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Florence mayor hosts football club to promote season, youth programs and facility plans
Summary
Mayor Keith Eaton welcomed Florence Football Club representatives to his podcast to promote the team's April season start, low-cost tickets, youth programming and a proposed weather-controlled multiuse athletic facility; the club also announced a sponsorship package and encouraged local attendance.
Mayor Keith Eaton welcomed representatives of the Florence Football Club to his podcast on Thursday, praising the team’s role in downtown activity and thanking the club for sponsoring the town’s recent State of the Town event. “Mayor Keith Eaton here, and we're here it's a very exciting day today,” Eaton said in opening remarks.
Dimitri, speaking for the club, said both he and his partner have long-standing ties to Florence tied to Saint Anthony's monastery and that their families recently decided to move to the town. “We, both Stamati's family and my family have been visiting Florence for well over 20 years,” Dimitri said, explaining the move and the personal investment behind the team.
The team’s coach, Brad, confirmed that the club has completed tryouts and has been practicing since the New Year. “We have a team,” Brad said, adding the club has made a second wave of signings for the current season and expects local players to make up much of the roster.
Why it matters: The club plans to stage about five home games beginning in April at Florence High School, with at least four slated to be in Florence. Dimitri said last season’s $5 entry fee and family discounts helped make matches affordable and turn game nights into downtown events that support local businesses.
Dimitri described five success factors the club plans to use — including affordable tickets, a walkable home stadium, event programming and alignment with town economic goals — and said the team aims to make "Florence FC" synonymous with community pride. He also described a proposal to build a weather-controlled, multiuse athletic facility to support the club’s academy and to provide shared space for town events.
On youth engagement, Brad emphasized sports as a civic benefit. “The youth is the lifeblood of any town,” Brad said, arguing that youth programming can boost fitness, confidence and community participation. Club leaders said academy programs and indoor training would be prioritized to protect younger players from Arizona heat.
Dimitri noted the club’s UPSL affiliation — the United Premier Soccer League — and described the league as a large pro development network with about 400 teams; he said successful player development can also yield financial compensation to clubs that help advance elite players. The club is preparing a tiered sponsorship package, Dimitri said, naming Florence Copper as a major sponsor and saying smaller, community-level sponsor tiers will be available.
Mayor Eaton said the town would help promote the schedule and sponsorship outreach on municipal social channels. The coach closed by asking residents to attend and support the team’s home matches.
The club plans to begin its season in April; the coaching staff and club representatives said a sponsorship package would be announced within about a week and that details on game dates and ticketing will be posted on the club’s website.
