A New Look Rooster

As the years come and go, a team will begin to notice when it is time for a change. Having finished one position from a playoff spot for three straight seasons, the past two being only three points away, the Rhode Island Reds have reached that time for change. They began play in the 2012 NPSL season and, after 7 seasons, the Reds are looking for their first playoff opportunity again this year. With that optimism, Kabba Joof, the founder and chairman of the club, along with club President Rubin Paz and head of Community Outreach Mike Simeone, have decided to go with a fresh start for a new chapter in the team's story.

The original logo.

The team is named after the Rhode Island state bird and the badge maintains the Red at its focal point. They have received their new look badge from graphic designer @danygraff. They have maintained the 13 stars representing their home as the 13th state, the anchor from the Rhode Island flag, and the 2012 inaugural season on their badge. The club website explains why it kept many of the same elements during this change. The new look reflects the work that has been put in by the players and staff and they hope that by keeping the key elements they are "ensuring a level of respect, family, hope, and positiveness to its Players, Fans, and Volunteers of all levels while still maintaining the symbolic Rhode Island State symbols."

The club has teamed up with the Portuguese brand G-Sport to produce its shirts for a second year. They have taken the idea of change and completely revamped their look. As Kabba explained, "If new logo design, why not a new shirt." They have moved from last year's plain red or blue and yellow blocks of color to bold new patterns. Working with G-Sport allowed the Reds to create the shirt the way that they wanted. Kabba explained that he is generally more conservative in his soccer, but Paz, a Portuguese American, saw this as a chance to work with a company that has produced many shirts for amateur clubs in Portugal. Even though he was "concerned about getting too close to the edge" he likes the shirt because it is different. The Reds are the first team in the United States to have kits from G-Sport and sees this as the next step in their efforts. G-Sport has worked with smaller soccer teams and as Kabba put it, all aspects of the "game starts on the grassroots level."

The new kits. Image courtesy of Rhode Island Reds FC.

Last year, they gave their title sponsor spot away to a non-profit: the March of Dimes. Their main sponsor this year is Beard Care Club. They saw this partnership as a chance to show their growth and their connection to the community. The owner spent the 1990's in New England after he left the army and has maintained a friendship with the club. "My family and I have been football (soccer) fans as far as I can remember. When we were approached about the possibility of being a sponsor for the Rhode Island Reds FC we were ecstatic and had to jump on it," owner Donny Salazar said in the press release about their partnership.

Club players trying on the new kits. Image courtesy of Rhode Island Reds FC.

The Rhode Island Reds believe that they have improved on and off the field. The organization and team are evolving from one of the older teams in the Northeast and NPSL as they step up their game.They are using their history and belief in the bottom-up development of soccer to promote their future.

Their shirts are available at their website and if interested, they still have a few tee shirts available with the old logo as well.

- Andy Rittenhouse

Providence City FC: Death for Them, Victory for Us

There are few things more intimidating in history than the skull and crossbones. The symbol goes back to the Middle Ages as a symbol of death, usually used on a tombstone or as a memento mori - a reminder that life is soon over and death is coming for all of us. And what better way to be reminded of that fact than by a naked skull, stripped of skin, muscle and flesh, ghoulishly grinning from the grave? Add to that symbol, the crossed bones, usually femurs, marking the spot of your eventual resting place.

In the 17th century, when pirates were in their heyday, the variety of flags they flew under were numerous and individualized to the crew and captain of the ship. But the most common, and what eventually became the standard, was the skull and crossbones. Rather than flying the flag every day, at all times, pirates would fly another flag until close enough to attack another ship. Then, the skull and crossbones (often referred to as the “jolly roger”) would be pulled to the top of the mast, striking fear in the hearts of their victims. Pirates would kill, rape, pillage, rob, and then sink your ship. There was reason to fear them and not only because of their fearsome symbol fluttering above your head.

The history of Providence, Rhode Island is tied to the sea, from day one. Founded in 1636 by Roger Williams (a renegade pastor who was fleeing religious persecution) the city made religious and political freedom its priority. As the city grew, funded by the ships and trade that flooded the harbor, that spirit of freedom and creativity continued to inspire the people of the area. The connection between the city’s past and the soccer world of the present lies within the club that calls the city home.

Providence City FC exemplifies that spirit of freedom. Known for their creative approach to kit designs and advertising approaches, Providence is well known beyond the shores of Rhode Island.  Though they play in a regional league, the Rogues have stretched their influence globally by focusing on a unique brand identity and cultivating a strong connection with the online soccer community. Certainly the crest is part of it.

As mentioned before, the history of the skull and crossbones is all about making viewers contemplate their own eventual end. Death is coming, prepare yourself. With the Rogues being from Providence, the history of piracy in the Atlantic is also contained in the crest - Death for them. Victory for us. The crest screams intimidation and aggression. The skull even has a furrowed brow, as if to tell the viewer that not even death has blunted the anger and rage of the dead. As club representative Jason Rego puts it, “It's badass. Pretty simple to depict who we are.“ The badge sums up the club’s attitude, approach, city history, you name it. When you see that crest on a kit, you know who is coming for you.

The colors of the kits typically are red and black, but Providence City has done an extraordinary job of marketing by offering multiple alternate kits, always smartly designed, always well-marketed. The public has taken notice and every time a new kit rolls out, the likes and shares plaster it into every soccer timeline in social media.

The marketing success of the club has been matched by their record of in the Bay State Soccer League. One of the most competitive regional soccer leagues in the country, BSSL has multiple tiers of competition, offering promotion and relegation between the tiers. Providence City has gained promotion in back-to-back seasons, meaning next year will find the Rogues and their grinning Jolly Roger badge in the top tier of the BSSL, competing against some of the best soccer teams in New England. Much like the pirates of the past, Providence City has found a new set of victims, ready to be plundered.

- Dan Vaughn