2011: Time for a New Season

I know it is only January, but before you know it the 2011 Season will be upon us! We are working on trying to bring you the best and most up to date information on the River City's Pro Soccer team. Our hope is to bring you more than what is going on with everything on the field. Be on the lookout for some new stuff coming about and please leave a comment if there is anything you, the fan, wants to see for this year!

School's Out Festival!

Last Saturday, the Richmond Kickers hosted their annual School’s Out Festival before their match against the Charleston Battery. The Festival drew thousands of local families on a hot summer day to celebrate the start of summer and the end of school! Several local vendors came out including Mad Science, U -TURN, Bounce 2 The Moon, and Great Clips- just to name a few! Children enjoyed moon bounces, getting their hair dyed, fresh squeezed lemonade, face painting, train rides, playing soccer on the Kickers field, and a chance to spend time together as a family. The Festival concluded with the Kickers pro match at 7pm against the Charleston Battery. Families that arrived to the Festival before 6pm got in for just $10 for the whole crew! Ending the evening on a high note, the Kickers took home the victory winning 3 to 1 with goals scored by Gorres, Foglesong, and Elcock.

Be sure to come out to our Independence Day Bash on July 3^rd from 11am- 3pm and our Family Fest on August 14^th! A special thanks to all our vendors and all the families that came out- the Festival would not have been the same without you! Have a great summer and we look forward to seeing you through the rest of the season!

Papa John's Goal: Free Breadsticks!

Last Friday as the Kickers took on the Charlotte Eagles everyone in attendance received free breadsticks thanks in part to Papa John’s Pizza. Two minutes into the game Kickers midfielder Jonny Villanueva scored off of a free kick which qualified as a “Papa John’s Goal.” A "Papa John's Goal" rewards fans with free breadsticks if the Kickers score within the first ten minutes of the match. Fans can redeem their breadsticks by presenting their tickets from that game at any area Papa John's and those fans with Pro Passes were given tickets to redeem their bread sticks. Needless to say, all of the fans were delighted- thanks Papa John's (and Jonny)!

Ultimate Comfort? Seat Cushions!

We hope to see all of our fans out at University of Richmond Stadium this Friday at 7pm as the Kickers battle the Charlotte Eagles. What better way to spend a Friday night with your friends and family?

Our first 100 fans at the game will receive FREE seat cushions, so get there early! Our players feed off of their fan's energy so we can't wait to see you all there with your cheering voices and smiling faces!

Hop on Down to Martins!

Our very own mascot, Kickeroo, joined in on the excitement of the Grand Opening at the Martin’on Staples Mill on Monday. This location is one of four that opened on Monday after their conversion from Ukrops to Martins. Other Martin’s locations that opened on Monday were in Ashland, Chippenham Crossing, and Chesterfield Towne Center. Martin’s Vice President, Jim Scanlon, said the remodeling process is all in an effort to “provide shoppers with a more modern and convenient shopping experience.” Kickeroo dove right into the new experience and helped greet customers, took a tour, and even helped around the check out lanes-definitely Kickeroo approved! Stop by your local Martin’s and maybe you’ll even bump into Kickeroo!

Slam Dunk!

Richmond Kicker’s players Jonny Villanueva and Neil Barlow participated in the Smith Athletic Association’s Spring Sports Festival at Alberta Smith Elementary on Saturday afternoon. The mission of the Alberta Smith Sharks Athletic Association is to “provide every child with the opportunity to participate in an activity that will give them a sense of accomplishment and build character.” Villanueva and Barlow took part in the fun by participating in the Dunk Tank where children tried their hardest to get them soaked (we always knew they were good sports!) This wet fundraiser helped support local recreational leagues in the Midlothian area and provided entertainment for all involved.

A Fresh Start

Kickers fans, we are proud to introduce to you our newly refurbished blog! "The Direct Kick" is our way of bringing you in-depth news and a behind the scenes look at everything Kickers. "The Direct Kick" will provide a wide array of stories ranging from posts about recent games to background stories of our players. "The Direct Kick" is your ultimate Richmond Kickers source.

Please take the time to scroll through our blog; we welcome any and all comments. Our fans are the most important and vital aspect to our Kicker’s community, so we want to hear from you.

We look forward to hearing from you and can’t wait to see all of your faces out at our games this season!