Tuesday, January 29, 2008

LAS VEGAS KNIGHTS: Playing in the pros

Soccer team celebrates two years of success
By JAN HOGAN VIEW STAFF WRITER
Break out the bubbly. Light up the candles on the cake. One of Las Vegas' newest sports teams, the Knights, will soon be celebrating its second anniversary.
The team is part of the Premiere Arena Soccer League and competes regionally. Head coach Travis Norberg said although it's a new team, its members are not lacking in ability.
"We have a lot of talent and a lot of speed," he said.
That talent and speed came into play just last year, when the Knights rose through the ranks against established teams out of Phoenix and San Diego. The Knights qualified for the 2007 nationals, taking fourth place. About 15 teams were at the national competition, which was held in Tijuana, Mexico.
The Knights team was formed in the spring of 2006. It has 20 players, ages 19-30. The team is based out of the Las Vegas Sportspark, 1400 N. Rampart Blvd.
They practice Mondays and Wednesdays at the Sportspark, taking the field about 10 p.m. until nearly midnight. The late hours are to accommodate recreational soccer leagues. The late practice can make for a long day for Knights team members, many of whom have day jobs in the hotel-casino industry.
"Obviously, we'd like a better time slot, but we appreciate the opportunity to use the facility for free," Norberg said.
The Knights play home games on Saturday evenings at earlier hours, usually 6:45 p.m.
Phil Webb, 34, is one of the team members. The former U.S. Marine has played the sport since age 7 and now spends his spare time as a youth coach. When he first learned Las Vegas would have a semi-pro team, he saw it as a great step for the sport and the city.
"Actually, my first thought was, 'It's about time,' " Webb said.
Word of mouth is helping to increase the team's fan base. Some games see about 400 attendees. One drew as many as 1,200. Still, they'd like to see more bodies in the stands, members said. Games are held indoors, so inclement weather and the summer heat are not factors.
"People are distracted in this city," Norberg said. "That's probably why professional sports traditionally don't make it here. But the potential (for garnering large support) is there."
One way the team is trying to drum up interest is by offering free admission to home games, an effort that will continue indefinitely as a fan base is built.
Norberg said the plan was to make the Knights a professional team in a few years.
Norberg, 34, played professionally for seven years for the Continental Indoor Soccer League and the National Professional Soccer League, both now defunct. A few of the team members also played professionally before joining the Knights.
"They bring experience, they show the others how to act on the field mentally, as well as physically," Norberg said. "In professional sports, you have to have the talent, but a lot of it is also mental."
For more information, visit www.lasvegasindoorsoccer.com
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