LGE’s Corporate Athlete Program Comes to San Diego
When the new Downtown ballpark finally is constructed, one thing the Padres won’t have to worry about is butting heads with other tenants.
That’s exactly what happened after the Chargers announced their regular season NFL schedule.
The Chargers’ home opener against the Washington Redskins is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 9. Problem is, the Padres are scheduled to play the Arizona Diamondbacks that same day.
Although the Padres’ schedule was set first, they will have to make an adjustment because the Chargers are prime tenants at the stadium.
On the surface, a solution seems simple. But it’s not.
According to Charles Steinberg, the Padres’ vice president of public affairs, the team could lose more than $1 million by changing the schedule.
Because the stadium has to be transformed from baseball to football, the Padres’ Sept. 8 game against the Diamondbacks may have to be changed as well. Seats have to be moved, and the field has to be marked.
According to the Padres, two things could happen: One, they could play Arizona on June 18, which is an open date for both teams; or two, the teams also could play a doubleheader Sept. 10 and charge separate admission.
There are three Padres games scheduled on Sundays in September.
Although the Chargers’ schedule is set by the NFL, the team was almost certain to have a home game on Sunday during the first three weeks of the season.
“The teams have little or no input in their schedules,” said Bill Johnston, the Chargers’ director of public relations. “But the likelihood was that we would have a home game in September.”
Johnston said to his knowledge this situation has happened before, and the resolution was similar.
“I assume they (the Padres) are going to change their schedule,” Johnston said.
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Banking On Baseball:
The Padres and U.S. Bank have teamed up this year to offer the U.S. Bank Junior Padres Club.
Tagged the “official kids club” for the Padres, kids receive numerous Padres items throughout the year.
For $8, members get eight Padres tickets, and a hat and T-shirt with the club logo. At face value, the merchandise and tickets are worth about $80.
Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank, with 26 locations in San Diego, will offer the program through the 2002 season. The bank expects nearly 5,000 youngsters to join the club.
“We have a tradition of supporting kids in the communities in every city we operate,” said Troy Morrison, of U.S. Bank. “The Junior Padres is a perfect fit.
“We don’t have the largest budget in the world, but we can carve our niche through these (types of programs).”
Corporate Athletics:
Running a successful business is much like running a successful athletic program, according to LGE Performance Systems Inc.
The Orlando, Fla.-based company, known for its Corporate Athlete training program, recently opened a West Coast office in San Diego.
LGE’s Corporate Athlete program teaches businesspeople how to train like world-class athletes by giving them systematic ways to handle stress, strengthen employee loyalty, reduce health care costs and increase productivity.
“Most training programs only deal with one dimension,” said Dr. Jim Loehr, LGE’s CEO. “Athletic training with the physical; corporate training with the mental; emotional intelligence with the emotions. True greatness, however, takes place when you train in all areas simultaneously. That’s when every cell in your body is directed toward the same target.”
LGE’s San Diego office will house performance consultants, conduct on-site corporate training and have sales and marketing staff.
On May 2, the company will offer the Corporate Athlete training program in a one-day public workshop at the Four Seasons Aviara in Carlsbad. For more information, call (858) 755-0811 or go to (www.corporateathlete.com).
The deadline for the next Sports Biz column is April 26. Send related items to dward@sdbj.com or by fax at (858) 571-3628
