News

RICHMOND, Va. – (Tuesday, July 2, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers are saddened to pass along the news that Vice President of Community Engagement and Gameday Experience, Charlie Slagle has passed away at the age of 67. The club extends their heartfelt thoughts to the family and friends of Charlie. 

“We are saddened by coach Slagle’s sudden passing,” said Rob Ukrop, Richmond Kickers Pro Chairman. “He was a terrific man who loved his children, Barry and Amelia, his Grandaughter Clara, and the soccer community at large. He made an immediate impact on the RVA community by sharing his time and talent running coaching clinics and camps. Most importantly, he was an incredible friend to our staff and a joyful and authentic leader.  We will miss Coach and strive to continue his powerful legacy of serving others.”

Since joining the Kickers in January, Slagle has made an immediate impact on the Richmond soccer community. He hosted many soccer clinics all throughout the Richmond metro area, including YMCAs  and schools. Slagle also hosted U.S. Soccer Grassroots and D License courses, including this past Saturday at City Stadium. He had volunteered in several local schools and coordinated our game day volunteers, ball kids, starting lineup buddies and national anthem singers. One of many local groups Slagle championed was First Touch Sports, plus was a ringleader to ignite the upcoming September 14th First Responders Community Cup. Slagle threw the first pitch at last Friday’s Flying Squirrels’ baseball game. Slagle also made several radio and TV appearances while with the Kickers, including on WTVR CBS 6.

“We are stunned for the loss of a tremendous friend and person,” added Richmond Kickers Pro President and General Manager, Matt Spear. “Charlie was a force of nature who lived our “Joyful, Authentic, United” mission to the fullest. What was so powerful about Charlie is that he never met a stranger – he loved people and his energy was infectious. He made a massive community impact the past six months here in Richmond. Charlie deeply believed and activated that soccer was an inspiration and unifier. Charlie was a pivotal reason that I chose to attend Davidson, that I served our alma mater, and that I focus on servant leadership.”

Slagle served as the Tampa Bay United Soccer Club CEO starting in March 2016. He was previously the Executive Director of the Colorado Rapids Youth Soccer Club in Denver, Co. Prior to that, Slagle was the CEO of the Capital Area Soccer League (CASL) in Raleigh, N.C. for more than 12 years. 

A former Head Coach of the Davidson Wildcats for 21 years, Slagle coached the team from 1980-2000, with players who are the principals in our 22 Holdings ownership group and Team President Matt Spear. He led the team to a Final Four finish in 1992, and was named the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year that same year. He was also named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year seven times and the United Soccer Coaches Regional Coach of the Year on two occasions. In his roles at Davidson and CASL, he hosted 14 NCAA Division I College Cups and hosted the last training camp for the for the US Men’s National Team prior to the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups.

Slagle is a member of the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame and the Davidson College Athletics Hall of Fame. He has served as the President of the United Soccer Coaches from January 2017 through January 2018. The United Soccer Coaches is the largest coaching association in the world with over 30,000 members. 

The club will share more information about a memorial service when those details are available.

RICHMOND, Va. – (Monday, July 1, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce Camp Peery as Vice President of Sales. In his new position, Peery will further accelerate ticketing services, game day promotions, fan experiences, community partnerships, and corporate relationships. 

“I am beyond excited to join Kickers Pro Soccer and help impact the growth of the organization across multiple levels,” said Peery. “Rob [Ukrop], Matt [Spear], and the entire team here are amazing folks and their vision of harnessing soccer as a vibrant unifier within the Richmond community is something that deeply resonates with me as a Richmond native. I can’t wait to share the tremendous opportunities the Kickers offer and help pack City Stadium for every game-day festival!”

Beginning with the Richmond Flying Squirrels in 2012, Camp progressed to become Executive Director of Group Sales, leading the Group Sales Department to an all-time sales record for the 2018 season, featuring an increase in group ticket and hospitality sales over the 2017 season. He guided the department to record sales for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Peery hired and trained all Group Sales Executives and full-time Group Interns. He developed and implemented new online sales tools, marketing, and ticket promotions, plus his group implemented  a new CRM platform across Ticketing, Group Sales, and Corporate Sales Departments. Peery was the top grossing Group Sales Executive for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. 

“Camp is a step forward for our organization’s advancement,” commented Matt Spear, President and General Manager. “He has tremendous experience and success in ticket sales and hospitality rooted in his deep passion to provide exciting and unique experiences for thousands of people in RVA. He aims to provide life-long memories for all types of our diverse fan base. Camp will help lead our ambition to re-imagine City Stadium for soccer and many other events we host. He is a collaborator, a striver, and a coach for smart, eager staff mates. Camp focuses on excellence and process that earn confidence, trust and results. He brings many “best practices” from his achievements working for the Squirrels. We are indebted to Parney, Ben Rothrock, Ben Terry and the Squirrels organization for Camp’s growth and their incredible example for community interaction and game day experiences.”

Peery grew up in Richmond and attended the Collegiate School before graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in Economics and History.

“It has been a great pleasure to watch Camp Peery grow with the Flying Squirrels, from a game day intern all the way to a senior leadership position,” added Todd “Parney” Parnell, VP & COO of Flying Squirrels. “We love Camp and he will forever be part of the Squirrels family and we know full well that he will make a very positive impact on the Kickers organization, and therefore, continue to make his mark on the RVA sports scene. Since day one, the Flying Squirrels have believed that ‘a rising tide raises all ships’ and has welcomed working together with other sports entities. We are thrilled with the growth of our relationship with the Kickers and look forward to continued growth in our sports market.”

RICHMOND, Va. – (Tuesday, June 25, 2019) – USL League One announced on Tuesday that defender Eli Lockaby has been named to the Team of the Week for Week 13 of the 2019 season.

Lockaby picks up Team of the Week honors for the first time in his rookie season. The product of VCU, Lockaby made three tackles and recorded two interceptions in last Saturday’s match on the road at South Georgia Tormenta FC. The defender also had a passing accuracy of 86.1 percent from 36 passes, including one that nearly set up a goal scoring opportunity in the first half. 

The Kickers are on the road for the second straight week this Saturday night, as the team takes their first trip to David Stanton Field to take on Chattanooga Red Wolves SC. That match is set for a 7:00 p.m. kickoff and will be available live on WTVR CBS 6.3 (Comcast 206, Verizon FiOS 466) and streaming online on ESPN+. Stay up to date with the Kickers at www.richmondkickers.com. 

USL League One Team of the Week – Week 13

GK – Stefan Cleveland, Lansing Ignite FC: Cleveland recorded five saves over a pair of shutouts as Landing took victories against both Toronto FC II and Orlando City B.

D – Kevin Coiffic, Lansing Ignite FC: Coiffic had a pair of strong performances in Lansing’s two shutouts victories, recording 13 recoveries and six interceptions, and found the net on Saturday against Orlando City B. 

D – Josh Phelps, South Georgia Tormenta FC: Phelps made nine recoveries and two interceptions while completing 36 of 40 passes as Tormenta FC held the Kickers without a shot on goal in a 1-0 victory on Saturday night.

D – Eli Lockaby, Richmond Kickers: Lockaby recorded seven recoveries, completed 32 of 38 passes and won 4 of 7 duels in a solid display in Richmond’s back line on the road against Tormenta FC.

M – Don Smart, Forward Madison FC: Smart scored a pair of goals and added an assist among three key passes as Madison recorded a 4-1 victory against North Texas SC on Saturday night.

M – Marco Micaletto, South Georgia Tormenta FC: Micaletto scored from the penalty spot and completed 15 of 20 passes to lift South Georgia to victory against the Richmond Kickers and into first place in the standings.

M – Ivo Cerda, Lansing Ignite FC: Cerda was a model of efficiency throughout Lansing’s two victories on the week, completing 95 of 108 passes while winning 20 of 32 duels and recording 15 recoveries and seven interceptions for Ignite FC.

M – Amirgy Pineda, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC: Pineda put in a strong midfield display as he completed 37 of 41 passes, recorded three key passes and notched one assist in the Red Wolves’ victory against Greenville.

F – Jake Keegan, Greenville Triumph SC: Keegan scored both goals as Triumph SC battled back on the road in Chattanooga while also recording two key passes and five recoveries.

F – Steven Beattie, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC: Beattie scored the first hat trick in Red Wolves history to lift his side to a 3-2 win against Greenville Triumph SC while also completing 22 of 25 passes and making six recoveries.

F – Josiel Núñez, Forward Madison FC: Núñez had one goal and three key passes, while completing 22 of 24 passes overall in a stellar all-around display for the Flamingos in their victory against North Texas SC.
 

RICHMOND, Va. – (Friday, June 21, 2019) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the extension of their partnership with Bon Secours for the remainder of the 2019 season and through the 2020 season as a Founding Partner for both the Pro Team and the Youth Club. As the Official Healthcare Services Provider of the Richmond Kickers, Bon Secours brings a full spectrum of high-quality sports medicine care and services to both the Kickers professional team and youth players, including concussion awareness and management, orthopedic care, sports performance services, physical therapy, safety education and injury prevention practices.

“Well being is a core principle for our organization so partnering with Bon Secours is perfect because they are wonderful leaders for wellness in our community.” Matt Spear, President and General Manager for Richmond Kickers Pro Soccer. “We encourage and support a joyful mindset and a healthy lifestyle so that we will be stronger together.”

As a part of the partnership, Bon Secours’ fleur-de-lis logo will remain on the Richmond Kickers Pro Team and the Youth Club Travel jerseys. The Bon Secours logo will also continue to be featured among other spaces on www.richmondkickers.com, Kickers social media, as well as on signage in and around City Stadium.

“We are pleased to extend our partnership with the Richmond Kickers through the 2020 season,” said Drew Walker, administrative director of orthopedics and sports medicine for Bon Secours – Richmond. “For the past five years, we have worked together to strengthen the health of our community by helping Richmond’s youth stay active, and we’re excited to keep that momentum going into another great year.”

The Kickers and Bon Secours began working together prior to the start of the 2015 season. Committed to keeping athletes and the community safe and healthy, both on and off the field, Bon Secours’ top-notch medical and training professionals will continue to provide support and expertise for all sports-related injuries. Currently, Bon Secours sports medicine primary care physicians Jeff Roberts, M.D., and Timothy Yu, M.D., serve as the professional team doctors. In addition, Dr. Roberts and Dr. Yu also provide care to the Youth Club athletes and their families.

About the Richmond Kickers                        
Established in 1993, Richmond Kickers Pro Soccer is the longest, continuously-running professional soccer club in the country. Richmond Kickers Pro Soccer aims to strengthen community connections by curating a joyful, authentic soccer experience. The Kickers have qualified for postseason play 22 times. The Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club services over 8,000 players with programs starting at Little Kicks, to Recreational, to Travel teams. For more information, visit www.richmondkickers.com. 
                        
About Bon Secours Richmond
Bon Secours Richmond is a Catholic health ministry that partners with the community to create a more humane world, build health and social justice and serve those who are vulnerable. The ministry provides compassionate medical care through a network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, ambulatory care sites and continuing care facilities across Richmond. Bon Secours Richmond provides nearly $130 million in community care through Medicare, Medicaid, charity care and other community benefits. As one of Richmond’s largest employers, the nonprofit health system employs more than 9,000 people, including nearly 420 providers as part of the Bon Secours Medical Group. Bon Secours Richmond includes St. Mary’s Hospital, Memorial Regional Medical Center, Richmond Community Hospital, St. Francis Medical Center, Rappahannock General Hospital, Westchester Emergency Center and Short Pump Emergency Center and Medical Plaza. For more information visit BonSecours.com. Bon Secours Richmond is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health one of the top 20 health systems in the United States and part of the top performing quartile of Catholic health systems for lowest cost per case for patient care. Bon Secours Mercy Health provided care for patients more than 10.3 million times in 2017 through its network of more than 1,000 care sites, including more than 40 hospitals and more than 50 home health agencies, hospice agencies, and skilled nursing and assisted living facilities.