Dr. Edward P. Sakiewicz - VP of Soccer Operations
Dr. Edward Sakiewicz is CEO & Managing Partner of SA Pro Soccer LLC, a Texas-based sports and entertainment company. Sakiewicz is the concept architect of the Texas Pro Soccer Festival, a week long, 4-team Major League Soccer (MLS) pre-season event. Sakiewicz raised in excess of $175,000.00 within 6 weeks for major naming rights sponsorships in order to execute this inaugural event and oversaw the overall operating budget of $250,000.00. Sakiewicz plans to produce this event annually at various venues throughout the southwest, including Phoenix, AZ.
In 2004, Sakiewicz brought San Antonio its first-ever MLS exhibition match between the NY MetroStars and Colorado Rapids. He has very close ties to MLS from the league’s front office in New York to working directly with most every team in MLS including FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy, Chivas USA, DC United and Toronto FC to name a few. Sakiewicz was instrumental in helping MLS/SUM bring InterLigaTM matches as well as other events to San Antonio such as the 2006 World Cup Qualifier between Mexico and Dominica in collaboration with Traffic Sports.
Sakiewicz dreams to one day own and operate a professional soccer franchise, much like his brother Nick who is an executive founder of MLS and the CEO & Operating Partner of the newest MLS expansion team in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Union. Sakiewicz was recently called up to serve as one of the Union’s technical advisors scouting, evaluating, and selecting potential players for the roster under the leadership of the legendary MLS coach and former international superstar, Peter Nowak.
Sakiewicz is a founding executive and current President of the San Antonio Metropolitan Youth Soccer Institute (SAMYS), a § 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that built San Antonio’s first premier 42-acre youth soccer complex located in Schertz, TX. SAMYS recently sold the complex to the City of Schertz. SAMYS is a leading advocacy group and soccer think-tank dedicated to building quality facilities, promoting youth events, safety, health and wellness for the soccer athlete. Sakiewicz recently served as the Director of the STAR soccer complex and currently helps with external programming and other special projects.
Sakiewicz also operates Dr. Biz Consulting, LLC and U90 Sports Consulting. Both are management consulting companies called upon to advise entrepreneurial startups, small businesses and emerging organizations inside and outside the business of sports. Some current projects include an online resource developed exclusively for training and educating the soccer goalkeeper called Keeper-Skool.
Sakiewicz received his PhD in Organization & Management with an emphasis in Sports Management. He holds a post-graduate Certificate in Sports Entrepreneurship, a Masters degree in Organizational Development and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. His dissertation, A Comparative Study of Enterprise Risk Management and Decision Making Criteria Used for Developing Soccer-Specific Stadiums for Major League Soccer, is published by ProQuest/UMI.
Sakiewicz is a frequent lecturer and subject matter expert for leading university’s sports programs around the country such as the US Sports Academy and others. He collaborates with the San Antonio Sports Foundation, is a member of the Sports Business Education Network and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Sakiewicz played his collegiate soccer at the NCAA Division I powerhouse, Loyola University Maryland, and went on to play as a 1st-Division developmental professional in Europe (Poland & Denmark). He is married to Jennyfer and both are proud parents of Eddie (16), Brenton (14) and Alek (11), all of whom play soccer. The Sakiewicz’s reside in the Alamo Heights area of San Antonio.