KINGSTON, R.I. — March 6, 2024 — Before the whistle blows to start Rhode Island FC’s home opener March 16, five University of Rhode Island alumni and one student have helped the new team get to its opening kickoff.

While not having a role on the pitch, alumni Julia Melendez, office manager; Rachel Zingerman, Christian Martinelli, and Laucio Teixeira, all account executives; Matt Del Greco, director of sports performance; and Harrison Runci, operations intern, have all brought unique skills to the front office and the training operation.

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Melendez graduated from URI with a bachelor’s degree in political science in May of 2023, and she is pursuing a master’s degree in international relations, which she will complete this May. In the fall of 2024, she will begin a master’s degree in sports law and business from Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law. 

“URI taught me how to manage my time appropriately, and how to approach situations from a practical approach, which I believe has helped me in this journey with the club as office manager,” said Melendez. 

“As office manager, I deal directly with our IT company to ensure the club’s web security, and handle any technical issues,” Melendez said. “I also assist in merchandise management, which includes our e-commerce platform.”

Runci is excited about the opportunity to work for the soccer club as he finishes his last semester at URI.

“I could not be more excited for this opportunity to work with Rhode Island FC as I wrap up my last semester at URI.” Runci said. “As a lifelong Rhode Islander and soccer fan, it is a dream come true to be a part of a professional soccer team coming to my home state. Working at RIFC allows me to put everything I’ve learned in my courses into practice, in the industry where I plan to pursue a full-time career after graduation. 

“In my first month, I helped establish policies for our inaugural season, such as our Fan Code of Conduct, supporters group plans, and entrance and exit routes,” Runci said. 

Del Greco graduated from URI in 2018 with a degree in kinesiology. “My biggest talent from URI was capitalizing on the opportunities available at the school,” said Del Greco. “They came with situations and settings I wasn’t entirely comfortable with and I was able to walk away with new relationships, knowledge, and confidence I didn’t have before.”

As the director of sports performance, he works to optimize player performance through strength and conditioning exercises, develop recovery strategies if a player gets injured, and make sure players go through the correct rehab process.

Del Greco said the team relies on him to ensure that players are healthy and ready to go at game time. He takes an individual approach with each player.

“We put the players through a battery of performance tests at the start of preseason to not only assess how strong and fit they are, but we also create programs to strengthen our players,” said Del Greco. At the end of the day, their ultimate goal is to win, and in order to win, we have to maintain players’ health throughout the course of a long season.” 

Martinelli graduated from URI in 2021 with a degree in communications. Before coming to Rhode Island FC, he worked for the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Sounders. He is responsible for bringing new business to the club, including promoting season ticket sales and smaller ticket package deals to customers. 

“My approach with college students is to try and find them the most affordable options. I know when I was in college, I didn’t have much disposable income to spend,” Martinelli said. “I try to help college students put together groups because the club offers a discounted rate, and going to games with friends is really fun.” 

For Zingerman, who graduated from URI in 2023 with degrees in sports media and public relations, this is her first job since leaving URI. She is responsible for selling season tickets, other ticket packages and selling game-day tickets. 

“I was an athlete (softball) at URI, so coming into RIFC with that mindset is key,” Zingerman said. “Being competitive and determined to hit my quota is very important along with working as one team.” 

Teixeira graduated from URI in 2016 with a degree in communications. He was hired to launch the community campaign for the club and is now is an account executive. “I brought in my network that I began building at URI, and excellent performance skills allowed me to host multiple events for the club,” said Teixeira. 

Rhode Island FC will open its 17-game schedule at Bryant University on Saturday, March 16, at 4 p.m. The club expects to play its 2025 season at Tidewater Landing, where its new stadium is under construction in Pawtucket in 2025.

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Benjamin Smith, a senior sports media and public relations major at the University of Rhode Island and an intern in the Department of Communications and Marketing, wrote this press release.