My month long journey through the United
States has come to an end.
I’m currently on my United Airlines flight
that just departed from Newark on its way directly to Delhi. My eyes and ears
remain alert while I type as I’m waiting for the passengers to start a riot
since we were just informed by the flight attendant that the in-flight video service for
our 13+ hour flight will not be available because of technical reasons.
Over the past month I was in New York,
Denver for the MLS All-Star Game and up and down the coast of California. My professional objectives were focused on
sharing updates on the exponentially growing Indian football landscape and
exploring business opportunities with industry contacts, establishing
relationships with University sports management programs across the country and
expanding my own network. Personally, my
objective was simple: spend quality time with family and friends. I’m happy to
say that I achieved all of my objectives.
I always have the intention to update this
blog during my trip but that never happens as my days tend to start early and
run late, as I intentionally immerse myself into a sea of meetings, social events, long drives through
traffic and time with family. So now I sit here trying to figure out how to
summarize my experience while still lingering from the always emotional
good-bye scene with my parents at the airport.
Anyway, I will summarize my trip by listing
out a few of the key highlights from each leg of the journey in no particular
order:
New
York
- Having the opportunity to present my
professional journey and information on the Indian sports landscape to MLS and
New York City FC interns at the MLS League Office
- Spending the evening at the New Jersey home
of my first boss, mentor and SUM/MLS VP of Global Sponsorship, David Wright,
just a few days after he announced his resignation after 15+ years growing
soccer in the US
- The impromptu MLS reunion in a Manhattan
pub led one of my favorite people I worked with at MLS, former VP of Special
Events Geoffrey Hayes
- Watching New York City FC beat Orland City
FC in a Yankees Stadium luxury suite with some of my best friends – not to
mention seeing a David Villa hat-trick, Pirlo’s first match in MLS and Kaka on
the pitch
- Spending the day in my favorite park in the
world with some of my favorite people in the world – Prospect Park, Brooklyn
- Attending the Beyond Sport United summit at the Prudential Centre in New Jersey and networking with some of the top executives and development NGOs in the country
 |
| Would start my NYC mornings every day with a run across the Brooklyn Bridge |
 |
| MLS reunion #1 at an Empanada joint in the lower east side |
 |
| MLS reunion #2 at a pub in mid-town |
 |
| Enjoying Prospect Park in Brooklyn with some of my best friends |
 |
| Annual dinner with Takehiko Nakamura to keep chipping away at our dreams |
 |
| Presenting my story and the Indian sports landscape to MLS and New York City FC interns at the MLS League Office |
 |
| In a Yankees Stadium suite with friends watching New York City FC vs Orlando City |
 |
With my one of my best friends Courtney at Brooklyn Crab
|
Denver
- Having the opportunity to spend time with
US Soccer President Sunil Gulati to share my India experiences and receive his
always appreciated wisdom
- Watching the MLS All-Stars beat Tottenham
Hotspur 2-1 in a packed Dick’s Sporting Goods Park with 2 of my college
roommates
- Seeing first-hand how far MLS has grown in
Denver since the league hosted the 2007 MLS All-Star game in the same city –
now people truly care
- Eating the best BBQ I’ve had in a long time
with Seat Geek executive and close friend Nihar Singhal
- Catching up with so many friends in the
industry – remembering how much I’m still a part of the US soccer family
 |
| Celebrating 20 years of MLS in Denver |
 |
| Watching the MLS All-Star Game with UCSB college roommates |
California
- Taking my parents to watch the LA Galaxy
beat Seattle Sounders 3-1 from a StubHub Centre suite – Keane, Gerrard and Dos
Santos were all on the pitch
- Sharing my thoughts on MLS fan engagement strategy
with the staff of LAFC – the newest MLS team set to begin play in 2018
- Serving as a guest lecturer for the San
Diego State Sports Management program
- Positive meetings with the LA Galaxy and
other LA contacts about possibilities in India
- Road-tripping with my family up to Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo and Monterey
 |
| Stubhub Centre before LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders match |
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| Tailgating with family before the LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders match |
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| With cousins on the 18th hole of Pebble Beach |
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| Hanging in Pismo Beach with family |
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| Serving as guest lecturer at San Diego State University |
Looking back now, I’m clear that it was a
positive, productive, enjoyable and slightly exhausting excursion through the
country I called home for 30 years.
Outside of realizing how cool my family is and how much I enjoy spending
time with them, one of the biggest insights which surfaced from my experience
was that Major League Soccer is now relevant in the United States, an
extraordinary achievement for everyone involved with the league.
I feel blessed that I get to travel back to
the US on what seems like a month long Indian sport evangelical tour. Although
I’ve been living in India for almost 6 years now and it feels more like home
than ever before, there are certain moments when I go into self-enquiry about
what I’d want to do if I ever moved back west.
The fact that nothing comes to my mind is a sign that I’m meant to be in
the East for now dreaming, creating, innovating and, at times, fighting to
ensure the sport grows in a sustainable an impactful way.
Oh and no one really threw a fit for the in-flight TVs not working thanks to the uber emphatic United Airlines flight attendants. My faith in humanity is growing stronger by the day....
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