Additional information
by G. Hopkins (Author)
Star-Spangled Soccer traces the development of soccer in the USA. It is the first book that tells the story of how the sport rose to extreme highs and suffered almost catastrophic lows as it fought to position itself on the American sports landscape, beginning with the announcement from FIFA in 1988 that America would host the 1994 World Cup.
Author Biography
GARY HOPKINS has an MBA from Warwick Business School in the UK, a Sports Science degree from Loughborough University and is a qualified Teacher He is a passionate soccer fan supporting Coventry City, England the USA National Team (when they are not playing England) and D.C. United and has spent 20 years as a senior executive in the USA Soccer and Sports Marketing Industry. As President and CEO of API Soccer and API Sponsorship he oversaw the Commercial and Television rights for the United States Soccer Federation and the United States Youth Soccer Association raising millions of dollars in sponsorship revenue from corporate America, developing strategic Marketing plans to promote soccer at all levels and producing and airing over 70 USA National Team men's and women's game. API Soccer was also a founding investor in Major League Soccer and Managing Partner of DC United. Gary also co-authored a 1999 Major League Soccer market research report and in the early 90s Published Americas first full color monthly soccer magazine and owned the US Television rights to English League Soccer. As the Managing Director of Octagon's Sport Marketing Properties Division and Marketing Board Member he represented a multitude of other sports properties including 5 year highly successful partnership with the United States Track and Field Association where he negotiated the world largest apparel sponsorship for the sport
He owes everything he learned about marketing and 'selling' soccer in America from a 4 year career selling for the Xerox organization fresh out of college ! An invaluable training ground for the early battles and rejections thrown US Soccer's way. Gary brings a unique perspective on the commercial development of the sport in the USA reflected upon by someone who was there from the beginning, engaged at the sharp end, understands the forces and events that have shaped soccer in America and has access to the key people and personalities that made it happen.
