One of my kids was born in Oakland, the other was born in Auckland. "We are here to build a community asset," Edreece Arghandiwal, the Roots' co-founder and chief marketing officer, told me recently. Oakland is scoring a pro soccer franchise with a new lead investor and a tech entrepreneur and an assist from basketball star Damian Lillard.. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News . Wednesday, March 30, 6 PM Heres how that happened. May 11, 2022. We amplify community voices, share the power of real information, and investigate systems, not just symptoms. Fandom is far less fulfilling when maintaining such faith is impossiblewhen the teams you root for operate not so much like community pillars as commodified playthings, the assets of billionaires who whose loyalties lie not with fans but with shareholders, sponsors, and whatever municipal body hands over the largest amounts of taxpayer money. Your support is powering our newsroom! The club partners with local non-profit organizations as part of a community outreach effort. Indeed, some European clubs, such as those operating in Germany, remain publicly owned institutions, which fans are invited not only to root for, but to exert a degree of influence over, as they might the local library. P. Blanchette. The city is letting Alameda County, which could not be reached for comment, oversee the public auction process. Roots merchandise has been featured in two G-Eazy videos West Coast and "Bang". When the 16-acre location on Bay Farm island is put up for public auction in July, one of Oaklands last remaining professional sports teams may be out of a home. [29] This was followed by the early December signings of Oakland raised Max Ornstil and re-signings of Yohannes Harish and Tarn Weir, as well as many others. The Oakland Roots soccer club was born, in earnest, in the summer of 2016, when Edreece Arghandiwal, a marketing director and entrepreneurial creative type who'd worked on projects for brands such as Apple and set designer Susan Linss, met Benno Nagel, a veteran soccer player and coach who'd previously worked for clubs in Croatia and the Netherlands. [49] The club joined the Common Goal movement on June 30, 2020, as the first soccer club in the United States to do so. rem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor inc. 00000 00000000 00000. . Outside of work, Will likes to ride his bike to new places. 32 reviews of Sweetroots Salon "I love coming to Mio to see Jeannine. Please try again later. Goalkeeper: Taylor Bailey: Feb 27, 1997 (26) . Saturday, March 19, 4 PM At Memphis 901. USL Championship team Oakland Roots unveil their first and second kits ahead of the upcoming 2023 season - with diversity, community, and inclusion at the forefront of the jersey design. The two were acquainted through the blooming East Bay semi-pro soccer community; at one point, Arghandiwal was playing for a semi-pro team called the Oakland Leopards, which Nagel was also involved with. At the Oakland Roots 2022 home opener game the team hosted Monterey Bay FC and the group Grand Nationxl performed. Homegrown and homeless in Oakland They had roots in the community. The answer, turns out, is roughly as lively as a rock concert, and about as restorative as a kind of summer cookout held at a beloved community gathering place, and attended by seemingly everybody in town. When it comes to using sports to do good in the community, Geddes and his team have been wildly, inarguably successful. As we watched over the game, he swayed on his heels with his arms crossed, betraying the impatient sadness of an athlete at rest, preserving energy while silently longing to be on the field. Squad of Oakland Roots SC Filter by season : Compact. Whenever there is the odd kinetic lull, the spirit of Mac Dre elbows his way out of the loudspeaker and enlivens things anew. They were a driving force to make that happen., Thats just the beginning. On May 24, 2022, Oakland Roots SC launched their women's team, Oakland Soul. [37], On December 21, 2021, the Roots announced they were leasing the former Oakland Raiders practice facility in Alameda, California as their training facility. Several times this year, in a stadium designed to hold twelve times fewer fans, the Roots have even outdrawn the As. [57] They eventually would forgo the season and start play in 2022. Email Alerts. In case you havent been, heres what a Roots game is like. This year, during halftime at a Roots home game on October 1, Chapter 510 students will be invited to read parts of the poem aloud to the crowd. One thatll be around for hundreds of years.. Oakland, CA - Oakland Roots Sports Club, has signed a partnership with Oakland-headquartered consumer technology company, Credit Karma. An Oakland native, Lynch, 34, . The spirit and the atmosphere is special. And what it had to look like, Arghandiwal said, was an organization committed earnestly to being about the Town in an authentic way., We believed, Arghandiwal told me, That as long as we showed the community real authentic love, they would love us back.. Sign up for The Oaklandsides free daily newsletter. ago. We amplify community voices, share the power of real information, and investigate systems, not just symptoms. The team has carved out a place of respect for itself among city political and civic leaders. Initially in 2017, the USL approved a bid from real estate developer Mark Hall to bring a soccer team to Concord, California instead of Oakland. Just another www.oaklandrootssc.com Sites site. Your donation makes this and all our other local reporting possible. Recently, they extended their lease through 2023. Why is Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas proud the Roots are based in her district? We cleared that all through with the state before we went through this process, Gallegos said. The Roots help Chapter 510 put on city-wide events, such as Write Your Roots Day, for which volunteers, Roots players, and a wide assortment of students from across Oaklandincluding, specifically, Black, brown, and queer youthcollaborate on and perform an epic city-wide poem. After playing professionally across North America for more than a decade, Nana became captain of Oakland Roots, a United Soccer League (USL) club and Common Goal member. Hodul said the facility has been a major boon for the team, which previously trained at Las Positas College in Livermore, a 40-minute drive away. The Roots . The Roots are just a yes organization, period.. We all thought, Wow, what better place to deploy such a concept than in Oakland, California?. Oakland Roots SC play in second tier of US men's soccer. Back to the Roots offers gardening kits to grow organic and gourmet mushrooms at homes. As part of that process, the old training facility was offered to public agencies and affordable housing developments. We would definitely be interested in making the facility a mid-to-long-term home.. Lower-division tends to be a tough draw. Arghandiwal and Nagel invited Geddesalongside Tommy Hodul, whod become the clubs VP of communicationsinto their tribe not long after getting serious about creating a club in Oakland. We spoke while former Roots players, along with volunteer coaches from Coaching Corps and Positive Coaching Alliance, blew whistles and ran participants through drills. To that end, Roots has formed Roots Community Health Alliance, which aims to preserve and expand these critical points of access to care. Thank you. The Oakland Roots club was the brainchild of its founders, Nagel and Arghandiwal. Planes fly overhead every few minutes, and the fence of the complex backs up to the airports own. It hangs dramatically over a thatch of chest hair on his left breast, like a harvest moon rising over an unplowed field in autumn. At the time, Oakland sports fans were greeted almost every other day with news of another of their favorite teams either consecrating their impending departure, hastening it, or otherwise dissing huge swaths of the city. . Prior to this, the team played two seasons in the third division National Independent Soccer Association . When the match starts, you will be able to follow San Antonio FC vs Oakland Roots SC live score, standings, minute by minute updated live results and match statistics. The role of a chief purpose officer is to ensure that purpose is the lens through which every decision is made, Geddes told me in the Roots practice facility. 58 As of 2022 000.00. Oakland Roots prepped for big season under new head coach Read Less by: Alex Baker. He reported for the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley and his freelance work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, Texas Monthly and Longreads. And the games are hella fun to go to., How is it that in such a short period of time, in such a disaffected scene, and with such apparent ease an upstart soccer club has been able to cultivate such an inspired and loyal following and become such an overall big deal? Nagel is a veteran soccer coach who had previously worked for clubs in the U.S., Croatia and the Netherlands . But soon, that arrangement may be ending. 102. Dan Moore is a writer based out of Oakland. The Roots are not community-ownedownership is split between the founders and investorsbut they very much see themselves as accountable to Oakland in a similarly elemental way. Its also, according to Lilli Barrett-OKeefe, of Common Goal, unique. How did they lose everything? The group met with the board ten or so times, discussing, among other things, what Oakland might actually want out of an organization such as theirs. Barenz came to her queer identity later in life. Please try again later. "We're open to partnering with potential investors to acquire it, but right now our main priority is . In collaboration with their advisory board, the founders discussed a number of optionsa few names that were thrown around included Bump City FC, the Wolf Pack, the Town, the Funkbut finally they landed on the Roots, in no small part for what it conveyed about their ethos: namely, that they were genuinely rooted in and committed to this place. They started Project 510, which functions as something of a player development system through which the club can both recruit local soccer players as well as provide Oakland youth a more egalitarian pathway to opportunities within the soccer world beyond. Goalkeeper: Paul Blanchette: Apr 16, 1994 (28) 100k -Taylor Bailey. As a fan, sports tend to be most fulfilling when you can allow yourself to believefor a goal, a game, a series, a seasonthat the fortunes of your favorite team matter for reasons nobler than private profits, and that your favorite players compete not just for a paycheck, but the pride of the community they play for. Range . Blueface, ALLBLACK & YG) (Official Video)", "Zion I, MADlines, and DONBLAK "Flame Go" (The North Pole Anthem)", "Descending the Pyramid: Oakland Roots Have Yet to Play an Official Match, But They're Quickly Becoming America's Most Exciting Club", "Know yours. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News . 327. r/MLS. Theyre a celebrated and affecting community partner, collaborating with a diverse array of nonprofit organizations all over the city. But soon, that arrangement may be ending. (Ahead of each home game, the Roots close off two blocks of East 10th Streetthe road that abuts the football stadium at Laneyand fill it with local food trucks, alcohol vendors, graffiti artists, and music.) SHARE. Sign up for The Oaklandsides free daily newsletter. We are conditioned, in this society, to just think about one type of value. The club picked up their first win at home against Atltico Zacatepec by a score of 20. You must click the link in the email to activate your subscription. It also helps your family, friends and Oakland neighbors have access to reliable, independent reporting. The two increased their investments substantially, and each soon owned a 31% ownership stake. Beyond serving Oakland as a community asset, the club wants to leave a legacy and one day fill the void left in Oakland by the teams that have all but abandoned it. Ingratiating their club into the communitysuch that theyd be seen as truly representative of Oakland, and might in turn earn grassroots supportwas something the Roots founders understood would be crucial to their business model. Nagel was well connected in the Bay Area, and had in fact been working to start a new professional soccer club in the East Bay for a handful of months before linking up with Arghandiwal. [15], The Roots opened their second season at home once again in front of a sold-out crowd of 5,603. Hodul emphasized that the club was very grateful to the city and county for making the building available in the first place. Oakland Roots Soccer Club President Lindsay Barenz at their training facility, which was the same for the Oakland Raiders in Alameda, Calif., on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022. To find out, the group assembled a community advisory board, composed of a dozen or so Oakland residents whod been working on behalf of the Town for many years. And theyre expanding; the club recently announced the launch of a womens team. The question remains, however, how much potential bidders will want to pay for a property that directly abuts the Oakland airport. Starter Bakery opens in Oakland | County eviction moratorium expiring in April | Get tickets to Culture Makers, {{#label}}{{label}}: {{/label}}{{message}}. Then one day, in the fall of 2019, Greer caught a Roots game on TV. investors@roots.com; 1-844-762-2343; Social Media. One example is the world of European soccer, where the first clubs were set up by churches or minority groups to represent a class or interest, town or region, [or] even a political affiliation [or] religion, and where the sport is to this day regarded as more than entertainment but, rather, as something communal, or even tribalas London-based Atlantic staff writer Tom McTague has written. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Its love out there, man, said Steve Murakami, a co-founder of the Homegrown Hooligans, with whom I spoke on the phone the next day. We pride ourselves on providing accessible high-quality care to all patients, and strive to be a "one-stop" location for your needs including enrolling you into healthcare coverage (Covered CA and Medi-Cal) and other programs (like CalFresh and health navigation). Credit Karma helps more than 120 million members globally connect their spending, saving and borrowing to optimize their finances and help them reach their financial goals. The need was for a team that the community could care about, Geddes said. To receive notifications via email, enter your email address and select at least one subscription below. We are here to build a community asset. The Oakland Roots soccer club was born, in earnest, in the summer of 2016, when Edreece Arghandiwal, a marketing director and entrepreneurial creative type whod worked on projects for brands such as Apple and set designer Susan Linss, met Benno Nagel, a veteran soccer player and coach whod previously worked for clubs in Croatia and the Netherlands. Suddenly the Roots logo was everywhere. Specialties: We provide comprehensive primary care and behavioral health services to all members of our community. And the sense among at least some of those fans is that the Roots are already a serviceable alternative to the Towns formerly beloved major league squads. In 2021, Roots will have a bigger platform from which to spread their message. Arghandiwal and Nagel saw an opportunity to build an organization that could meet the growing demand. [33] This was then followed by multiple games being called off due to USL health and safety protocols during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Oakland Roots soccer team may be left with no home to train in 2023-03-04 - By Will McCarthy wmccarthy@ bayareanewsgroup.com When the Oakland Raiders decamped for Las Vegas in 2020, they left behind a state-of-the-art training facility. Flower -$29oz non-remediated preground flower (Mystery Muffins, Gastropop, Lion OG) -$60oz (Georgia Pie, Runtz, Gorilla Glue) Featured Deal -2 for $25 Midnight Roots 200mg Chocolate bars -3 for $20 200mg Gummies (Shattered Thoughts, PC Pure) -6 for $50 Carts and Concentrates (Bow House, Crude Boys, Drip) Claim . For Sale: 1426 71St Ave, Oakland, CA 94621 $220,000 MLS# 41016637 An amazing opportunity for investor or buyer looking to build their own dream home or income property. Then, in collaboration with local retailer Oaklandish, the group dropped the merch, and thats when everything changed. The Roots logo is almost synonymous with the city of Oakland itself. Starter Bakery opens in Oakland | County eviction moratorium expiring in April | Get tickets to Culture Makers, {{#label}}{{label}}: {{/label}}{{message}}. And that matters here. The same inspiration informed the design of their crest, logo, and kits, which, after months of iterationfacilitated over mood boards and with additional guidance from community advisorsfinally materialized in its present form: an oak tree rising proudly from multi-colored soil, the club name draped like a street banner across the trees canopy, imprinted onto which, in a nice flourish, would be the outline of the map of Oakland. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Were working towards other training facility options, but nothing is concrete, Roots spokesperson Tommy Hodul said. Arghandiwal and Nagel had some hesitations about giving away so much equity, at first, but they maintained operating control, and with the funding, the club had what it needed to really get started putting together a soccer teamwhich meant finalizing their search for a stadium and a league, bringing on full-time personnel, and establishing an on-the-ground presence in the community. There was a gap in the market for a soccer team, said Mike Geddes, whod go on to become the Roots chief purpose officer. Updated: Aug 18, 2022 / 02:49 PM PDT. But it has served the Roots purposes. For that, it pays to survey their strugglesalong with the costs and controversies tied to them. Youth leagues in America are pay-to-pay, Hodul told me. The Stadium has room for 3,500 seated and up to 5,500+ with standing room. When the Oakland Raiders decamped for Las Vegas in 2020, they left behind a state-of-the-art training facility. How Oaklands hometown soccer team overcame a slow start and internal strife to build a team with purpose. 1,903 Following. "Our home-field advantage is such a huge . Pro teams that encourage such faith can add meaning to fans lives, as they can unify and augment the communities they call home. 00000 . In fact, its the work they do that has won the club most of the praise and good press it has received. No matter. This means that Oakland Roots will go beyond achieving net-zero carbon emissions by removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they emit. I decided to give Jeannine a shot. Oakland was once recognized as the greatest sports city in the nation. "The Function" is a coalition of fans from all five groups. . Five-time Pro Bowler joins ownership group of Oakland club. Arghandiwal told me this during the Roots match against Loudon that Id attended, down on the field behind the visitors goal. Oakland is scoring a pro soccer franchise with a new lead investor and a tech entrepreneur and an assist from basketball star Damian Lillard.. Also, a 2023 Calendar for major soccer competitions is included. [7][8][9], The club announced Bay Area native and former MLS player and Colorado Rapids technical director Paul Bravo as its first head coach on May 9, 2019. Apply Today! . For example, community partnerships are often tendered through some sort of fund, governed by a set of goals and priorities separate from and subordinate to the goals and priorities of the rest of the organizationthat is, the front office and the on-field personnel. The diversity of the crowd, the pride, the energy, he told me. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. The Oaklandside relies on reader support to remain free for everyone in our community.