Despite the cape-wearing, superpower-holding imagery that might come to mind when hearing about the San Diego Seals’ Heroes Night, it isn’t celebrating Superman or Batman. Instead, the Seals’ return to the Electric Factory on Jan. 30th — their third home game of the season following a two-match stint on the road — is set to honor the real heroes in our city: the military veterans, first responders, nurses and all those who help the community.
With 8% of the U.S. active-duty military population residing in San Diego, Benjamin Morse, vice president of corporate partnerships for the San Diego Seals, explained how important it is to recognize this community.
“We do a lot with the military here in San Diego, and it’s kind of a non-negotiable if you’re a sports team,” Morse said. “It’s important for us to give back to that community and give them a night out that’s affordable.
As part of their way of showing San Diego’s heroes some much-earned appreciation, the Seals partnered with Alaska Airlines to donate 1,500 free tickets to military veterans. They also offered a ticket bundle that included a match ticket, a drink voucher, and a SeaWorld park ticket.
“I think our secret sauce is being more involved with the community than any of the other [professional] sports teams,” Morse said. “Or at least doing our best to punch above our weight in terms of our community service and giving back to the community.”
“We’re still a small sports team,” Morse added. “We often joke we’re maybe the third or second most popular seals in San Diego, behind the Navy Seals and maybe the seals at La Jolla Cove.”
Fostering partnerships with multinational companies like Alaska Airlines is critical in helping the Seals grow both their presence and their legitimacy in the San Diego sports scene. As one of just 14 teams in the National Lacrosse League (NLL), the Seals have to compete with teams that play upwards of 30 games and have capacities well into the thousands (40,000 at Petco Park and 35,000 at Snapdragon Stadium).
“The game presentation is the hook to get people in, draw people in,” Morse said. “Then once they see these athletes doing what they’re doing on the field, then you become a fan of lacrosse, even though it might not be the reason you came in the first place.”
Game presentation bordering on downright theatrics is the NLL’s specialty. At the Seals’ home opener last month, pre-game flame projectors flared alongside performances by the Seals dance team, audience members played a half-time balloon-stomp game and the ever-present mascot, Salty the Seal, did endless laps around the stadium.
Mike Grace, the Seals’ vice president of game presentation and content, is one of the masterminds behind the production. Grace explained that making every game day different and tailoring it to the themes is what creates the atmosphere and gets fans to spread the word.
“Knowing that lacrosse is a growing sport, a lot of people don’t have as much experience either through watching or participating,” Grace said. “We create something that everybody can enjoy right off the jump.”
The NLL has something that other sports leagues don’t: loose rules regarding in-game music. In fact, the NLL mandates that all games have music playing nonstop during gameplay. While it might be jarring to the everyday sports fan, there’s no question that it enhances the live game experience for even the most apprehensive fans.
“We can push the envelope where other sports — whether it’s baseball, basketball, football, or hockey — have different rules about when you can and can’t play music,” Grace said. “If we can take those governors off, then we can create an experience that’s just flat out fun.”
The San Diego Seals will look to improve their 3-3 record with a home win against the Philadelphia Wings, with the faceoff set for 7:30 p.m. While there’s no telling what exactly will be in store for the night’s festivities, one thing is certain: Salty the Seal will be there to cheer us all on.
