First professional sports team to join BizTown serving thousands of San Diego Elementary students
SAN DIEGO (Sept. 29, 2022) – San Diego Loyal SC announced today it has partnered with Junior Achievement of San Diego County to open the first professional sports team experiential stadium simulation at the McGrath Family JA BizTown. The simulation will host interactions from thousands of San Diego County elementary school students inside the 10,000-square-foot mini-city. SD Loyal joins 20+ local businesses that work toward immersing students into real world applications of business, economics and innovation.
“We are so excited to partner with Junior Achievement of San Diego County to bring the first professional sports team into the McGrath Family JA BizTown,” said Shannon Mac Millan, San Diego Loyal SC Vice President of Community Relations. “By integrating real world work experience at a professional soccer club with our experiential activation and in the classroom, we hope to inspire the next generation of leaders in San Diego on and off the pitch.”
The SD Loyal simulation includes a ticket sales booth, front office desk and an in-venue virtual experience with stadium bleachers, crowd noise and Rocket League game play. SD Loyal front office staff will include a Team President/ CEO, Community Relations Manager, Partnerships Manager and a Director of Ticketing. Each role will have specific duties and a complete job description to enact within the McGrath Family JA BizTown.
“Thanks to JA San Diego’s partnership with San Diego Loyal, we’re proud to host our first-ever sports franchise into the McGrath Family JA BizTown,” said Sidd Vivek, Junior Achievement of San Diego County President & CEO. “This partnership will introduce youth to the business of sports including career pathways in the local industry. For more than 70 years, JA San Diego has empowered more than a million students countywide through a unique glimpse into their futures and the skills necessary to be successful. Through career pathways and real businesses in mini-city, JA San Diego is preparing tomorrow’s leaders today with tangible workforce development and financial literacy.”
ABOUT SAN DIEGO LOYAL SOCCER CLUB
Launched on June 19, 2019, San Diego Loyal SC is a professional soccer team that competes in The USL Championship, the fastest-growing professional soccer league in the world. The club is led by some of the best in sport. Chairman Andrew Vassiliadis is the youngest principal owner in The USL Championship and Landon Donovan, one of the most decorated soccer players in the U.S., leads the technical side as both EVP and Team Manager. Veteran soccer executive, Ricardo Campos, is serving as the club’s president. For more information, visit sdloyal.com.
ABOUT JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Junior Achievement of San Diego (JA) has been inspiring and equipping San Diego youth to own their economic success, plan for their futures, and make smart academic and economic choices since 1950. By deploying proven, experiential programs like BizTown program, JA also reaches more than 20,000 students annually through programs such as BizTown, Finance Park, and the JA Company program which help students build financial literacy, work-readiness, and entrepreneurship skills. Annually, more than 3,000 volunteers serve as role models and enable JA to deliver experiential programs to students in 36 county school districts.
