June of former NBA Senior Vice President and current Red Bulls President of Business Operations, Chris Heck, who upon arrival was determined to build on the club’s momentum.
A graduate of Villanova University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1992, Heck saw no other career but sports in his future. Although relatively new to the business of soccer, he has spent his entire career, almost twenty years, in the sports industry. His experience stems from time with Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the National Basketball Association.
In an exclusive interview with Heck last week at Red Bull Arena, he discussed with Goal.com the club’s focus on its youth academy, MLS becoming a premier league in the world, addition of a second team in New York, advantages of its ownership model and more.
Despite the club making its home nearly ten miles from New York City, at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., Heck is confident that the Red Bulls are and will continue to be New York’s soccer team. As one of the league’s original clubs in 1996, the Red Bulls have survived rebranding and multiple owners, and remained one of the league's premier teams.
"To see what MLS has done in the last three to five years is remarkable. It is absolutely staggering," Heck enthused. "If you said 10 years from now we [MLS] could be considered one of the best leagues in the world, I wouldn’t be shocked. I kind of bet my career on the trajectory of this team and this league. I am very optimistic that our growth line is just starting to take off."
The Red Bulls are still building their presence in New York, the nation's largest sports market with a population of more than eighteen million people. Although Red Bull Arena provides a permanent home, the club is looking towards building relationships with communities in Manhattan in 2012.
Heck noted, "People will see this spring and summer a larger presence of the New York Red Bulls in Manhattan than they ever have. I would guarantee it."
At the moment, New York Red Bulls displays its brand and merchandise through such stores as the adidas store located in the SoHo neighborhood of Lower Manhattan.
"[With] eleven major league teams in this market and a number of different sports, even though we’re the only soccer team we do have a lot of work to do to stay competitive and get more competitive in the marketplace with those other ten teams," Heck explained.
The ongoing discussion of the addition 20th team in Major League Soccer continues to generate rumors of another New York-area team. Amidst various announcements and press conferences, Commissioner Don Garber has not hesitated in expressing his interest for a second club in New York.
Neither has Heck, however, and he commented on the potential situation saying, "We are very excited about the possibility of another MLS team coming to the city or the greater New York Metropolitan area sometime in the future. We embrace the idea."
The club can do little to prepare for a rival in its own city until a formal announcement is made, and it is a decision that may still be a year or two away.
"I think it’s great what they have in London with five major EPL teams and everybody has their stake in the ground. We are New York’s soccer team. We don’t expect to get knocked off that perch," said Heck.
Los Angeles is the only other city hosting two MLS teams – the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA. Though both share the same venue in the Home Depot Center, the situation will certainly not be the same in New York. As Garber seeks a club to even off the league at 20 teams, his first interest is finding a site to construct a stadium, then an ownership group.
The opportunity and challenge excites Heck, and he clarified, "It doesn’t affect us right now until it’s real. Do we want it to be real someday? Absolutely."
Not only will it be a while until a second New York team becomes concrete, but Heck still has plenty to focus on in position at his new club.
Despite the Red Bulls formally announcing plans in August 2007 for a training center, which was to include six soccer fields, a 50,000 square-foot two-story building and a one-story field house, no ground has been broken for construction. However, the club reportedly has a fifteen-year lease on property in Hanover, New Jersey.
"It is very much a priority to secure a site and start building," Heck explained. "That is something we are working on right now. We’re not there yet, but it is absolutely a high priority for us."
On the business end of things, many clubs in MLS with soccer-specific stadiums have sought after ways to maximize the use of the facility without impacting the quality of the pitch. Clubs have held several non-soccer related competitions including rugby and football, in addition to concerts. While some are hesitant in order to preserve the reputation of a soccer only image, the benefits are real, and Heck hopes Red Bull Arena can serve a similar purpose.
"We’re definitely investigating and exploring these possibilities and very much open to the idea," he said. "Our number one priority is the New York Red Bulls, which means we want to preserve the quality of the field. We will not compromise the integrity of the field for anything other than our team."
Finally, Heck addressed speculation surrounding the futures of some of the biggest names on the Red Bulls' roster. Despite the transfer rumors for Designated Players Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez – the former being linked with a short-term loan to Arsenal and the latter linked with a transfer to Club America or Flamengo – Heck had one comment, "Rafa and Thierry are both Red Bull athletes that play for the New York Red Bulls."
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