The ALLPro Tours (ArchLevel Lacrosse Tours) were merely an idea exactly one year ago; June 2010. The concept of bringing professional lacrosse players from the US over to host a range of camps and clinics for the UK community seemed a daunting task at first. With endless amounts of hurdles to consider initially like opposing season schedules, travel arrangements, MLL and NLL schedules, etc; it seemed like a program for the later years of the business model. Of course…that was before we launched our Twitter account.

STX Pro Brett Hughes

Social networking has spawned a new generation “educated market”. With information on practically any topic imaginable at our finger tips via the internet nowadays, and the
resources to share that information with people that we know in an instant through programs such as Twitter and Facebook, it has become a “must” for any successful business to have an online identity. ArchlLevel Lacrosse was no exception to this. In fact, we designed most of our business model around the expectation of a thriving online community within the lacrosse world. Our Twitter account launched shortly after the main site did back in June of 2010…and that’s when the fun started.

STX Pro Kyle Harrison

Twitter allowed us to have a very “non-personal” approach to companies and big names in the game. This doesn’t sound like the type of thing that a business usually aims for since the whole idea of creating something like a camps and clinics based company is making it as personal as possible for the customer; but it was very effective in the push for the ALLPro Tours. No if we were to call a pro player initially to inquire on their interest in coming over to the UK it might be something that said player would initially have “balk” sensation too. It might have put them “on the spot” too much for that kind of trip. Maybe we would lose their interest on a phone with not being able to convey all of the possibilities that something like this would hold for them. Or maybe they just wouldn’t like the sound of our voices. Who knows. But with a tweet…it was “just another request”. We saw this as a benefit more than a draw back.The player could see the tweet, have time to think about it, and not feel rushed or pressured to respond until they were comfortable. Even after they had decided to engage in some sort of conversation with us, it only had to be something as simple as “let’s do it!”, or, “tell me more”. No need for a drawn out conversation with boring details…just simple messages that gave them more and more information as we continued until they decided that this was something they actually wanted to do.

Nike Pro Kristen Kjellman

Once we convinced them that it was a great opportunity via good ol’ Twitter; we moved onto e-mails. These first e-mails were structured and basically the same for all clients that were trying to close. Things like schedule outlines, things to do on their down time, and monetary agreements were all laid out for them in very organized and easy to digest paragraphs. Once they felt comfortable with what we had to offer and that this was something that was real…the next stop was setting up the initial phone call.

Meverik Pro Johnny Christmas

Now for the first batch of players, i.e. Kyle Harrison, Brett Hughes, Kristen Kjellman, Chazz Woodson, and Johnny Christmas, all of these calls took place during a very convenient trip back home to the states that I took over the last Christmas break. This trip was supposed to be planned around seeing family, relaxing, and enjoying the perks of “home” after being overseas for the past year with the US Air Force. A slightly different schedule started to create it self during this time. During this month I sent 37 e-mails to players and companies, made over a dozen phone calls to players sponsors, confirmed 5 of the best lacrosse players in the game, locked down two company sponsorship agreements, and re-launched the main web site for ArchLevel Lacrosse. Needless to say…I owe my family another visit.

Maverik Pro Sean Lindsay

The ALLPro Tours change everyday; from contracts, to formats, to individual sponsorship agreements. But the foundation of the idea remains the same and will never change. Bring the best in the world to the doorstep of the UK lacrosse community. That’s what we will continue to do and that is what the tours will always be about.