MV SHARKS ANNOUNCE NEW OPERATING PLAN

To all who follow the Sharks it’s obvious the team is in the midst of change. Conclusions are being drawn without the benefit of facts and some are losing sight of what is most important – the continued existence of the team. Change is occurring because those who have the benefit of comprehensive knowledge of the team’s circumstances recognized its future is in jeopardy. It’s that straightforward and transparent – no finger-pointing needed in any direction.

The Sharks are here not because of one or five, or ten, people; rather, the team is here because of the incredible dedication and teamwork of scores of players, coaches, volunteers, interns, staff, fans, host families, shareholders, donors, and sponsors.

Championships and winning seasons are unquestionably important, however assuring future generations have the same opportunities to watch great collegiate baseball and hoist trophies is equally if not more important. The MV Sharks should be here for generations — an island institution – and we are determined to meet this objective. The island community can divide and fail (i.e., the Sharks go out of business) or we can rally around the team and insure it is here for years to come.

With this objective in mind below we are pleased to share an outline of the team’s direction, which lays the foundation for the team’s long-term success:

• The Sharks will be run by two operating groups; (a) baseball operations; and (b) business operations.
• Kyle Fiore has been named team’s Director of Baseball Operations and Player/Personnel director. Kyle will be working with our new head coach, Frank Leoni, on all “on-field” matters. Most importantly they will develop our annual roster and work with our Host Family Coordinator, Jessica Burnham, to insure our players have the best experience possible; and that we have a championship caliber team season after season.
• Nelson Giannakopoulos has been named Director of Business Operations. Nelson has been with the team since its early days and understands the off-field aspects of the team better than anyone. His charge is to coordinate our incredible volunteers, interns, and staff, to create the best possible game experience for our fans.
• We expect to open the Shark’s first retail store in May of next year. The store will sell Sharks merchandise and serve as an off-site ticket office. We will also have player appearances and Sharky the Mascot to welcome customers.
• We hope to add more stadium seating which will significantly enhance fan experience. There are many other improvements to the Shark Tank we hope to make and we will be prioritizing those in the days and weeks to come.
• We will be working with knowledgeable baseball people outside the organization who can show us how other successful teams all over the country run their operations. We will take the best of what we discover and incorporate it into our operation.
• We will be overhauling our marketing program.
• We will be instituting a special ticket pricing plan for year-round islanders.

Naturally, achieving our objectives will require a very significant financial commitment. In the days ahead we will develop a plan to fund the team for the short and long term. We are confident the team will present a compelling business plan to potential investors, donors, and sponsors. Beyond money, among other things, we need an army of volunteers, more Host Families, and a dedicated and loyal local fan base attending every game. To better open the lines of communications we created an email account, fanmail@mvsharks.com. The Sharks encourage you to email suggestions, ask questions, or offer to be a volunteer and/or host family.

Rest assured we have an unwavering commitment to achieve our objective of having the Sharks become an island institution. Our genuine thanks to all who helped get the team started – let’s finish what we started and assure the Sharks are here for generations to come.