Yakima United FC

The Northwest Premier League, a Pacific Northwest regional league for elite amateur women, was founded in 2015-16 and began their first season in the Spring of 2016. Yakima United was there from the get go, and have never finished outside of the playoffs. Joshua Vega, the club’s general manager, who spent two years as a player for the men’s squad, has also been the head coach of the Reds’ women’s side since its beginnings. We reached out to find out a little more about the growth of the league and the role of the organization as one of the league’s pillars.

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Yakima United was a founding member of the NW Premier League - can you tell us if there was a women's team before then? When and why was the squad founded?

To my knowledge there’s never been a premier women’s club in Yakima. For us, it was an easy decision, as soon as the opportunity was available, we jumped in. So, the NWPL and Yakima United’s Women’s Program are linked in terms of founding. We want to help grow the game in any way we can and why should that just be the men’s game? We’ve been extremely pleased with the growth and shape this team has taken. It started with some of the older players in the valley who we wouldn’t be where we are now without, they believed in our concept. Since then we’ve taken on a more “summer program” role for college players as well as some older players finishing their youth club season.

Yakima United FC helped found the NW Premier League and battle every year to stay amongst its best sides.

NWPL is likely to expand by at least one club next year - what's it been like to see the league grow and has the level of soccer increased as well?

I think it’s fantastic, when a new league starts like this there’s always the possibility of it being a one and done or a few seasons, but it seems to keep growing and getting stronger each year. That’s all down the leadership that’s in place and a bunch of like-minded people involved for the right reasons. It’s a player first league, and that’s always going to be the correct approach. As far as the level growing? The league has been strong since day 1. I’m not sure the overall talent level has grown necessarily, but what’s been interesting is to see the evolution of all the clubs involved, you have a team like the stars that, at the beginning, was probably one of the weaker teams, or middle of the pack, now being literally unbeatable. Additionally, seeing new clubs like Capital come in and be strong right away is great for the league.ems to keep growing and getting stronger each year. That’s all down the leadership that’s in place and a bunch of like-minded people involved for the right reasons. It’s a player first league, and that’s always going to be the correct approach. As far as the level growing? The league has been strong since day 1. I’m not sure the overall talent level has grown necessarily, but what’s been interesting is to see the evolution of all the clubs involved, you have a team like the stars that, at the beginning, was probably one of the weaker teams, or middle of the pack, now being literally unbeatable. Additionally, seeing new clubs like Capital come in and be strong right away is great for the league.

Is Yakima United connected to a youth organization in your community? If so, how many young players transition from the academy to the women's top side (and men's side for that matter)?

While we aren’t directly linked with a youth club in the area, both Dennis and Myself coach for the Central Washington Sounders. So, we do have a strong relationship with that club and receive a lot of support from that. Our women’s team at times is about 70% alumni or current players from the youth club, our men’s program is a bit more diverse. We want to remain an open option to any player interested in participating, but at the same time we enjoy having a relationship with an organization with a similar mindset. On the women’s side we also have a great relationship with Yakima Valley College, and have been getting some quality players from that program and that has proven to be very mutually beneficial.

Yakima United’s women, and men, source its players from multiple places: Central Washington Sounders youth program, Yakima Valley College and other collegiate programs.

In a World Cup year, did you see any noticeable increase in support for the team from outside the organization; did fans from the community start to show up? Do you see increasing community interest as a goal of the club?

In short, no. Support for grassroots soccer has always been a tricky thing. There’s ebbs and flows, there’s times where you beat your head against the ground wondering why people don’t want to come support their local teams. You have large groups of people heading 2.5 hours over the mountains weekly to support the pro game that never come out to a game. I’m not directing any vitriol toward those types of people, that’s completely their prerogative and they “owe” us nothing. What I wish people would understand is how much attendance to even one game held clubs like ours. If every person in Yakima who goes to a sounders game every season came to just one of our games it would go a great way toward helping us become more sustainable. Besides that, it’s actually really good soccer and a terrific value.

Travel can't be cheap, even if it's only throughout Washington and Oregon. What's the farthest you've had to take the squad? How many players travel on an away day? How do you budget for multiple away days; club dues, sponsorships, donations, selling soccer swag?

It is expensive, but it actually isn’t our biggest cost. We’ve been so fortunate to have players on both sides who understand the struggles and pay for most of their own travel. It’s not ideal, and we’d like to always travel together but it is what it is. Salem is the definitely the longest trip out women’s team has had. This year we made that trip twice both times I had a car full of girls and the gas, food, etc. for those trips comes out of my own pocket. That may be the other thing local soccer supporters don’t realize. How much personal injection of funds comes from our ownership and staff, and the families of players just to survive. Don’t get me wrong we do have fantastic sponsors who without we wouldn’t exist. But the costs associated with running a small club like this are far greater than those who see from the outside, and sometimes the inside, just do not understand.

The club has done a great job of utilizing catchy graphic design to market their matches and promote themselves.

Have you had any players or coaches move on from Yakima to play in a fully professional organization? Have any coaches taken the reigns elsewhere and manage their own clubs?

As YUFC, no. But in the past, with the Yakima Reds we’ve had several players move on. Jake Sagare, Aaron Heinzen, Santa Maria Rivera are a few of the home-grown players who went on to have professional careers, and there’s been more. We’ve also had some players from outside the area play here who had careers as pros like Mike Chabala, Chris Eyelander and a few others. As far as women, none yet but I believe there will be eventually, the pay scale for professional women is a huge hinderance. Could someone like Lauryn Peters or Natalie Nagle play professionally? Probably not in the US and be financially secure enough, so the only option would be going to another country and that presents a different set of obstacles whereas a male counterpart with the same relative talent would have far more options.

Delaney Romero of the Reds sinks Twin City Union in the 2019 NWPL playoffs.

For more information about Yakima United FC

For more information about the NW Premier League

Capital FC Atletica

The Northwest Premier League was founded in 2016 and has largely been dominated by teams in Washington; however, since their addition in 2018’s season, Capital FC Atletica have risen up the table and increased the standard of play in the league. CFC Atletica are a member of the Timbers’ Alliance, and the Salem, Oregon-based women’s soccer team represents a competitive end of a development funnel. The organization provides a place to grow and play soccer to girls from all over the capital of Oregon, but it also provides a home for student athletes and women soccer players of all ages, to extend their footballing career. When we had a few questions about how their organization is run and what sets them apart, we were directed to Capital FC Women’s Soccer Director of Operations Whitney Pitalo—she took the time to answer our questions and provided some great photos from the club.

How long has Capital Fútbol Club been providing soccer to the city and what is it's working relationship with the Timbers organization? Some clubs, like Seattle Sounders Women, go the obvious route when it comes to naming the team and building the aesthetic; when was Atletica formed and what was the motivation behind naming the team?

CFC has been providing the competitive soccer experience for youth in our city since 1993. We became a Timber's Alliance club in 2013. Then our club acquired the U23 Timbers in 2017 - the same year I started the women's WPSL team (that then moved to the NWPL). The club had been wanting a professional men's soccer team back in Salem since the folding of the Cascade Surge. That team was special for the soccer community here in Salem. I remember their games vividly as a child. When I returned to Salem after graduating from USC I started my master's program at Willamette where I decided to start a competitive women's team. I started the team with help from my MBA team, community members and club directors. Atletica came from a re-branding in 2018 where we sought to have a stronger brand. This was heavily influenced by long-time women's sports advocate, Kate Sorem, who helps run the team today. We had a few names we were choosing from to accurately represent women's soccer in our community. We decided Atletica was the best fit because of diversity of our team and our community.

CFC Atletica celebrates its diversity, showcasing players from around the world.

Why NWPL? With national models like UWS and WPSL making higher profile soccer available, why join a regional league instead? Conversely, how does the standard of play in the Northwest Premier League compare to a metro league, like Portland's NUWS?

The team started in the WPSL, but we ended up transferring leagues in year 2, since it didn't prove to be the right fit for the team. I believe the NWPL is a great league for elite women's team's that are looking to stay local and for teams that are new. They provide excellent social media support, all games are held in the Northwest and league fees are lower. This helps a new team get their feet under them, gain visibility in their communities and perform better in their first years. The NWPL is the most competitive regional league in the Northwest and is more accessible than the travel demands on teams in the WPSL (that go to Canada and California) and is still excellent competition for players looking to play in college or athletes looking to keep playing competitively after graduation.

What's the age range of the players in the side and where do they come from? I know the Timbers U23s side of the house does an amazing job drawing collegiate players from all over the country, is that model in place for Atletica?

We have players from the ages of 17 to 28 currently. We have the top high school players in the area, collegiate players from Oregon, retired professional players, national team members from Ghana, Namibia and Mexico, and international players that we recruit. We have a diverse player pool and that's what makes the experience so fun. We have connections overseas in Africa and Korea, in the states and in our city. We even have players who are local mother's coming back to play. It's a wonderful environment for all players of all ages to learn from each other, stay healthy and make connections that will help their life & soccer careers.

We were all just treated to a fantastic World Cup, with amazing match ups and exciting player performances, but was the interest in women's soccer already on the rise prior to that? What influence has the NWSL, with teams like the Thorns and Reign, had on players looking to continue playing after high school? How about the supporter’s aspect, has an increased interest in women's soccer shown itself in the stands?

This year with an amazing World Cup we had a lot of extra attention to draw on, but I believe women's soccer was already on the rise. In our third year, we had many more supporters and volunteers. The World Cup felt like a celebration of where women’s soccer has come and where it's going. We held watch parties for the US games at a local brewery - Salem Ale Works (SAW) - and attendance was amazing (75+ during a work day)! I think that's when I started to realize that it's not just players who loves the game, but the community wants to be a part of it. It was a special year and I only see growth from here. We love attending Portland Thorns and NWSL games as a team and I think the World Cup has put the league on the map.

You're in the NWPL Final! What's next? What actions represent growth for the organization?

The next goal for the team is to win the NWPL championship. With victory comes visibility and I think that's what the team and club need to establish women's soccer as a powerhouse in our city. For us this year and next, growth means being more involved in our community (volunteering, school visits, events) and I think we've done a great job of it this year. Next year's plan is to continue to be involved in our community and grow our visibility. When we give back to our community they come back in full support; this is something we want to foster. The more support and recognition we receive the more sustainable this team and league will be.

CFC Atletica take on NWPL competition on their way to the 2019 league championship match (Photo: Jeremy McDonald)

For more information about CFC Atletica’s program

For more information about the NWPL

NCW Alliance FC

Cindy Abouammo, the president of NCW Alliance FC, graciously cut some time out of her schedule to answer Protagonist Soccer’s Spotlight questions. The Wenatchee, Washington based club is about 150 miles southeast of Seattle and plays in the Northwest Premier League (https://nwplsoccer.wordpress.com/). The NWPL is home to nine clubs, stretching from Seattle to Salem and gives elite high schoolers, college players, aspiring and former professional women athletes a platform from which to launch. We’ve wanted to talk women’s soccer, and thought there’d be no better voice to start the conversation than that of a woman president of a women’s club in a women’s league! NCW Alliance FC, you are in the Spotlight…

When and how were you founded?

We were founded in fall of 2016. Our group of founding organizers recognized a need for a higher level of play for female athletes in the Wenatchee Valley and surrounding areas.

Does the club have any connections to an existing youth system?

Our club has been working closely in partnership with Wenatchee United and OPS FC to create a solid soccer structure here in the Wenatchee Valley. In 2018 we introduced our NCW Alliance Academy program. This program serves female youth players ages 15 -18 by providing a high level of training and college ball preparation. We were able to create this program by partnering with Wenatchee United and OPS FC. Some Academy players have the opportunity to play up on the Alliance first team during the NWPL season.

 What were the motivations behind the badge, mascot, and colors?

The club colors of blue and orange came about because we wanted to merge the soccer roots of the valley into what we’re creating. We combined the colors of blue (representing Wenatchee United) and orange (the colors of the former Wenatchee Fire) to create an Alliance of each club in the valley coming together at the highest level; thus our logo, a rising phoenix, rising up into the sky with no limits. That is what motivated us on our colors and our logo.

 Are there any connections to, or inspirations drawn from, other clubs in the world?

No, our inspiration came from our local youth clubs in the valley.

 What are the goals of the organization; does that include an ambition to grow quickly or more just see how it goes?

The goals of our organization are to continue to provide a top level of competition for female athletes in our area and to continue to grow our academy program to create more opportunities for aspiring female youth players.  We are also considering creating a men’s Alliance team in the future.

The team seems relatively new, are there any players who’ve made an instant impact? Anybody notable who’s come from another league or club?

Katie Michkiosky joined our team the year of our formation and has returned each year to make a significant contribution to the team.  She was a former Wenatchee Fire youth player, played for Wenatchee High School, and played for Wenatchee Valley College. She is currently playing soccer for Northwest University.

Katie is an example of what we are trying to accomplish by working with the youth clubs in the valley, the Alliance Academy program, and Wenatchee Valley College.

Do you have an existing or budding rivalry? Do you see rivalry as an important part of growing the fan side of an organization, or a distraction?

Rivalries are always a good part of any sport. With us being new to the league we don’t have any strong rivalries yet but there does seem to be more excitement from our fans and players when we play Yakima United.  They are our closest competition and I wouldn’t be surprised if the intensity grows when we play them in 2019. This could be a budding rivalry!

 How do you feel about clubs being politically active? Should they just stick to soccer or is there a responsibility to be a part of the community?

Our local community is important to us but soccer is a place to escape the whirlwind of politics.  It is a game that is packed with passion and we like to throw our passion into the game without diluting the love of the game with politics.

Is there anything important to YOU that I missed?

We feel like we are a community team and are extremely thankful for our fans, players, and partners.  We are very thankful to have a good working relationship with the local youth clubs, the high schools, and Wenatchee Valley College. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of our community.