The offseason: that bleak time of the year when a sports team isn’t regularly competing. For many devoted supporters, the months can drag on for what seems like an eternity.

For franchises, however, the offseason holds a significant amount of importance. The extended time off gives front offices an opportunity to rethink, recruit, and if need be, rebrand. Anyone employed by a professional sports team will tell you there is no real “off” season.

For the Wilmington Hammerheads soccer team, this particular offseason has been one full of change.

In September, the Hammerheads announced a major change to its front office – a move made in the hopes of expanding its presence in a market ripe with opportunity. Longtime owner Bill Rudisill, who had owned the team for 13 years, sold the majority share of the Hammerheads to New Jersey businessman George Altirs.

The Hammerheads also hired a new general manager in September, bringing in former USL Pro director of operations Jason Arnold.

“On the field, we have a strong team,” Arnold said. “[Coach David Irving] is incredibly talented and has been with us for a long while; he knows what he’s doing. We’re very confident in our on-field product. Off the field is where I see opportunity to grow, especially with the market we’re in.”

The Hammerheads are a part of the USL Pro, which exists as the “third tier” of U.S. Soccer Federation. They’ve been in Wilmington since Al Pastore founded the team in 1996.

The Hammerheads, Wilmington’s only professional sports franchise, are in a unique position. Being the only professional team in a beach town has been a challenge for the organization, particularly when it comes to matters of exposure and growth.

For the Arnold and the rest of the Hammerheads’ front office, improving the franchise from a business aspect is their first priority. On the field, the Hammerheads have enjoyed success, making the playoffs in 12 of their 18 seasons, highlighted by winning the USL Pro Championship in 2003. It’s the off-the-field success that Arnold is looking to improve.

Specifically, Arnold and the Hammerheads see the largest problem being a lack of recognition, something they believe will improve with the strengthening of relationships between the team and the Wilmington community.

“We want to show people how solid of a system we have in place,” Arnold said. “One of our biggest concerns is our connection with the community. Far too many people don’t know we exist, and we’re the only professional team here.”

Showcasing the Hammerhead brand – be it through increased social media presence or office relocation – is what team officials have identified as an integral step in increasing citywide recognition.

The Hammerheads’ office now is located off Carolina Beach Road. Arnold said one of his immediate goals is to find a new location for the team offices – preferably somewhere downtown – that will help showcase the team to locals who may not know much about them.  

“We’re just starting the process of office relocation,” Arnold said. “We feel that we need to be in a much more visible location. We need to be in a place where people see us, where they see our brand. We’d love to set up an office where people can swing by and pick up their tickets before the game or just come in and talk soccer for a while.”

While there is plenty of room to grow, the Hammerheads organization recognizes the potential of what they might be sitting on. The Hammerheads averaged 3,926 fans per game last season, considerably higher than the league average of 2,611. That’s the fourth-highest attendance average in the league.

“It’s a strong number,” Arnold said, “and I think that fact shows in comparison to other league attendance averages. There’s been a lot of hard work behind the scenes in order to get there. With that said, there’s always room to grow.”

Much of that potential growth is tied to city-owned Legion Stadium, the multi-purpose facility where the Hammerheads play home games.

The stadium holds 6,000 and is in excellent condition for a stadium built in the 1930s, thanks in part to renovations made in 2011. The Hammerheads front office, while happy with the current home, continues to look for ways to fill empty seats. Improving season-ticket packages and pricing as well as advertising sales are both routes officials view as ways to take accomplish that goal.

“We’ve got to improve season ticket sales and sponsorships because those are both huge revenue streams that help our organization continue to stay headed in the right direction,” Arnold said. “The beauty is that we don’t have anyone else in this market to compete with. We can look at what works from other USL teams around the country to help craft our own packages and sponsorships.”

Before becoming majority owner of the Hammerheads, Altirs co-founded GMA Accessories Inc., a manufacturer and importer of apparel and footwear for women and children. It’s a move that Arnold believes will aid efforts to increase Hammerheads merchandising sales.

“Fortunately for us, [Altirs] runs a clothing industry,” Arnold said. “So there’s a lot of experience and knowledge on that side of the business. Merchandising is something we’re actively working on.”

The future success of the Hammerheads is viewed among those in charge as a domino process. Increased sponsorship leads to more revenue, which in turn leads to better player contracts, which in theory leads to a higher level of on-field play. Continual on-field success improves a team’s visibility, the ultimate goal for Arnold and the rest of the Hammerhead organization.

“Being out in public, being visible – that’s what’s going to showcase our brand the most,” Arnold said, “and we’re starting that now so when the season starts, people know who we are. It’s not a learning curve; we want to teach and show people that we’re here, and that we’re for real.”