Montage Health is the official equipment partner of the Monterey Bay Football Club – Monterey Herald

MONTEREY – Citing “tremendous soccer DNA in the city of Salinas” as one of the reasons it brings professional soccer to the area, Monterey Bay Football Club owner and chairman Ray Beshoff, along with Montage Health President and CEO Steven Packer announced a multi-year partnership Thursday.

“Football is an all-encompassing sport, it brings different nationalities together,” said Beshoff at the joint press conference on Thursday in the Montage Health Center in Marina.

Montage Health has been featured as the Official Equipment Partner of Monterey Bay Football Club as both organizations are partners in improving the health and wellbeing of the Monterey area.

The partnership will highlight Montage Health on the front of Monterey Bay Football Club’s shirts.

Beshoff said that in addition to the contribution of the city of Salinas to sport by promoting amateur football, there are two other important reasons to bring professional football to the region: the number of young people who play football in the region and the CSU-Monterey- Bay Stadium, which his organization will help with the renovation that will bridge the gap between the communities of Monterey and Salinas.

“I think bringing a professional team here to help these children improve is a great endorsement of their achievement,” said Beshoff. “Hundreds, maybe thousands, of boys and girls play football here every weekend. The soccer fields are full of young children who love this sport, it is a global sport, it is the number 1 sport in the world. ”

Shirt sponsors have long been an important part of football and its culture and are considered one of the most important partnerships for a football team.

“Of course you cannot be successful in this project without sponsors,” said Beshoff. “When we were looking for sponsors who felt the same as us about what we wanted to achieve, Montage was an incredible introduction for us. From day 1 when we met these guys, Dr. Packard and his team, we just knew this was the relationship we wanted. ”

Packer said the ability to work with the football club was a natural addition since Montage is about health and wellness.

“We’re really excited. This is a first for us, ”said Packer. “For us it is unique that we as an organization have never worked with a professional sports team.”

As part of the partnership, the football club and health organization will work together to increase the importance of health and wellbeing in the area, including patient visits from players, fundraising for health purposes or programs, and support in promoting health awareness campaigns.

Many of the programs will use soccer as a tool to reach audiences, including the Monterey Bay Football Club games. Montage Health facilities are used for the fitness and physical therapy needs of Monterey Bay Football Club players.

“We want to be just as successful off the pitch as we are on the pitch,” said Beshoff. “It is important that we give something back to the community. It is important that we get involved. Our players need to get involved in nursing, visiting hospitals, being in the community, and being great role models. ”

Thursday’s announcement is an important step for the United Soccer League Championship club, which will host its inaugural 2022 season on the CSU campus in Monterey Bay.

The development and design of the kit will begin immediately and will include input from the community. The club has launched an online poll so fans can share ideas for a jersey design alongside other merchandise. Selected fans who take part in the survey will be among the first to receive the official team jersey.

The club is currently developing its crest and colors, which will be unveiled in the Monterey Bay community this summer.

Puma was named the Official Sportswear Partner of Monterey Bay Football Club earlier this year and will provide the official equipment and training equipment for the club, its players, coaches and training staff. The first kit for Monterey Bay Football Club is slated for release in the fall.

In February, the United Soccer League announced that Monterey Bay Football Club had joined the league for the 2022 season. With the club’s plan to play at CSUMB, it will invest millions in upgrading the university’s existing facilities, including renovating the stadium to increase its capacity to 6,000.

The Monterey Bay Football Club is run by Beshoff and its football operations by two-time Major League Soccer Coach of the Year Frank Yallop, who will act as the club’s sports director and head coach alongside assistant coach Ramiro Corrales.

Montage Health is the non-profit parent company of health organizations including the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, the Montage Medical Group, MoGo Urgent Care, Aspire Health, the Montage Health Foundation, and the Montage Wellness Center.