HOUSTON, March 25 /PRNewswire/ -- BBVA Compass will be the
lead sponsor of "Soccer Aces" in the U.S., which will conduct a
casting in Houston of talented
soccer players for the first ever international reality show
dedicated to the most popular sport in the world. Soccer legends,
Zinedine Zidane and Enzo
Francescolli, are actively demonstrating their support for the
"Soccer Aces" program – encouraging players from around the world
to take a shot at the big leagues. The new reality TV program is an
initiative that seeks to discover young talented players from
around the world who dream of becoming future soccer stars. The
show also provides a second chance to older, more experienced
players who have not been able to break into the professional
arena.
(Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100325/DA77143)
The casting for the show will take place April 10 from 9:00 am to
6:00 pm at Houston Baptist
University (HBU). Applicants, who are selected on the first
day, will participate in a second casting, where a panel of judges
will individually review their soccer skills. After this second
round, the panel will issue a report on behalf of "Soccer Aces"
with the names of the pre-selected players from the U.S. casting.
The castings are being promoted through GolTV, the nation's only
bilingual channel delivering the most sought-after international
soccer coverage, and Terra.com, the leading digital original
content producer for the U.S. Hispanic market.
"Soccer Aces" in Spain will
then review this report and determine who will be offered the
opportunity to travel to Europe
for a final casting. Selected final contestants will become members
of La Academia – the "Soccer Aces" training program –
located in Spain. The winner of
La Academia will be awarded the opportunity to try out for a
professional European team in The BBVA League in Spain. The reality show will be telecast in
the U.S. by GolTV in May.
While attending La Academia, finalists will live and
train together as if they were actual members of a professional
soccer team. Focused on a player's dedication, effort, and ability
to overcome obstacles, this innovative program promotes both soccer
values and principles of good sportsmanship. In other words, this
is a quest to find new soccer talent who is able to combine quality
technical skills with leadership qualities and a spirit for
teamwork.
Contestants will be supported by an international, professional
staff made up of a coach, psychologists, nutritionists, and
trainers from across the world of soccer. This team of professional
staff will supervise, monitor and evaluate the performance and
development of all players.
To participate, players must be at least 18 years old and
register at www.socceracestv.com
ABOUT BBVA COMPASS
BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that
operates 724 branches including 387 in Texas, 92 in Alabama, 65 in California, 77 in Arizona, 45 in Florida, 36 in Colorado and 22 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass is the 15th largest
U.S. commercial bank based on deposit market share and ranks among
the largest banks in Texas (4th),
Alabama (3rd) and Arizona (5th). Additional information
concerning BBVA Compass can be found on our website
www.bbvacompass.com.
BBVA Compass is a subsidiary of Compass Bancshares, Inc., a
wholly owned subsidiary of BBVA (NYSE: BBVA) (MAD: BBVA). BBVA is a
financial services group with more than $785
billion in total assets, 48 million clients, 7,600 branches
and approximately 104,000 employees in more than 30 countries. BBVA
ranks among the top 20 largest financial institutions in the world
based on market capitalization and 20th in Global Finance
magazine's list of the "World's 50 Safest Banks" for 2009. BBVA
provides its customers around the world with a full range of
financial services, including commercial and wholesale banking,
retail banking services, consumer loans, mortgages, credit cards,
securities brokerage, wealth management, pension plan management
and insurance. The BBVA Group maintains a leadership position in
Spain, Mexico, Latin
America and the Sunbelt Region of the United States as well as operations in
China, France, Germany, Hong
Kong, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Editor's Note:
BBVA Compass is a trade name of Compass Bank and a trademark
of Compass Bancshares, Inc.
SOURCE BBVA Compass