Soccer Challenge Guidelines -- Publicity

Get the Word Out

One of the best ways to make sure your council’s soccer program is a success is to publicize it.  The program must always be referred to as the “Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge.”

After reserving a soccer field and setting a date for the competition, use the sample press release to announce the event. 

Your press release should be double spaced, on council letterhead, filling in the necessary information giving who, what, when and where of your council’s scheduled Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge. Make sure to include the name and phone number of a contact person. 

Ask editors to publish a reminder close to the date of the championship and to list it in the community or weekend calendars. Talk with assignment editors and suggest the competition as a great opportunity for a feature story. Make arrangements for a story about your winners. Personally deliver or send in their names, ages and stories, along with clip art logos, to the editors of both local  news and sports sections of secular and diocesan newspapers. Send press releases to radio and TV stations and local access cable news programs. 

Contact local high schools and college athletic departments about the possibility of holding your Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge prior to a game and then presenting awards to champions during halftime. If there is a professional or semiprofessional franchise in your area, contact its public relations office to see if arrangements can be made to honor winners of your competition during halftime. Also, approach teams about the possibility of getting players to present awards to  your champions. Local sports teams, including sports other than soccer, may also be willing to donate uniforms, autographed memorabilia and other similar items as awards or prizes for your champions.

SAMPLE PRESS RELEASE

Contest Announcement 

Local K of C Council to Sponsor Youth Soccer Challenge Competition

All boys and girls ages 10-14 are invited to participate in the local level of competition for the (year) Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge. The local competition will be held (competition date) at (time) at (location). In the event of inclement weather a rain date is set for (competition date) at (time) at (location ). 

The Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge is sponsored annually, with winners progressing through local, district, and state competitions. International champions are announced by the K of C international headquarters based in New Haven, CT on scores from the state-level competitions.  All boys and girls 10 to 14-years-old are eligible to participate and will compete in their respective age divisions. All contestants on the local level are recognized for their participation in the event.  Participants are required to furnish proof of age and written parental consent. For entry forms or additional information contact: (name and telephone number of contact person ).

With more than 1.7 million members, the Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic lay organization. It provides members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church, the community, families, and young people. In (year), the Knights of Columbus at all levels of the organization raised and distributed $(number) million to charity and rendered (number ) million hours of volunteer service.

SAMPLE ANNOUNCEMENT

Competition Champions Announcement 
Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge 

(Number of winners) boys and girls from (town or towns), ages 10-14, were named local champions of the (year) Knights of Columbus Soccer Challenge and have earned the right to compete at the district level. (Council name and number) in (location) sponsored the local competition at (competition location ). All youngsters ages 10-14 were eligible to participate.

(Name) was the10-year-old girls’ champion and (name) was the winner of the 10-year old boys’ division. In the 11-year-olds’ bracket, (name) was the girls’ champion and (name) was the boys’ champion. Twelve-year-old winners in the girls’ and boys’ divisions were (name) and (name). The 13 -year-old girls’ division was won by (name) and the boys’ (name). Fourteen-year-old champions were (name) in the girls’ bracket and (name) in the boys’. Each of these winners will compete in the district competitions to be held on (date) at (location ) with an eye toward moving on to the state and  international levels.