Atlético Ottawa will be battling for the North Star Cup this weekend, even as the team strategizes about how to compete in an increasingly crowded sports market in Ottawa.
The team is expecting more than 10,000 people to attend the final against Calgary’s Cavalry FC at TD Place this Sunday.
Ron Palaczka, the team’s chief strategy officer and founder of Ottawa-based LRO Staffing, told OBJ on Thursday that the game itself and the events leading up to kickoff will have a positive effect on the city.
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“(From) hotels to restaurants, Bank Street will be alive. Lansdowne will be alive … We want to lift the cup in our hometown.”
At the same time, the increase in the number of sports teams in Ottawa is both a blessing and a challenge, he said.
“When I was 15 or 16 years old, there really weren’t a lot of options for me to go watch professional sports (in Ottawa),” Palaczka said.
But while a competitive sports market might be good for fans, Manolo Vega, Atlético Ottawa’s CEO, said teams have to work harder to keep the attention of fans.
“It’s challenging for us because you are competing in the market. We need to work cleverly on our strategies,” he said.
Vega’s comments echo those of Ottawa Titans general manager Martin Boyce, who told OBJ earlier this year that, “There aren’t many cities that have (eight) professional sports teams and then a variety of amateur teams … I don’t think that all the different teams would see each other as competition. There’s room for everyone. The more each team succeeds, the better the industry does as a whole.”
Boyce said his franchise is looking to create more partnerships in Ottawa’s business community. “Ottawa has a great business community and there’s a lot of potential there. There’s still lots we can do to be able to keep growing those partnerships.”
According to the two Atlético Ottawa executives, hosting a major event like the Canadian Premier League final on Sunday helps to promote the team’s brand and strengthen partnerships with local businesses, which include Happy Goat Coffee Company, Glebe Central Pub and St. Laurent Shopping Centre, as well as LRO Staffing.
It also helps that this season has been one of the team’s best since its inception in 2020. Since April of this year, Atlético has won 22 of its 34 games, becoming the first team in CPL history to remain undefeated at home during the regular season.
The team has also seen a 20 per cent increase in ticket sales this season compared to the 2022 season, when Atlético lost in the final against Forge FC.
Palaczka added that, since Vega’s appointment as CEO last November, the team has been “a well-oiled machine,” in part due to recruiting local people.
“(Vega) is not from Ottawa and what he did very quickly was identify some local executives and local players … and surround himself with that talent … We’re thankful he assembled (talent) on the sporting side because if they weren’t performing, we wouldn’t be in this situation today.”
Regardless of the result on Sunday, Vega said Atlético Ottawa is already making plans for growth within the community, with a focus on getting youth players and businesses to identify with the team.
“Atlético Ottawa represents Atlético de Madrid in the North American market but the team belongs to Ottawa. We need to make people identify with this club,” Vega said. “We are building a plan to engage with the academies … to give to the local soccer community a pathway for these kids.”
It’s an approach that is also being embraced by Ottawa BlackJacks president Jason Winters, who told OBJ earlier this year that, “The city recently put basketballs and soccer balls for rent at local parks. It’s things like that that will grow our sport. We also plan to be out in the community more. We plan on getting out to local tournaments. We plan on hosting our own tournament. We’re also working on our dance team and bringing more experiences to the arena at TD Place.”
Palaczka points to the fact that more than 10,000 people are planning to attend the Atlético final on Sunday, the same day as an Ottawa Senators game, as proof the team has made traction in the marketplace.
And, with the FIFA World Cup hosting games in Canada next year, Vega said Atlético Ottawa is hoping to benefit from a renewed interest in Canadian soccer.
