154. The Town FC Co-Founder Min Park

Urban Pitch Podcast - The Beautiful Game of Life

Starting a new pro sports team is never easy, no matter the level. But minor league clubs can be especially tough, as margins become smaller. The Town FC, which recently announced it would become the San Jose Earthquakes' MLS Next Pro affiliate, is all too aware of these challenges.

Teaming up with the Earthquakes gives The Town FC some stability in its early days, and it also allows the Earthquakes to have a fully-focused operation for its second team, rather than having to split the work with the first team. The Bay Area has also seen a fair share of its sports teams depart, so early stability is especially important for fans looking for new teams to support.

The Town FC co-founder Min Park joins the latest episode of the Urban Pitch Podcast to discuss how the team is looking to establish itself in the Bay's sports landscape, creating a culture and identity, and becoming as sustainable as possible, so that the club will be here 30-plus years from now.

Timestamps

(01:30) Min's journey to becoming successful and what it was like for him growing up in the Bay Area (05:11) The decision to partner with the Earthquakes and building the Town FC's identity and brand (16:48) The Bay Area sports landscape and how it's evolved over the years
(23:45) Challenges of owning a soccer team
(27:58) Visions of the future for The Town FC and trying to make the team as sustainable as possible (37:28) Co-existing alongside the Oakland Roots
(44:00) The Bay-LA rivalry

Cast

Hosts: Ramsey Abushahla, Julio Monterroza, & Brigitte Flores

Producer: Roy Cho

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