National Leagues Alliance, CCL, LIJSL announce 4-year strategic partnership

Charlottesville, VA and Ronkonkoma, NY – The National Leagues Alliance (NLA), Club Champions League (CCL), and Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) have announced a four-year strategic partnership agreement with adidas America, Soccer.com, and Kwik Goal.

“This is a momentous step in the history of the LIJSL. Partnering with NLA/CCL and renown soccer partners like adidas America, Soccer.com, and Kwik Goal will create huge benefits for our league and, most importantly, our member clubs and their youth players. We are very excited about how this opportunity pushes the growth of the sport further on Long Island and we can’t wait to get to work with all our new partners,” said Steve Padaetz, Managing Director, LIJSL.

In 2019, under the NLA initiative, the CCL (founded in 1997) and LIJSL (founded in 1966) began a strategic alliance where it would share best practices, look to create unique on-the-field opportunities for their top teams and clubs, and work collaboratively for the benefit of players/families, coaches, teams, and clubs.  Through this relationship, both the CCL and LIJSL became inaugural founding leagues of the US Youth League Championship™. Now the LIJSL and its members will now receive industry-leading benefits from top global partners.

“To see two large organizations like the Long Island Junior Soccer League and Club Champions League come together and recognize they are stronger together and can offer more value to their members is leadership at its best.  As a global brand, working with these top leagues, we are excited about the future on and off the field,” stated Joe Annese, National Sales Director, adidas America.

Each of the brands will also have a presence at the LIJSL Convention held each March, beginning with this years’ 38^th Annual League event on the weekend of March 14-15^th, 2020.

“Connecting with like-minded club and community leaders is important to our brand.  Through this amazing agreement, we will help clubs unlock a new set of benefits not seen in the youth soccer marketplace before.  Over the past four years we have seen what it has meant to the CCL, its members clubs, and its families, and we look forward to seeing it positively impact LIJSL members which will start at the Convention,” commented Jim Kupec, National Accounts Manager, Soccer.com.

CCL leadership is no stranger to Long Island as Steve Danbusky, CCL President, grew up in New Hyde Park, playing in the LIJSL.

He had this to say of the recently announced partnership: “Soccer is truly a small world and you never know how things are going to circle back.  Huge credit goes to Steve [Padaetz] and the LIJSL Board for recognizing the opportunities and benefits that exist within these agreements.  We are equally excited to see how these partnerships help continue to grow the game in Long Island as well as opens new doors of competition for both of our organizations.”

Kwik Goal will become the Exclusive Supplier and Official Partner of the Long Island Junior Soccer League.

“Kwik Goal recognizes the long-standing history of LIJSL and its commitment to youth soccer.  To see two great organizations, unite and come together, to offer one-of-a-kind benefits to its member clubs is inspiring,” said Tim Hall, Kwik Goal Director of Marketing.

“There is extreme value in bringing like-minded leaders and organizations together.  With CCL member clubs coming together under one agreement, we have seen exponential growth in value for all parties and their membership.  This partnership and collaboration bring youth soccer agreements to a whole new level.  We are proud to align and partner with such a historic organization as LIJSL,” said Brian Kuk, CCL Executive Director.

Additionally, NLA, CCL, and LIJSL announced it will hold an annual strategic partner meeting to discuss and launch new initiatives.

About Club Champions League, Inc.
The Club Champions League strives to activate and accelerate youth soccer development through its club-centric, technical director-driven model.  The Club Champions League provides superior competition, offers a player development pathway, and club model for ages eight to twenty-three, and consists of the top youth soccer clubs in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

About Long Island Junior Soccer League
Established in 1966, Ronkonkoma, NY based Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), has since grown into one of the largest youth soccer leagues in the U.S. with over 100 member clubs, 5,000+ volunteers, and more than 50,000 registered player-families

After more than 50 years, the mission of the league remains to foster the growth and development of youth through the sport of soccer, at all levels of competition. Hundreds of thousands of players have passed through the Long Island Junior Soccer League all the while Building Character Through Soccer.

About adidas America, Inc.
Headquartered, in Portland, OR, adidas America, Inc. is a leader in sports footwear, apparel and equipment. The company makes athletic clothing and gear such as shoes, clothing, skis, snowboards and in-line skates. adidas America, Inc. division is primarily a sales and marketing group.

About Soccer.com
Soccer.com has become the largest soccer specialty retailer in the world, but it is still a family owned business and Mike and Brendan Moylan are still very involved.  In 1984, the company had three full-time employees.  Today, there are hundreds of employees picking, packing, silk-screening, embroidering and applying transfers 7 days a week and during peak periods, 24 hours a day.  Soccer.com has partnered with the FIFA 2014 World Cup, UEFA Champions League, the 2012 UEFA European Championships, Major League Soccer, Chelsea FC, Arsenal FC, AC Milan, Manchester United FC, FC Barcelona, Juventus, Santos, FC Bayern Munich, the Mexican Football Federation, and more.

About Kwik Goal
Kwik Goal was founded on the revolutionary concept of providing transportable goals that the everyday coach could easily set up and take down. Since then, and over the last thirty seven years, Kwik Goal has become the leading supplier of high quality soccer goals, field equipment and seating to the domestic and international market.

From backyard training to the world’s greatest pitches, and from warm-up to cool down, Kwik Goal offers a versatile line of products essential for every level of play. As an Official Partner to the United Soccer Coaches and a Technical Partner to US Soccer, Kwik Goal knows what equipment you need to take your training to the next level.