Lancaster Inferno FC

Can you tell us who you are and your role with Lancaster Inferno?

My name is Francisco Cleaves and I am the president of Inferno Soccer Corp. I have also been the head coach since we acquired the team in 2014. We are a 501 (c) 3 organization with a mission to provide our fans and players with the highest level of amateur women’s soccer in Central PA.

 From where do you draw your players? Do you tend to stay local?

We attract players from Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania (Lancaster, Philadelphia, Reading, Harrisburg) . Some players commute two hours to our practices held in the Lancaster area. We are growing our local recruit pool with our second team that plays in UWS League Two.

 Tell us about a few of the players from the team that we should know about for the upcoming season. 

This will be a transition year for us as players have gone pro such as two-time UWS East Goalkeeper of the Year Kelly O’Brien, competing in the topflight in Hungary. We do have our captain and former professional with Ottawa Fury Teresa Rook, who earned All-UWS First Team honors last season. Also returning are defenders Marissa DiGenova (Temple University), Adalee Broadbent (Maryland University) and midfielders Ryelle Shuey (Lehigh University), Jackie Richards (Xavier University), and former professional Kendra Jones (FC Bulleen Lions and Bayside United FC of the Women’s National Premier League in Australia).

Which clubs do you consider to be your biggest rivalry games?

We have always had a big rivalry with the New England Mutiny but feel we also have good rivalry with all the teams that are closer to us like NJ Copa FC and Long Island Rough Riders.

Having switched from WPSL and UWS in 2016, how would you compare the two leagues? What ultimately was the reason for changing leagues?

We had started the process of applying for a W-League franchise because we saw the need for better standards and organization. After that league folded we were contacted by some former W-League teams to see if we wanted to be part of a new league that was forming (UWS). UWS maintains the professional standards in respect to rules, facilities, and organization. Our belief was that we wanted to play in a league that would eventually prepare us to field a professional team.

In 2018 your team joined Rush Soccer but decided not to continue that relationship after a year. Is being independent an important part of your club?

Our main purpose for that alliance was to tap into their player pipeline. Also, when they were involved with the local USL team (Penn FC),  there were synergies that we could have taken advantage of, such as sharing facilities and playing venues. Once Rush Soccer’s relationship with Penn FC ended, it no longer made sense for us to continue that relationship. We continue to look for other organizations that share our commitment to growing and supporting women’s soccer.

What are the biggest challenges to operating an independent women's soccer club? 

There are two: one is ensuring you have a player pipeline, and the other is ensuring that you have enough financial support to operate the team. Each year we try to improve on those two fronts. This year we are attacking these by having a reserve team that will play in UWS League Two, which gives the younger players an opportunity to experience a higher level of play. And we’re also connecting with local coaches in addition to our college recruiting.

We’ve been fortunate to have acquired some excellent corporate sponsors and some faithful individuals that have supported us and our mission from the outset. But looking at other ways for us to raise funds is something we continue to work on. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our good friend Roger Sandt (supporter and sponsor of the Inferno since 2014). We have many small local businesses that support us and last year added another multiyear uniform sponsor (Listrak). This year we will be holding more summer camps/clinics and are working to maintain a year-round presence in the community.

Talk about the support the club receives from the local community.

We’ve received great support from youth clubs and have worked to develop a loyal following through our social media effort, youth soccer camps and providing and focusing on the game day experience for the fans. The local newspaper (LNP) has always provided great coverage and we are working to get more consistent coverage from the local TV stations. It’s a challenge because we have a short season (10 games plus play-offs). Last year we had a USWNT watch party at one of our sponsors (Mad Chef Craft Brewing) and it was packed, so we will continue to have events in addition to youth soccer camps. We also have a long-term agreement with Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health Sports Medicine that provides physicals, trainer services and educational programs to our players.

There has been talk about someday having a Women's Open Cup in this country. If this came to fruition, do you see your club participating?

That would be awesome, and we would participate if given the opportunity. At the coaches’ convention, our league’s team owners had the opportunity to bring it up to Carlos Cordeiro. We have also had discussions with John Motta (USASA) regarding this. I believe they are supportive, but we need to get some traction to make it happen.

Where do you see your club going in the future? Is going professional something you envision?

We are exploring ways to grow and believe that we’ve built a great platform that’s focused exclusively on women’s soccer. I think as lower pro-divisions are formed, we would be interested but need the financial backing from local supporters willing to invest in that venture, which I think would be great for our area.

Santa Ana Winds FC

Southern California is stacked with talented players and have more great teams than we can shake a stick at – however, we were fortunate enough to get a reply to our request for more info from Marco Paniagua, head coach, of the UPSL’s Santa Ana Winds FC. We wanted to know the usual “when did you start” kinda stuff, but we also wanted to know what makes them tick. Winds FC, founded in 2006, started their play in the SoCal Premier League, but moved to NPSL in 2011. They’ve qualified for the US Open Cup (2018) and have even moved a player on to an international professional club (Juan Arellano). However, they left NPSL after only one year and have been in the UPSL ever since.

What is the mission of the club?

To promote, administer, develop, encourage opportunities and foster an environment for the participation of soccer players, staff and faculty to actively be involved in recreational, Social and competitive soccer whilst maintaining a community and family environment through the concept of “soccer for all”

Are you directly linked with youth teams?

Yes, but not in the USA, we are expanding the franchise internationally, we just opened our first soccer academy in Costa Rica and we have close to 100 kids between the age 4-12, additional we have the U13, U15, U17 and PRIMERA DE LINAFA. As of right now we had made the right decision and we are moving in the right direction and great results are showing. We have excellent staffing working and developing the academy.

Santa Ana Winds FC have competed in the SoCal Premier, NPSL, and now in the UPSL.

How many of those players break into the UPSL side?

As of right now, no youth players have broken into the UPSL from Winds FC, but slowly start getting a lot of this players into this league, we have to mention that UPSL has done a tremendous job in all areas and expanding nationally. This league will become one of the most important leagues for USA Soccer.

If the UPSL players don't come through the youth team, where do you draw players from?

Most of Our players come locally. Since 2017 when we became a bigger group and working with Jose Lopez- currently GM, Enrique Rosas- Assistant Head Coach, Jorge Adame,- Goalkeeper Coach, Edgar Barraza- Soccer Operation Coordinator, Leonel Lopez President and myself (Marco Paniagua) as Head Coach and Sport Manager, we changed our model, and we decided to work with young players (18-23) and put a process together for 3 year to became one of the best teams in the area. We decide to focus on an exchange development program for each player. Basically, we develop all our players to become professional, better player and a better person, of course with the option of jumping to the next level and became a professional baller.

Winds FC’s Juan Arellano was recently invited to join Club Sport Cartaginés of the Costa Rican Primera División.

Financing the team is so important for non-MLS teams; how do you do it? Do you have fans coming to the games, buying tickets and shirts, or do you mostly work with local sponsors?

We have a few sponsors that help to cover a portion of the financial situation, but the reality is that is not easy to maintain a soccer team, another portion is cover by all the partners: SCORE and DE LEON TRANSPORT INC.

Yes, we have fans and we have a great sponsor that provides all the equipment that a professional team needs to perform, as right now we don’t sell tickets and t shits but is an ongoing project for next season since we have everything to do it.

Part of the problem with player development in the US is that highly talented kids cannot afford club fees - does Winds FC do anything to reach out to underprivileged players?

Yes, we are aware of this situation, as mentioned before, our model is based on a development program to become a better person and better player and the most important part is become a professional baller, like we did with Juan Arellano back in 2018 when we transfer him to Club Sport Cartagines from COSTA RICA, at the moment they had Paulo Wanchope as Head Coach, one of the international soccer Legends. Something important to mention about our model is that we don’t charge any player and we don’t pay any player; they understand the great opportunity they have at winds FC. Part of this exchange program is that we have the relation with countries like Costa Rica, Denmark, Portugal, South Korea, USA, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and others.

With Women's Soccer becoming more and more important, do you have any girls’ squads and any interest in having a women's side in the future?

This a great topic and even we don’t have any woman squads yet here, we are working on getting the first girls’ team in Costa Rica. We believe that this a future project for us.

Been there, done that, Santa Ana Winds FC are earning a reputation as a winning organization.

For more information about Santa Ana Winds FC

For more information about UPSL Soccer

OSA Seattle (WPSL)

Soccer in the US, whether men’s or women’s, is made up by a variety of clubs in so many different leagues that it can make the head spin. While we had previously covered OSA Seattle’s NPSL side, we remembered that their WPSL squad was built a little different than others. From teaming up with local development academies in order to fill out their roster and provide top-level soccer to locals to providing an exchange program to Italian internationals, club President Giuseppe Pezzano of OSA Seattle shows the world that there is more than just one way to build an organization.

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When OSA Seattle was first set-up in 2013 your women's side were instantly successful and won their conference. Now that the rest of the Pacific Northwest is starting to catch up and several new teams are joining WPSL and the NWPL, have you noticed any impact on the talent and competitiveness?

This is a team that we couldn’t put together again because women’s soccer in Italy has exploded. Our 2013 team was a very strong team made up of talented players, some of whom played on the Italian World Cup team (Guagni and Giacinti).

The WPSL has added so many new teams in our area that the level of the conference has diminished, because the player pool is so even more divided between the teams. For players to have a chance to improve, they have to play at a high level, against other strong players, but the way our conference is now there just isn’t enough of that consistent talent. This was one of the main reasons I choose to merge and partner with Crossfire Premier, to give opportunities to their young talented academy players to play in an adult league and improve.

In the USA both men’s and women’s leagues have other business priority, and they lose the ability and focus to really help the development. I am hopeful that things will eventually change and begin to mirror how soccer is run throughout the rest of the world.

Valentina Giacinti and Alia Guagni, teammates for Italy in the World Cup, were once teammates in Seattle for OSA

Some clubs are directly connected to youth programs, providing an adult end to a development funnel, while some clubs don't have access to players like that and are made up mostly of college women from around the region. Which type are you and do you see a difference in the long-term ability to remain in business?

We do not have a youth program of our own, but have partnered with Crossfire Premier, which has a very strong program, giving us access to players, and giving players opportunities to develop. We also have great connections in Italy and always try to bring some players over to give an on the pitch exchange experience where everyone is learning from each other.

Women's soccer has lacked a sense of stability; leagues come and go. Why have you stuck with the WPSL when the UWS, UPSL Women's League, or even the regional NWPL are options?

We are always looking at the competitive national league landscape to see what's available. The pro league has only 9 teams and a franchise already in the Seattle area, so it’s not an option. The WPSL is just one step below the pro league and it has a lot of teams nationally, so it has been the best option for us so far. The other leagues are regional, so I am not interested.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion surrounding the pyramid, which makes things confusing for players as these leagues are not necessarily good for their development, and fans as they continue to be confused about the proper pyramid structure.

Soccer is not an American made sport like football or baseball there’s an already established structure that should be followed with the other soccer federation.

OSA has teamed-up with Washington development powerhouse XF to provide local players and select internationals the highest-possible level of soccer available, without competing with existing NWSL sides, in the Northwest.

The men have access to the US Open Cup and National Amateur Cup, do you think it’s time for Women's soccer to have an Open Cup as well? If it existed, would OSA Seattle pursue it? What obstacles would the concept of a women's open cup have to overcome?

Yes, I think it would be a good thing to have more games and tournaments and I’d be interested in pursuing it, however, in the past when I proposed more games or tournament ideas to the other local teams, they all declined. Some didn't want to spend the money; another excuse was that adding more games was too complex to work into the schedule. I don’t agree with this mentality, but I have to accept it. (This year with 9 clubs in the conference we play only 8 games)

How important is drawing support? Did the recent World Cup bring anybody out; did you see any interested fans or players from other OSA squads come to the women's matches this year?

Unfortunately, we didn’t see fan base increase but we have seen a lot of interest for my consulting services and the OSA organization as it was integral in the explosion that Italian women’s soccer has seen.

What's the most important aspect to operating a women's team?

Passion and love for this beautiful sport. Soccer is soccer, there’s no women’s or men’s soccer, it’s all soccer!

The OSA XF squad competes in the WPSL, head here for more information.