By ALAN SNEL
LVSportsBiz.com
The Vegas Golden Knights aren’t the only pro team in town inviting fans to watch practices for free.
The new Las Vegas Lights FC soccer team has held practices the past two mornings in open view of their fans.
It’s a good business strategy to open practices to the public because it allows fans to connect with players and the team product in an informal atmosphere.
The Golden Knights practices were packed with fans at City National Arena before the team hit the road for a four-game swing through Nashville, Tampa, South Florida and Raleigh, NC this week.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the Lights’ soccer team practiced at Kellogg-Zaher Soccer Complex at West Washington Avenue and North Buffalo Drive.
On Friday, practice is scheduled for 9 a.m.
The Lights started with about 25 fans who came out to watch Wednesday and LVSportsBiz.com saw about another 25 -50 fans for a scrimmage Thursday morning.
In December, LVSportsBiz.com reported that the United Soccer League team would begin signing players.
Last week, the soccer club introduced five players with Las Vegas roots who were signed.
The expansion Lights have also signed another seven players to the pre-season roster. The team plays three pre-season games against a trio of MLS teams at Cashman Field on Feb. 10, 17 and 24.
The Lights hope the free practices will translate into ticket sales. The team is looking to sell out Cashman Field at 10,000 fans per game. The team is approaching 3,000 season tickets. But keep in mind, pro soccer typically attracts a big walk-up crowd, too.
The Lights also have 10 players on the pre-season roster on a trial basis to see how they perform.
The Lights’ regular season home-opener is March 24 at 8 p.m. at Cashman Field. The opponent is fellow Nevada USL team Reno 1868 FC. The Lights’ first regular season game will be on the road March 17 against fellow expansion team Fresno FC.
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