Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelly Clark.
Hi Shelly, Thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My husband, Will, and I moved to St. Charles in 2002 with two small children. We moved into a mobile home in O’Fallon while we got our feet underneath us. In March of 2023, Will was laid off, and we started our own business, Cardinal Surveying & Mapping. I spent the following years marketing, performing field work, drafting, and taking on any role necessary to ensure the success of that business. I found ultimate personal success 2016 when I became a licensed land surveyor. During this time, we sought unique opportunities to engage and build client relationships. We became sponsors of a local indoor football team and utilized their games to invite clients and their families. We eventually became minority owners of that team. That team eventually folded, and another came into town and took its place. We were asked to be minority partners and again used the opportunity to build relationships. Will and I came on board as minority owners of the St. Louis Ambush from 2013 through 2016. We purchased majority ownership in the summer of 2016, and I took on the CEO role. The first few years were challenging, both on the field and off.
COVID-19 played a significant role in the entertainment industry in 2020, and we were forced to “reset” and rebuild. Awareness of soccer in St Louis continues to grow, as does participation. Over 50 youth soccer clubs are in the St. Louis metro area alone. Our mission is to provide a family-friendly and affordable professional indoor soccer experience in our community. We focus on putting a quality team on the field and creating an exciting and entertaining experience during our games. We are headed into our 8th season as majority owners of the Ambush, and the impact on our community continues to grow. In addition, 20 years later, Cardinal Surveying continues to excel.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?Lol, there’s no such thing as a smooth road. My husband lost his job a year after moving to St. Louis. That forced us to act, and the outcome was that we started our own company, Cardinal Surveying. We were minority owners in the Ambush, and the majority owner decided to move to Florida in the middle of the 2015-2016 season. We were forced to step up and become more engaged. We eventually chose to step up and purchase the team. If we hadn’t, it likely would have folded. COVID was one of the biggest global challenges we have experienced in our lifetimes. People were forced to stay home, adapt to new ways of communication, change the activities they participated in, and, in essence, change who they were. The “stay home” initiatives significantly impacted how the business operated and caused our sports team to do a hard “reset.”
Thanks – What else should our readers know about the St. Louis Ambush?
The original St. Louis Ambush operated from 1992 – 2000 when the team won one championship. The rebirth of the current St. Louis Ambush occurred in 2013, which is the team I have been involved with. I am the first and only majority female owner in the Major Arena Soccer League. I also serve on the executive board of the league. My background is I am a teacher by trade, and I have a BS in Education. My ability to plan, organize, communicate, and create an atmosphere of “family” sets us apart from other teams. Our environment is family-friendly and made for families to enjoy together. The DJ plays tunes throughout the game, we’re constantly tossing t-shirts and balls into the stands, and we have autograph sessions on the field after games to help fans connect with the players. One of the things that I’m most proud of is the way we support and engage with the community. We donate to every fundraiser request, equating to over 150 charity fundraisers yearly (https://www.stlambush.com/
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
St. Louis has been a great place to raise my family. There are so many cultural opportunities, museums, parks, festivals, and entertainment opportunities that this city has to offer. Not to mention that it’s an excellent place for “foodies!” One of the things that I struggle to understand, even after living in St. Charles for over 20 years, is why residents in St. Charles have no problems crossing the bridge to participate in all that St. Louis has to offer. Still, for some reason, residents in St Louis don’t use that same bridge to explore and experience what St Charles has to offer.
Pricing:
- Single game tickets are $20 and $25
- Parking is close, convenient, and reasonably priced
- Game day clinics for youth start at $55 and include a ticket and t-shirt
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stlambush.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stlouisambush
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stlouisambush
- Twitter: @stlouisambush
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@StLouisAmbush
Image Credits
Game photos credit to team photographers: Scott Neer and Sunshine Lemanek
