Wins up, attendance down in Year 2 for Cedar Rapids Rampage

CEDAR RAPIDS - On the field, the second edition of the Cedar Rapids Rampage are a rousing success.

The Major Arena Soccer League franchise needed just seven games to match their win total from last year's expansion season (five), and an 8-4 record has them tied for first place in the Central Division.

With the defending league champion Baltimore Blast coming to the U.S. Cellular Center Friday night for a 7:05 p.m. game, the Rampage would like to see similar improvement at the turnstiles.

'It's a new product, it's always going to take time,” Rampage Co-Owner/General Manager Chris Kokalis said. 'All we can do is continue to plug away. We've got a loyal fan base.”

Cedar Rapids averages 2,125 fans per home game, which ranks 11th out of 17 MASL franchises. The number is down 24 percent from last season when the club was eighth out of 20 teams at 2,772 per contest.

The attendance figures include season-ticket holders and sponsor giveaways, such as its strong partnership with youth soccer groups like AYSO, FC United and PSC Iowa. These youth league players are provided a complimentary season pass to attend every home game.

According to Kokalis, there remains a challenge in convincing potential fans harboring a negative perception of traditional outdoor soccer that this is a different sport.

'We've got to get people out of that mentality because I think the people that come to see these games realize it's more than just soccer,” Kokalis said. 'It's a very fast-paced sport. There's a lot of action. It's physical.”

The Rampage rely heavily on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to get the word out regarding upcoming games and promotions. The exterior electronic billboard at the U.S. Cellular Center, in addition to its e-mail database of over 100,000 people, helps complement marketing efforts that include player appearances in the community.

'With social media marketing, you're able to pinpoint and target your demographic,” Kokalis said. 'So you are able to go and say, 'I'd like to target 21 to 45-year-old male and females who have children, who have an interest in soccer, who have an interest in some of the other sports teams in town. Those are the people that are spending money on entertainment.”

Friday is the first of back-to-back home games for the Rampage. Kids in costumes age 14 and under for 'Super Hero Night” get in free, while team posters will be given away to the first 500 fans Saturday when the Syracuse Silver Knights (4-5) visit at 7:05 p.m.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com