Pacific Sports Network (PSN) is a team of freelance gig workers that organize and report on sports events. PSN was founded by Chris Rael who has been a freelance journalist since 2015.
A Brief History
In 2015, Chris Rael (myself) graduated from San Diego State University and began his career as a freelance journalist for SoccerToday. From the start, I covered futsal and soccer in Southern California. My coverage addressed youth development, semi-professional soccer and the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). In addition to journalism, I assisted with organizing youth futsal programs in San Diego.
In 2017, I attended Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands for my master’s program. The emphasis of the one-year program was Media, Culture and Society. During my time in the NL, I reported on Feyenoord Rotterdam’s youth program as well as Excelsior Rotterdam Women. I also traveled to report on the UEFA Futsal Euro 2018 in Slovenia.
Following my return to California in 2018, I continued to work as a freelance journalist and youth futsal organizer. In 2019, I took on the role of Communications Manager for United Futsal (North Carolina). The primary responsibility of the gig was being the on-site journalist at United Futsal’s events in the United States as well as Barcelona. Following the impact of COVID-19 in 2020, I transitioned to a freelance journalist and copyeditor for United Futsal. I then returned to California and continued to work as a youth sports organizer, which led to taking on coaching responsibilities.
In 2021, I started to work for Sports Promotions Group (SPG) and Soccer.com. The gig consists of being a retail associate at youth soccer tournaments across the United States. Now as manager, I am responsible for recruiting freelance retail associates in the Southwest. This gig requires networking with youth soccer club directors and tournament organizers, which relates to my experience as a journalist since the beginning of my career.
Following the 2021 summer tournament season, I connected the dots above and founded Pacific Sports Network (PSN). This network provides services related to writing, marketing, organizing and merchandise. PSN works with freelancers who seek employment opportunities in the football/futsal industry.
The above was written during my travels to the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2021 in Lithuania. I am lucky to have experienced the above circumstances by 30 years old. I look forward to sharing these opportunities with others that have the same passion for the sport.
— Feb. 2025 —
Since 2021, I have worked for Sports Promotions Group (SPG) and Soccer.com. Additionally, in 2022 I expanded my experience organizing youth soccer events by working with the Chicano Federation of San Diego County. The Chicano Federation is a non-profit that has served the county for over 55 years. First as an operations coordinator, my role expanded in 2024 to Soccer Program Manager, overseeing all summer camp operations. By connecting the other sectors of the soccer industry, namely multimedia, retail/equipment and coaching development, I was able to progress the program’s foundation and structure.
In 2025, I hope to partner with other organizations that align with my goal to provide low-cost, quality options for player development in Southern California. I will also expand retail production by offering screen printing and heat press services to clubs/organizations in the region.
Please connect with me if you wish to work or simply be involved in the soccer community.
Cheers,
Chris Rael
