Club Status: Funded

What Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Clubs can teach all of us about the ROI of fans

It’s something straight out of Ted Lasso. A community comes together to invest in their local soccer club. They go from community members and fans and transform into owners through their commitment.

Earlier this month, the Oakland Roots and Soul Sports Clubs announced their community investment round, giving their community a chance to come together to support the team and become an owner. The campaign tagline, “Our town, your team,” cuts to the heart of why this is such a powerful way to raise funds for the club and engage and foster a deeper relationship with Oakland residents.

Like most sports endeavors, it captures the attention of celebrities, but the ability for anyone in the community, celebrity or not, empowers members of all demographics to play a more significant role in their neighborhood club. It builds and scales because of the “little guy,” not despite them.

The campaign, which has received over $2.2M of its $3M goal at the time of writing this, offers the ability to become an owner for as low as $100. And this isn’t just about the love of the beautiful game. Oakland Roots and Soul SCs seek to drive positive change in their community.

Oakland Roots is a purpose-driven men’s soccer team that seeks to harness the magic of Oakland and the power of sports as a social force for good.

Oakland Soul women’s soccer team serves as an elite pathway to pro soccer, providing a high-quality training environment while empowering players. One day at a time…one game at a time.

Ownership is the ultimate badge of a fan

As fans, we love being a part of something bigger than ourselves. Something that speaks to a better self, a more resilient self — someone who can make a difference. We root for the underdog Luke Skywalker as he has to use the Force to shoot into a teeny tiny tube to destroy the Death Star. We cheer for something greater and something that inspires us to dream bigger. To dream of making a difference.

In pursuit of our fandom, we will watch everything we can get our hands on and go down the eventual YouTube and subreddit rabbit holes in search of more knowledge of our favorite thing. If we can, we’ll buy memorabilia to have a piece of something that feels like magic to us. We’ll have a LEGO set or our own sonic screwdriver, but by owning something, whatever it is, we feel intimately closer to the thing that we love. We have a piece of it.

Owning a part of the Oakland Roots and Soul SCs may be an investment to some, but it’s a badge of honor to others. It’s a testament to their commitment and love of the city, its people, and its potential. It becomes an empowering force that links the owner more profoundly to the clubs and the city. It creates a bond. A bond that is attributable to revenue.

Owner video

The ROI of fans

2023 has been a tough year for many. Companies are laying off people left and right while inflation seems to never take a break. It feels like we’re all pursuing more money, and there is never enough.

Companies and other organizations are trying to find funding for their needs and the opportunity to grow under these economic conditions, and it’s tough to have your hand out when so many are struggling to make ends meet.

How can you inspire someone to give you money based on hope and sometimes nothing else? Not to be too corny, but you make them believe.

As people, especially sports fans, we know that we might be disappointed and our team may have a losing record, and yet we show up for each game with bated breath and the hope that today will be our day. Our mood and blood pressure are in the hands and feet of the athletes, driving to victory or defeat, creating jubilation or devastation for us fans. It’s a part of us.

Oakland Roots and Soul SCs get it, and they understand that for programs to thrive, they need their city and the residents around them to be their biggest supporters. They become the cornerstone for their growth as they come from a place of hope to a place of victory. As the clubs grow, more people come to games, bringing in tourist revenue and money for the clubs in terms of ticket sales, concessions, parking, merch, and more.

The fans create a defining layer of revenue on which future fans are built. The advocacy of these fans and their support (both monetary and otherwise) drive positive word of mouth, momentum, and create a sense of community that is enticing to join.

For those who want to be “more than fans,” this becomes an opportunity that’s hard to say no to. Add in the potential to create positive change in Oakland, and you have a recipe for action.

If we look at what the Oakland Roots and Soul SCs are doing, we can see the fan flywheel spinning. Members of the community can buy tickets to events and attend as fans, enjoying the game while having the opportunity to engage on a deeper level on social and at the game by bringing flags, wearing merch, and showcasing their fandom; then they are empowered to be more than fans, by becoming an owner, with different perks at each monetary level. With all pieces activated, the flywheel spins faster, with empowered fans showing their signs of ownership. They now have a piece of their team and are empowered to be even louder and prouder. This drives more awareness and encourages others to attend games to see what’s so special about this club, and the cycle continues.

The fan flywheel drives continuous actions and is propelled by the commitment to keep the fan at the heart of the experience. Their participation is more than $100. It’s what that $100 means for the future of the club and how it will continue to drive others to do the same.

It’s been incredible to see what happens when organizations make their fans the heroes and provide ways for them to play a bigger role. You know what happens? They step up, and they step up in a big way so they can make a difference and have a piece of something bigger than themselves. It’s transformational for Oakland but for all the people involved.

It takes a village city of passionate fans to make something like this come together, and we get to watch Oakland reach its potential through the power of its owners.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this and want to play a bigger role in the Oakland Roots and Soul SCs story, just hit the pink button below.

Thanks for reading! I hope that you’re enjoying this corner of the internet where we celebrate fans and the organizations that celebrate them, too.

Wishing you a wonderful week!

CG