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USL Las Vegas Lights FC

16-Year Old Las Vegas Student Designs Confetti Inspired Lights FC Jersey for Season Opening Matches

March 3, 2020 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Las Vegas Lights FC News Release


Las Vegas (NV) - Las Vegas Lights FC announced Monday, March 2nd, that it was becoming the first-ever professional sports team to wear a different jersey design for each home match during the USL Championship regular season. Leading the team once called by Sports Illustrated as the "Most Interesting Team in the World" to be even more interesting!

Lights FC unveiled today the initial jersey designs for the first month of the season, including its season opener on March 7th at San Diego and it's home opener one week later on March 14th vs. Sacramento. The designs both prominently feature elements centered around confetti blasts which occur after each goal the Lights FC score at Cashman Field and how our fans participate in our unique matchday experience. The design process originated last fall when Lights FC solicited design concepts & inspirations from its fans as to what its uniform should look like in 2020.

Ryan Opelac's design submission was selected out of hundreds received by Lights FC's front office. Ryan is sixteen years old and a student at Southwest Career & Technical Academy in Clark County. He initially participated in the fan initiative when his teacher Jeff Ball used the opportunity to help design the Lights FC 2020 official jersey as a class project last semester. Opelac learned of his winning submission when he was surprised in his classroom in front of his fellow students by Lights FC Owner & C.E.O. Brett Lashbrook and Cash the Soccer Rocker, the team's official mascot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVvms9GBi0Q&feature=youtu.be WATCH: Brett Lashbrook surprises Ryan Opelac in class, telling him his "Jersey Design Inspiration" will be reflected in Lights FC's Opening Match kits.

"Everyone who attended a Lights FC home match last season knows how much we love having fun with confetti. So much so that we are doubling the number of confetti cannons in 2020!," said Lights FC Owner & C.E.O. Brett Lashbrook. "When we saw Ryan Opelac's design ideas we immediately loved it. It was so creative & unique that we knew we had to use it."

The two jerseys unveiled today will be worn at the first two USL Championship regular-season home games at Cashman Field on Saturday, March 14th and Saturday, March 28th. The white jersey will be worn at the Lights FC home opener and for all away matches when the hosting team wears a dark-colored jersey. And the black jersey will be work at the Lights FC's second home match, as well as at all road matches where the home team elects to wear a light-colored jersey. (Note: USL Championship league rules dictate that the home team decides what colored jersey to wear.)

Lights FC intends to publicly unveil the designs for its future home games on a rolling basis on the first day of each month. Future jersey designs will be a combination of fan submissions, Club initiatives and upcoming match theme nights. All fans are encouraged to submit their ideas at LightsFC.com/JerseyDesign.

"We are really excited to wear a different jersey each home regular-season match this year and to include so many fans in our design process," said Lashbrook. "So if there are any fans that don't like the initial designs we have the absolutely perfect solution -- keep submitting new design concepts & ideas. Let's have some fun with it!"

In addition, both Ryan Opelac & his teacher Jeff Ball also won free season tickets this season and will be honored at a home match in front of the fans.

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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.

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