Sharks to join NISL in 2009 season
October 28, 2008 - Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)
Orlando Sharks News Release
The Orlando Sharks of the new National Indoor Soccer League announced last week that they will field a team in the second year of the league, likely October of 2009. The announcement was made jointly by Sharks Owner Sham Maharaj and President Rich Bradley.
"When we dissolved the Major Indoor Soccer League (the Shark's prior league), we expected all but one of the nine teams to reform quickly under some modified by-laws," explained Bradley. "When that didn't happen, and as the summer dragged along with minimal progress, we found ourselves facing increasing disadvantages for the NISL's first season. Our whole staff worked diligently to overcome those issues, but we ultimately decided it would be impossible from a timing perspective to continue to rollout a first class experience in the arena for our fans and to resolve all the unresolved fallout from the retirement of the MISL in time for us to compete in this first NISL season."
"We created the Orlando Sharks to make a positive impact in our Central Florida community on a year round basis, and that commitment hasn't changed at all," continued Maharaj. "We've not reduced our front office staff, and we will continue all our current and on-going community appearances, varied school programs and camps and clinics. It's just that we need the benefit of another year to get things right to return to the arena floor in the right league structure, and that part was hard to pull off in roughly two months time. Although our staff did everything they could to try for this season, we all reluctantly, but prudently, felt it was best to withhold this piece of the operation until next October." The Sharks currently run a variety of school programs in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties. Each program has a different focus, but all lead toward motivating area students to expand their learning from reading, writing and math skills, to healthy eating habits to the truth and myths of actual sharks.
"Our school programs have always been important to us, and we will have a bit more time to put together even more programs for the 2009-2010 academic year," added Bradley, a former university instructor and a member of several Seminole School Advisory Committees.
The Sharks will also continue to run camps and clinics over the Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break periods, taught by Sharks players. Information on places, time and registration will be posted on the Sharks' website prior to the end of October.
A Packed Cheyenne Saloon Supports Dance Team Finals
Local Celebrities, Radio and Television Personalities Attend Sharks Event
Friday October 3rd marked the first annual public dance team finals for the Orlando Sharks. Located right in the heart of downtown Orlando, the Cheyenne Saloon proved to be the perfect venue for a historic evening, complete with guest entertainers, local celebrities, as well as radio and television personalities.
A total of nineteen finalists competed against each other in front of a panel of celebrity judges, hoping for a chance to be named to the dance squad of the only professional indoor soccer team in the state.
After an opening number performed by the finalists, Bri Evans from Evolution Entertainment showed off her vocals as her backup dancers wowed the crowd. The studio dancers from Titusville Ballet and Dance Center's Keegan Dance Company also performed a routine prior to the competition.
Fans, family and special guests had a great time as they watched the young women perform routines choreographed by Sharks dance team coordinator Danielle Barnhart.
When the night had concluded and the ballots were tallied, fourteen girls were chosen to represent the Sharks in the community.
The Sharks would like to take this opportunity to thank the Cheyenne Saloon as well as all those who came out to show their support!
Major Indoor Soccer League Stories from October 28, 2008
- Sharks to join NISL in 2009 season - Orlando Sharks
- KiXX open training camp Wednesday, October 29 - Philadelphia KiXX
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
