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Capelli Sport, USL Mutually Grow Together

By CHRIS HOCKMAN - chris.hockman@uslsoccer.com, 12/10/17, 8:17AM EST

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Altirs enjoying opportunity to give back to sport he loves


Photo courtesy Penn FC

TAMPA, Fla. – Having success in life and business was a great blessing to Capelli Sport, and Penn FC owner, George Altirs, which has allowed him to give back to the sport he loves. That love of soccer is what has driven him to invest so much of his time, and money, into soccer, forming a relationship with USL which has proved fruitful.

“I love the game, it’s the only game I knew when I was a kid, and it’s the only game I played, and now, I’ve done well in my life and business, thank God, and my kids were having fun in the game, and I love it,” said Altirs. “I’m passionate about the game, and then I see opportunities that I can spend time on the game, and then hopefully do some business such as professional teams, or youth clubs, and also the Capelli Sport brand, and that’s really what drives me to do more with the game.”

That passion led to not only starting a youth club, Cedar Stars Academy, but falling into the sports apparel industry. The company that is Capelli Sport happened almost by accident, with Altirs looking to fill a void his own youth club needed.

“I’m in the real estate and manufacturing fashion apparel business, and then we formed Capelli Sport three years ago just to supply the uniform for our own youth club out of New Jersey and then things went from there,” said Altirs. “It just started out of coincidence, and out of convenience, we wanted to do a uniform for our youth club and we were not really able to find the right color, and the right design for it. My wife, who is the creative director of Capelli Sport asked me why I don’t design a few styles and we can make them in our factory, so that’s how we started.”

Several years later that led to a partnership with USL, starting as an owner of the Wilmington Hammerheads FC in 2013. That opportunity uncovered for Altirs the potential the league had, and gave the Capelli Sport brand a chance to broaden its horizons.

“[It] opened my eyes on how many clubs there are,” said Altirs. “The USL opened my eyes into the market and into having some relationship with other clubs, which I sold with Capelli Sport through USL, and then other sport and soccer relationships.”

The potential growth for Capelli Sport as it aligns with clubs and the USL itself has been borne out. As that relationship grows closer, the brands will grow together, something Altirs has seen happen elsewhere.

“It’s all together, naturally, we identify the opportunity and then we are going to grow it nicely without going crazy, but this is a great partnership and a relationship that can help the brand to grow,” said Altirs. “We’re also seeing that happen in Europe, we’re doing well in Germany, and in Greece, we will be a global brand in the near-future.”

Through the great success Capelli Sport has found with partnerships including clubs in the USL, the PDL, and SYL, Altirs has also found a great outlet for his love for soccer, driving him to do more and more for soccer and Penn FC as it moves into its new era in 2018.

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