David Harden spent enough time writing and producing television content to know that few programs really follow the script. He therefore expected his first foray to finance a male football team would go as planned.
And this is not the case.
“It's much better than I thought,” he said last week. “During the first 16 months, before the end of the stadium and before we have a team that we could see on the field and the community in the stands, it was an idea, figures on a spreadsheet.
“But once you have arrived at a game, you know it's real. And so we pinch each other.”
Here is how real: five weeks in its history By Alta FCA club emerging in the third level USL League Oneis 5-3-0 in all competitions, two of his three defeats on the road, followed by five consecutive victories at home.
Last week the club Known Orange County SCa team of perennial playoffs in the second -level USL championship, of the US Open Cup And next month, he will go to Texas to play FC DallasAn original MLS club, in the round of the 32 tournament.
By the way, the AV means Antelope Valley, who has not had a professional sports franchise from the minor League of Baseball Lancaster Jethawks was dissolved In 2020. The valley never had a professional football team.
But the reception that Alta FC has received suggests that it was expected for a long time: the team sold more than 2,000 season tickets and sold the 11 sequels of the stadium before it played a match. And in the past four months, he sold $ 250,000 in goods, including $ 85,000 on the day of his first home game in the League – which attracted more than 5,433 fans in its 5,300 -seat stadium.
He has an average of 4,500 for his three championship games, or about 85% of the capacity of a team that did not exist two months ago.
“It feels good to have a kind of pride at home again,” said Andrew Montez, who attended three of the team's first five game games. “I have always been a football fan. Now just drive a few minutes to do. ”
The group of fans of Av Alta, the 661, crosses the municipal stadium of Lancaster before a match.
(Jose Lucha / AVFC)
Besides him, Carlos Madrigal, who held a Green Alta FC flag. Madrigal made the round trip of 115 miles at the BMO stadium to see Laftc Playing but plans to launch your allegiance to the local club.
“It's great. We have a home team now. It brings together the community,” he said. “The crowd here, the atmosphere, the fans – all together, they become something much bigger.”
The team was an original idea of John SmelzerA long -standing framework for sports and media that has sat on the organizing committee of the 1994 World Cup before working with NFL, then Fox Sports and NBC. In the fall of 2023, he began to proselytize about the need for a team in the Antelope valley, quickly winning the support of The mayor of Lancaster R. Rex Parris – of which the law firm bought the sponsorship rights from the uniforms of Alta FC. Harden, with Bob Roback, Managing Director of the United Talent Agency, a sports, entertainment and advice company based in Beverly Hills, helped Smelzer to raise the club's operational capital while Harden and his wife, Sarah, have put more than a million dollars behind the effort, which in fact the owners of the majority of the team.
The tightening was also among the first investors of Angel City, the NWSL Expansion Club which has become the precious female sports franchise in history in less than five years.
“John’s passion was important,” said David Harden. “As an investor, you want a founder who will not lose all interest. You are looking for grain and a real grain measure is passion. But I was very attracted to the opportunity.
“Football grows. Live sports are a super sexy investment category. So we drive many lines of trend in the right direction. ”
Midfielder AV Alta Jimmie Villalobos controls the ball during a victory on Westchester SC on April 5, 2025.
(Jose Lucha / AVFC)
While Smelzer and Harden watched a crowd on Tuesday evening over 3,200 years at Jethawks Old Stadium, that the city spent $ 17 million to modernize football, everyone looked for evidence to prove that their time and money investments had been wise.
“Look at these children,” said Smelzer, pointing to three school boys, applauding fanatically from their seats to the row at the end of the second half. “They are still in the match.”
What is the proof? When an US Open Cup match with the LaFC NextPro team went late on a cold week, little in the crowd left. When the match with Orange County went to the penalty kicks last week, hundreds of fans crowded behind the southern goal, which probably intimidated visitors and made the team at home.
These fans encouraged a team that includes players from the national team from El Salvador, Benin, the Philippines, Panama and Trinidad and Tobago as well as local players such as former winger Mls Miguel Ibarra and three other players from the Antelope Valley, who were signed to the Academy contracts. The idea was to show the children that there was a path by there; This professional football had a path for the valley players at the pros.
Sean Franklin played Highland High in Palmdale, then won two MLS cups, two shield supporters, was appointed recruit of the MLS year and made a team of stars with the galaxy. If he can do, anyone can do it.
Fans of AV Alta encourage the team during a match against Westchester SC at the municipal stadium in Lancaster on April 5, 2025.
(Jose Lucha / AVFC)
But the market could be a more important factor than the team's chances of success of the team. The population of the valley of around 500,000 people is the size of Sacramento and Kansas City. And while putting an NBA or NFL team on this market would be ambitious, a third -level football team seems to be a good adjustment.
“When John came to see me for the first time, I thought I would come to a few games. I thought I was writing a check for him and would like him good luck,” said Harden. “But over the weeks, I was more involved, writing a larger check. I can't have enough. The community here is incredible. And they kissed us and what we are trying to do in a way that goes beyond our expectations.
“Antelope Valley is this little diamond lost in the county of. And there is not much competition for people's attention. ”
AV Alta FC certainly attracted the attention of the people. The question is now that they can hold it.
⚽ You have read the last episode of soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and highlights unique stories. Listen to Baxter in the episode of this week of “Podcast Corner of the Galaxy.
