Submitted by the Oly Town Artesians
Semi-professional indoor soccer will return to the Olympia area for the 2014-2015 season when the Oly Town Artesians take the field at Olympia Indoor Soccer as a founding member of the Western Indoor Soccer League. The inaugural season for the Artesians and the WISL will kick off in November.
Tim Smith, owner and operator of Olympia Indoor Soccer in Tumwater, and OlySports.com and Oly Town FC founder Brandon Sparks have teamed up and purchased a team in the locally operated WISL. Sparks has been named General Manager and will lead the operations side of the Artesians.
“Thanks to Tim Smith and Olympia Indoor Soccer, I’m excited to bring fast-paced, up-tempo soccer action and fun, affordable family entertainment back to town,” said Sparks, who volunteered as the communications and marketing manager for the Tumwater Pioneers indoor soccer team during their lone season in 2012-2013.
“I saw the great fans and great crowds for the Pios and when unforeseen circumstances meant that they couldn’t return, I made it a goal to bring indoor soccer back,” continued Sparks. “We will build on that and put on a great show and play a really exciting brand of soccer. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Oly Town FC is proud to debut the Artesians nickname and primary crest. The nickname comes from the naturally occurring springs that made Olympia world famous and still flow freely today. Artesians has long been chosen as the most popular nickname for a local sports team in numerous polls in the past.
The crest, designed in-house by Brandon Sparks, plays off of the Artesians name and is made up of multiple elements that all pay tribute to an important part of the local community. The shield is similar to a guitar pick and pays tribute to the musical culture of the area. The pattern in the shield is the same pattern that can be found on the rotunda ceiling in the Legislative Building at the Washington State Capitol. And the horseshoe is an iconic symbol of Olympia and Tumwater locally, nationally and internationally.
“I’m very proud of our crest,” said Sparks. “I think fans and supporters will rally around it and will be proud to represent the Artesians around town and on the road.”
The search for the team’s first head coach is underway. Prospective coaches should contact Brandon Sparks at OlyTownArtesians@gmail.com. Once a coach is named, player tryout information will be posted. The team will be comprised of local soccer players that have finished their college careers and are still looking to play at a high level or will come from the many college soccer teams in the area.
The Western Indoor Soccer League is a locally run indoor soccer league currently comprised of five confirmed teams. Including the Artesians, the founding members of the WISL (pronounced “whistle) are the Arlington Aviators, Tacoma Stars, Wenatchee Fire and WSA (Bellingham) Rapids.
“The WISL is excited to have a club in the Olympia area. We know that indoor soccer is popular in the capital and that there are players ready to compete,” said league co-founder John Crouch. “Oly Town has been a cool idea in the making for a while now and we feel privileged to be the league where they make their first kick.”
The Artesians also launched their website and Facebook page and you can connect with the team on Twitter @OlyTownFC.
Season ticket information, sponsorship opportunities, merchandise, the inaugural season schedule and much more will be available soon.
