Year In Review: A Reflection From Co-Founder and GM Sam Zisette on Ballard FC’s First Year

On December 1st 2021, we announced Ballard FC to the world with high hopes and optimism for the community to embrace our semi-professional and community focused club. Our optimism was balanced with realistic expectations as, to our knowledge, there had never been a fan-attended soccer club based out of a neighborhood in Seattle. However, the response we received from the Ballard community and the soccer community at large on December 1st and beyond was nothing short of incredible. As the Co-Founder and General Manager of Ballard FC, I’d like to take some time to reflect with you on this past year and express my personal gratitude for joining us on this journey and supporting our club.

Around a year and half of work went into Ballard FC prior to launch but the idea had been around much longer. Lamar, Chris, and I worked hard to create a brand identity that would represent Ballard in the best way possible and be a club this community could take pride in. We then worked with our incredible logo designer, Jeff Forrest, to create a logo that would capture attention and hopefully stand the test of time. Looking back, I am so grateful to the family and friends who contributed feedback to help us figure out who we were going to be and how we would operate. The months leading up to the launch were some of the most unnerving, but what happened on December 1st 2021, I will never forget for the rest of my life.

I woke up on the morning of launch day and as I opened my computer around 7:00am I was in disbelief seeing over 30 season ticket deposits had already been purchased. The article in the Seattle Times by Jayda Evans, published just that morning, had caught wind and word was quickly spreading about Ballard FC. The rest of the day was a blur as season ticket deposits were nearing a sell out and the outpouring of excitement and support felt endless. For me personally, this was a moment of pure joy as well as a deep feeling of responsibility. What came next was our launch party on December 9th where over 450 people lined up to be part of the launch of Ballard FC and build this club together. That was a special night and we’ll be forever grateful for all of those that attended with such positive energy and all of the folks who helped put on the event.

Throughout the rest of the winter and spring, our goal was to engage the community and build up excitement for the inaugural season. We held tryouts and announced our roster (huge shoutout to our Head Coach, Jason Farrell, who coordinated an amazing roster!), held pop-up events in the community, released a fan vote for our away kit and supporter scarf, and much more. We got to meet so many of you and had amazing conversations about how Ballard FC can be a force of good in our community. We brought in local businesses as sponsors and partners who were so instrumental to our success, thank you all so much for helping make Ballard FC happen! There are so many amazing businesses we’ve been lucky enough to partner with and it is such a big part of what makes our community special. We also spent that time preparing for our season, facing lots of challenges and obstacles but ultimately we pulled it together and were ready for the start of preseason.

The first ever Ballard FC training session was on Monday May 2nd at 10:00am at Interbay Stadium. We only had around 15 of our players as many were still finishing up their college spring seasons but it was a day we were so excited for. To finally see our players don the Ballard FC crest was a special experience to be a part of. We had a great preseason campaign, playing three local opponents to the tune of 6-1, 6-1, and 3-0 and looking great in each match. The team was starting to gel and we looked more and more ready for the USL2 season opener on May 21st.

This is a moment where I want to specifically thank our players for their effort and commitment. Coming into a team in an inaugural season was a big leap of faith and all of our players took that leap and dove all the way into the deep end with us. They seriously gave their all, in a way that I haven’t seen players do in my time playing and being a part of clubs at this level. They truly cared about the club and community and were selfless in their commitment to Ballard FC. For that I will be forever grateful.

The staff and volunteers arrived at Interbay Stadium on Saturday May 21st around 11:00am to set up for our first ever home match. Nervousness, excitement, anticipation, and just about every other emotion filled the stadium until doors opened at 4:30pm where fans started to fill the stadium. The match went as well as possible on and off the field with a crowd of over 1,100 people safely and happily enjoying the match and the team cruising to a decisive 5-1 win. 

Now I want to take a moment to specifically thank our volunteers. We didn’t know much about operating a sporting event but what we did know is that it would take a lot of people. Over 80 of you volunteered for the club throughout the season and gave your time to help make this happen. I can seriously never thank our volunteers enough. From ticket scanning, photographing, merch selling, beer can cracking, and everything in between, our volunteers were absolute rockstars and I feel lucky to have been able to get to know them and work with them to pull off a Ballard FC gameday. Specifically, our lead volunteers Sam Parker and Casey Elkins who were unbelievable all season long in their commitment and passion for the club. Y’all are incredible.

As the season continued on and games came thick and fast, we learned more and more and had a blast along the way. Our staff worked tirelessly to make every home game as professional of an experience as possible and we pushed ourselves to exceed expectations at every turn. We only lost a couple of games (we’re coming for you Capital FC!) and we earned a playoff spot and the opportunity to host the USL2 Western Conference Quarterfinals and Semifinals at Interbay Stadium. 

The next specific thank you I want to give is to our staff. Our small and mighty staff were incredible. Full of positive energy, ingenuity, dedication, and creativity, our staff created an environment both digitally and physically where we presented as a professional club despite operating at a semi-professional level. They embraced this ethos and ran with it to create a club that constantly punched above its weight. Thank you all so much. 

Friday night July 22nd. Ballard FC vs Project 51O out of Oakland California at Interbay Stadium. What a night. A tense and high level game that ultimately ended in a 2-1 win courtesy of goals from Charlie Gaffney and Declan McGlynn and great performances from the entire team. Over 1,400 people packed Interbay Stadium, creating an environment I will truly never forget. Every seat was filled and the excitement was palpable. 

Fast forward to Sunday July 24th where we faced off with San Francisco Glens SC in a back and forth game that would eventually be all square at the end of 90 minutes and go to overtime. The moment Alex Mejia scored that scissor kick goal to put us into the lead with just minutes left was the single most incredible soccer moment in my entire life. I’ve been lucky enough to play in some great atmospheres but nothing has come close to this moment. Lamar, Chris, and I had gone up to the media booth at the top of Interbay Stadium to watch with our non-rostered players as the tension down on the field level was too much to bear. In our rush down the stairs to get to the field I jumped five steps, landing awkwardly and straining a muscle in the process, before getting out onto the side of the pitch to take in the energy of the stadium. This was the moment we created Ballard FC for, a moment that only sport can create. Pure elation, joy, and pride. Countless hours of work culminating in an inaugural season-overtime-scissor kick-playoff winning goal. Just incredible.

Taking the team to Des Moines, Iowa for the USL2 Conference Final was no easy feat to pull off on less than a week’s notice but we did it. Unfortunately we lost to the eventual league champions, Ventura County Fusion, but finishing in the top 8 of the 113 team league in our first season was something we take immense pride in. Our season officially ended that day on July 29th and I remember feeling like the whole season had just flown by. 

Since that day we took some time away to rest and reflect. We’ve had fun with our 3v3 World Cup Tournament and USMNT watch parties. It’s been great to get the community together again through soccer. We’re super excited about our new artist collaboration kit that we will be releasing very soon and we’re continuing to strategize on how we can deliver a top notch experience to fans, players, staff, volunteers, and the community at large for our second season. We launched the Ballard FC Foundation which is very exciting for us to be able to take the energy and excitement for Ballard FC and funnel it into our social impact initiatives that will maximize our positive impact across Seattle through free youth soccer camps and programs.

Thank you ALL. Your following of Ballard FC seriously means the world to us. The reality is, this club couldn’t just happen anywhere. Ballard is a special place and being able to provide a medium for the community to celebrate it is an honor. I’ve mentioned many impactful moments but one more moment I want to share is from our inaugural match, once the game was over. We decided early on that we wanted to set up autograph tables for our players to sign autographs after every home game. It’s an important way to bridge the gap between the players and fans that continues to grow across professional sports. I’ll never forget the looks on the faces of the kids as they got their autograph from Ballard FC players. That is what this is all about.

We’re looking forward to creating more moments like these for years and years to come. Keep following along and supporting us as we can’t do it without you. Thank you again so much and UP THE BRIDGES!

Your Co-Founder and General Manager,

Sam Zisette