KC Courage (WPSL)

So let's start off with you. Who are you and how did you get involved with KC Courage?

Before the KC Courage, I coached for 12 years at Johnson County Community College and resigned in the spring of 2013 to spend more time with my older kids as they were nearing the end of their high school years. That summer I had the opportunity to coach the Kansas City Shock, the first WPSL team in Kansas City. That team folded after only one season and I knew it was important to keep a team going so I started my own team, the KC Courage.

Were you ever tempted to spell Courage with a K?

Heavens no, my third grade spelling teacher would be appalled.

How long have the KC Courage been playing and what level of talent have you produced?

The KC Courage was formed in the spring of 2014 and has played in the WPSL for seven seasons. Including my player pool for the Shock in 2013, I’ve coached seven players that have gone on to play professionally. I’ve also had two players go from pro to amateur status to continue their playing careers with the KC Courage.

I think it’s also important to mention ALL of the players that didn’t go on to play professionally but that still play at a high level and have careers in other fields. Our players are nurses, teachers, coaches, police officers, physical and occupational therapists, accountants, managers, probation officers and business owners.

After college, a female player has a couple of choices depending on level of play and commitment that she wants. Most big cities have the option of adult recreational leagues or another option would be an employer based sports league. Both the WPSL and UWS are set apart because they’re well organized by a constitution and by-laws with a set of minimum standards, which results in a very competitive, high level of play.

The KC Courage matched it's best win total in 2019. How can the club build on that for next year?

Our level of play gets better every year and our players have always been our best recruiters. They enjoy their time spent with the KC Courage and tell their friends and teammates. Every year, we get a good bit of interest from internationals, and while we do have some players from outside of the KC area, I tend to favor the local players for filling out our roster. It’s important to me to provide a team for local women to play and continue to get that high level of soccer. Many of our college players attend school out of state. The opportunity for them to play back at home during the summer where their friends and families are, gives us a pretty solid fan base.

How much emphasis does your club put on wins and losses? What are some other priorities?

There was a time in my life that I could spout out every stat and score in the book, but if I’m being honest I’d have to say that I don’t put an emphasis on any of that anymore. I put more of an emphasis on playing pretty soccer than on winning or losing. That’s not to say that I’m okay with losing, but life is about way more than what the scoreboard shows at the end of a game.

“Better than the day before” is my mantra. For our college players prepping for their upcoming seasons, it’s a priority that they improve their game. For our post-college players, it’s a priority that they stay fit, healthy and able to continue playing the game that brings so much joy to their lives.

Inclusion, empowerment and giving back to the community are our top priorities. It’s important to me that every player feel accepted and a part of our soccer family. It’s also important to me that my players feel like they have a voice. Nearly all of my post-college players are coaches at some level and I treat them as equals. I respect the opinions of all of them and even when I don’t agree, they know that at least they were heard and are a part of a culture where all suggestions are welcome. And finally, the KC Courage looks for opportunities to “give back” in the form of free soccer clinics to under-served populations, assistance with college tuition and partnering with like-minded organizations in the Kansas City metro.

Tell us about a player or two.

Impossible. I’d want to tell you about all of them! They’re all strong, independent, empowered women and I’m so proud of each and every one of them.

What club is your biggest rival?

I don’t really see any one club as our biggest rival. Lindsay Kennedy-Eversmeyer, the owner and coach of Fire & Ice, is good friend and it’s always fun to play her team. She’s a fierce competitor and runs her team with class.

How has the protracted offseason been for you, your players, and the club?

For me, it’s been a much needed break – an opportunity to be present and spend time with my family. This is the first summer I’ve had free in seven years.  But, being away from the game has really made me miss it. I’m ready for this pandemic to be over! I know my players have missed playing as well. It’s been hard to see every weekend since the end of May pass by knowing that they should’ve been playing. Hopefully we’ll get through this and come out on the other end with a renewed passion and appreciation for the game.

Any chance of playing matches later in the season?

In 2020, no.  With the resurgence on Covid-19 cases, I just don’t see any scenario for that happening.

Anything else we should know about your club?

Yes, our website is www.kccourage.com and you can follow us on Instagram and Twitter @KCCourageSoccer.

St. Louis Lions (WPSL)

So who are you and how did you get involved with St Louis Lions?

My name is Geoff Lorimier and I am the Head Coach of the team and Director of Coaching for our youth club (TG Lions Academy).  Three years ago I and our General Manager, Kevin Hecht, approached our Club Director (Tony Glavin) about starting a WPSL team.  We have had a men’s team in USL2 since 2006 and we had always been looking to add a women’s team to the club.  We began to do some research on the league and the quality of the teams around us.  We wanted to know if this was something we could start up for our club.  After talking with other coaches in the league about how they operate, and our experience with our men’s team, we thought we had a great opportunity to do something in our area.

What's the history of the club?

Our club started in 1994 as a youth club (TG Lions Academy) to boys and girls from the ages of U8-U19.  One of the goals set forth by our Club Director, Tony Glavin, was to make sure we had a complete player pathway for those players who wanted to seek out a higher level of soccer at the older ages. In 2006 we formed the St. Louis Lions men’s’ team as a part of the PDL (now USL2).  This was a great opportunity for the boys in our club to strive to play at a higher level after the U19 season.  Then in 2018 we formed the St. Louis Lions women’s’ team as a part of the WPSL.  By doing so we were able to have a pathway for the boys and girls in our club.

Last season your club was competitive, but ended up third in a very challenging conference. What lessons did you learn?

We were really happy with our season.  Coming off of the 2018 season, which was our first in the league, we thought we had a better understanding of the competitiveness of the play.  We improved in many statistical categories from year 1 to year 2 and that was a tribute to the hard work of the players during training.  However, we were able to take away things from the season that will help us prepare for others to come.  The main thing that I learned was that the depth of the squad that we put out on the field is very important to the overall success of the team.  The league is set up where we play 8-10 games in about a month in a half.  This can be very challenging due to playing multiple games during a week while still learning the nuances of each player.  Getting the players to adapt to a style of play in that short time frame can be hard for everyone.  Therefore, the depth becomes an issue so that the players can have the rest needed in order to perform at the level that is required for success in the league.

Maddie Brewer plays the ball forward.

You scored a lot of goals, 26 in 10 matches. How would you describe your clubs style of play?

I want to see our players building out of the back, showing comfort and composure on the ball, possession with a purpose through midfield, and players showing creativity and having the ability to take players on in the attacking third of the field. We like to see the ball moving quick with 1-2 touch passes to keep the ball moving to create space for attacking opportunities.  We believe if we move the ball quick then we can take advantage of the space in behind our opponents and not let them organize defensively.

Defensively we like to press high up the field with numbers behind the ball and staying compact through the middle of the pitch. We don’t want to get have many gaps in our lines.  If we lose the ball we want immediate pressure.

These are things that we work on in all of our sessions as we want to try and implement our style of play in a very short time frame.  We have a lot of players coming from other schools who may play a different style and we want to bring them altogether very quickly.

Can you tell us about 1 or 2 of your players?

Hannah Larson – Hannah has played for us both years and would have been preparing for her third season this year had the season not been cancelled.  She just finished her senior year in high school and is committed to St. Louis University for the fall season.  We have seen her growth in the game in the short time she has been with us.  She is an attacking mid player for us, could probably benefit from using her speed to play out wide.  However, she is one of the most dynamic players on the ball in the league.  She scored 3 goals and assisted on 3 others to finish with 9 points in just 8 games.  Hannah is a tough player who doesn’t get knocked off the ball and can play high intensity for 90 minutes.

Maddie Bauer – Maddie had her first season with us last year.  She is a junior at Quincy University.  Maddie plays the #9 (forward) position for us but I have also used her out wide.  She is a strong player who can play with her back to the goal and come to receive the ball to allow for us to get numbers up, but she is also quick on the ball and can take players on.  She was tied for the lead in goals on our team with 6 (Hannah Friedrich also had 6) and she began to really take off and adjust to the league in the back half of the season.  I had spoken to a few other coaches that I wish we had about 4-5 more games because Maddie was really beginning to breakout and adjust.  We are excited to have her back.

These are just two of the players but we really have quality in all of our players.  It is hard to just mention two of them. I could mention Stacie Muehling (defender) who has played in the most games in our, short, franchise history (18). Cristina Rodriguez who came through our youth club all the way to the WPSL team and is our leading scorer in franchise history (7 goals, 5 assists, 19 points).  We have been very fortunate to have two outstanding goalkeepers in Olivia Silverman (who is now my assistant coach) and Mary Niehaus.  So I must say the quality of the players, and the quality of the league, is top notch.

With the extended offseason, how are you keeping in contact with your players and preparing for 2021?

It has been tough especially with restrictions on meeting and training.  I have tried to keep in contact via emails just to continue to check in and see how things are going.  I want to make sure they know that we are here for them beyond the 1-2 month season.  This includes giving them things that they can be working on their own with or just answering their questions that they may have about the game.

As far as preparations for 2021, we will first reach out to those players on the squad who we hope to have back for the season.  Once we have an idea on who is coming back then we can look at the areas that we may need to fill.  I have a pretty good relationship with a number of college coaches and we try to stay in contact with potential players who would benefit from this type of playing environment.  I also try to get out to as many high school and college games that I can to get a look at players who may fit in to our style of play.  This process takes a bit of time, but we really want to make sure that our club can be competitive in the league and represent the league in a positive manner.

Hannah Larson muscles past a defender.

St. Louis is known as a hotbed for soccer talent, what's your focus as a club? Is it talent development, winning the league, growing the brand, or something else entirely?

St. Louis is a very competitive market for the game.  Our roster is typically about 80% local players.  We have some very good players in the area who can play at this level.  That said from our youth club on up, we have always been about individual player development.  Don’t get me wrong, we want to win every time we step on the pitch, however, we don’t want to do it at the expense of the development of each.  Player development is so important to continue to allow each player to succeed in their goals of the game.  It doesn’t matter if it is a youth player just starting in the game or a collegiate player who may be looking to advance into the professional side.  Every player has got to continue to work on the technical side of the game.

I believe that if the player development continues for our team/club then winning the games will happen as well.  We went from winning 2 games (2 wins 2 losses 4 ties) in 2018 to winning 7 games (7 wins 2 losses 1 tie) in 2019.  As the players development within the league improves so will the quality of our results.

Who do you see as your biggest WPSL rivals?

Our biggest rival is the Fire and Ice.  They are about 40 minutes from us in Belleville, Illinois and a lot of our players know each other and have played with each other.  The Fire and Ice have a very competitive squad year after year and they elevate the quality of the play in the league.  They won the National Championship in 2017 and continue to be a tough opponent.  We have fared well with them in our matches as we tied both our matches in 2018 and we went 1-1 with them in 2019.  We were actually the first team to beat them on their home pitch in 7 years.  Before that they had never lost at home.  So that match really elevated our progress within the league.

We also have a decent rivalry with Elite Girls Academy out of Omaha, Nebraska.  They are a very competitive squad who were new to the league last year.  They won our conference and we lost to them at their place and tied them at home.  We enjoy playing them as they have been very competitive matches.

Anything else we should know about your club?

We just want to continue to give these players the opportunity to play/train in a competitive environment that will allow them to continue to focus on their goals in the game.  I think it is important to ensure that the roster maintains a level of high quality players so that each player can benefit from all during training.

That said, I think it is important for our youth players to see what they can do, and the level they have available to them, if they continue to work hard in the game.

SouthStar FC (WPSL)

So let's start off with you. Who are you and how did you get involved with Southstar FC?

My name is John Saeger and I live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex. I’ve been involved in North Texas soccer for almost 20 years, first as a parent, now as an owner of a few “soccer related” businesses including SouthStar FC.

I experienced my first WPSL season a few years back when a number of players and young coaches played for FC Dallas’ WPSL team. I thought it was great that the women had another vehicle to continue playing (during their college career and beyond). What I also saw was an MLS club not putting in the same resources for the women players as they did for men. That pissed me off! I’m on the board of a local youth club and I reached out to the WPSL to see what it would take to start a WPSL team. I had a few conversations with Sean Jones. I thought about it. What I realized though is in order to get the top talent in the area, I needed to be Switzerland, not affiliated with any of the youth clubs here as they’re UBER competitive against each other. To a fault. I also wanted to have a club that treats their players with the same resources as men’s teams have. They deserve it!

I was still on the fence. I was at the United Soccer Coaches show in Chicago a few years back for my portable soccer field lighting company (SouthStar Systems), and I met with the WPSL folks. I decided then and there I’d start a team for the upcoming season. 2019 was our first year. 

Where are you based out of and how did you come up with the name Southstar?

We are based in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. We practice in Dallas and play our HOME games at TCU in Ft. Worth. SouthStar FC came from my business (SouthStar Systems) that sells portable lighting. Soccer clubs are one of my biggest customers for portable soccer field lighting. I have met and work with so many great people from great clubs from all over the world. I’ve learned so much (and continue to do so) from them. I absolutely love what I do! 

Messiah Bright in action for SouthStar FC.

How long have Southstar been playing and what level of talent have you produced?

2019 was our 1st year. I must give all the credit to the coaching staff, Susan (Bush) Quill, Lauren Alkek and Jay Fitzgerald. They had the relationships and were able to attract a lot of talented players. We have some amazing players who will be playing at the next level for sure.

 The club finished second in your conference last year, how do you plan to build on that success?

In 2019, we set a great tone and we’ll build upon that. We’ve heard from quite a few new players who want to come out. We keep in constant contact with the players from a social perspective, follow their collegiate games and try to keep the brand out in front year around. We want to be THE club that these great players from the area want to play for. 

Your conference lies in a very competitive area, that North Texas/Oklahoma border region, what's the level of competition in your conference?

No question, this area has produced some great women players. We play in the Red River Conference – North.  Tulsa and Oklahoma City are always tough. Quite a few of our players play in the Big 12 conference so they all know each other as teammates or the competition. There are no easy games! 

Tell us about a player or two.

Messiah Bright (Forward, TCU) is an absolutely explosive player and she’s only getting better. She was the Freshman of the Year in the Big 12. She can break away at any time and score so you have to pay attention. So fun to watch!

Courtney Sebazco (Midfield, SMU) is tough as nails. Never gives up on the ball, great vision, leads by example. Always impressed by her play. She has the honor of scoring the first goal ever for the club! 

Courtney Sebazco dribbles past a Tulsa opponent.

What are your goals for your club? Do you focus on matches, final record, trophies, player development, social impact, or something else entirely?

My goal(s) for the club are just giving these women an opportunity to play. We’ve added a few goals now as we learn. We want to help them play at the next level, either in the US or abroad. We want to help them transition to coaching or other aspects of the business of soccer if they want.

We are a Not for Profit (501(c)3 and all of our resources go to the players and coaches. They pay for nothing. 

North Texas has been hit pretty hard by the pandemic, how's the health and safety of your players?

We’re fortunate that to date, no player has contracted COVID-19. Health and safety are paramount so we’ve practiced as much caution as we possibly could. We’re helping them get ready for their respective collegiate season by holding small group fitness sessions.

Will the club be playing in 2020? 

No 2020 Season. It’s unfortunate that the 2020 WPSL Season is cancelled but we’ll be doing some things with the players later in the year and getting ready for the 2021 WPSL Season. 

Anything else we should know about the club?

Our long-term goals remain consistent and who knows what might happen. I’m hoping that we can eventually become a Women’s Professional Club, maybe part of the USL or some other league that allows more women the opportunity to play after college. Maybe a men’s side and a youth component.

I’m optimistic in the future of the game. I’m just so fortunate to be in the position I’m in, working with so many great people who all have a passion around this great game.

Corktown AFC (UWS)

So who are you and how did you get involved with Corktown AFC?

My name is Aaron Roy, and I’m the head coach for Corktown AFC. I previously served three years on the coaching staff for Detroit Sun FC (UWS), and two years with Motor City FC (WPSL). I was slated to take on the Detroit Sun head coaching position this summer. I started recruiting players for the program back in August of 2019 in preparation for the 2020 UWS season. By the end of January, 70+ players and 10 staff members were committed to the program which carried three teams. When the pandemic and its economic strain became a harsh reality for many business owners (including club sponsors and owners), along came uncertainty surrounding clubs being able to fund summer programs. At this point, I made a personal decision to step away from the Detroit Sun. Soon after, I opened up conversations with Eddie Hudson (Corktown AFC owner/founder). He was willing to step into an ownership role and fund a new program, solidifying the promise of summer soccer for the players. And so Corktown AFC was born. The coaching staff and players I had recruited all followed.

Every new crest needs an explainer!

Can you explain the name of the club? How about the crest?

Corktown AFC is a club name representative of the Corktown, Detroit community where our stadium grounds are located. The crest contains 3 main elements. First, the Tiger Paw represents the location of our stadium grounds, which were home to our Detroit Tigers, dating back to 1912. Second, the Shamrock represents the Irish heritage of the Corktown community, Detroit’s oldest neighborhood, which was settled by Irish immigrants back in 1834. Lastly, the three orange pillars within the crest represent faith, heart and skill- the three things we lean on when striving for excellence in sport and life.

The UWS has added several clubs in Michigan, can you talk about what makes Michigan such a strong WOSO area?

The strength of the women’s game is a direct result of Michigan having a strong presence in the girl’s youth game, not only at a local level, but on the national stage as well. In part, because of the strong local clubs with rich history. The other reason is that these clubs are full of very talented coaches who put everything they have into teaching these kids. Smack dab in metro-Detroit we have the Michigan Hawks, who are the only girls-specific club in the state. Hoisting up National Championship hardware has become somewhat of an expectation for them, considering their constant success and commitment to excellence. The Hawks DOC Michele Krzisnik is the first woman Director of Coaching in the state, working alongside another very talented, experienced coach, Doug Landefeld. Not too far from them you have two other super talented clubs, Nationals and Vardar, both of which are no strangers to winning national titles. Jeremy Harkins (Nationals) and Demir Muftari (Vardar) are very talented experienced coaches, just to name a couple, in those programs.

How has the pandemic affected your preparations?

It has affected the scheduling of events more than anything. With the social distancing measures in place, we have to keep guessing and rescheduling to dates when we think we may be able to get together to train and play. At this point, we are waiting for our governor and health professionals to let us know when it’s safe to get out there. We were able to finalize our rosters and hold organizational and staff meetings before the pandemic took hold, so we’re in a very good place as far as those things are concerned. The players are very good at staying fit and training on their own, so those aren’t too much of an issue either. While participating in the Detroit PAL “6 Degrees of Separation” campaign, we have been in constant contact with our players simply to ask how they’re doing, and to keep their spirits up during this tough time.

Where will the club play matches?

Corktown AFC will play home matches at The Corner Ballpark presented by Adient, on Michigan Ave in Detroit.

Where is the club at as far as roster building?

The club roster is loaded with talent. Including 25 former ECNL and USYS National Champions, 3 U.S. Youth National Team players, 4 NCAA National Champions and a pair of former professionals who played Europe. Additionally, we have multiple Michigan high school Dream Team players, a winner of the prestigious Miss Soccer award, and winners of the Gatorade Player of the Year award.

With Corktown and DCFC putting clubs into the league, do you expect a rivalry to form with your fellow Detroit club?

At this point, the only things I expect are beating them at their place in Hamtramck, and beating them at our place in Detroit.

Anything else we should know about your club?

It would be very remiss of me not to mention my coaching staff consisting of Jeff Shuk, Todd Heugh, Dave Demeter, Skip Mukhtar, Nate Collins and Matt Lentine. This staff is loaded with experience. They are well-respected by colleagues and players alike, and will play a huge role in our future success. Our three teams will compete in UWS, UWS2 and the Michigan Premier Soccer League. Club owner Eddie Hudson said, “We’re dedicated to the community and our desire is to continue to help grow the game for women here in Michigan.”

Fire and Ice Academy (WPSL)

The 2020 Women’s Professional Soccer League season is on hold for the time being, but we thought we could take a look back at previous winners to see where they came from and to gauge who’s on track to once again challenge for that top spot. For this week’s Spotlight article, we reached out to 2017 WPSL Champions, Fire & Ice Soccer Academy and their WPSL Head Coach and Academy Club Director, Lindsay Eversmeyer was kind enough answer our questions.

The League was founded over two decades ago - but when was Fire & Ice SC founded and have you been in the WPSL since then?

Fire & Ice was founded in 2013 and we have been in the league ever since.  We have a WPSL all-time record of 53-16-7, 185 Goals For, 65 Against, and 33 Shutouts.  We have won 1 National Championship, 2 Final Four Appearances, 2 Central Region Championships and 3 Conference Championships.  

There are five levels in your development pathway, so clearly fielding a WPSL club is not your primary objective; what is the mission of the organization and has that changed over time?
  

Actually, our academy just started in 2019.  So, the primary mission started as providing college players with a high-level playing environment during their off seasons and for players out of college to continue playing to possibly reach the professional level.  Now that we have expanded to have a youth academy underneath, our mission is to guide and empower young women through soccer while providing a complete pathway.  

They’ve changed their badge since then, but nothing will change the fact that they won it all in 2017.

Having multiple tiers within the club, the younger players have a built-in and clear-cut development funnel; how important is that to young girls - to see that they can have a future in soccer if they want to and that they get to see examples of what their grit and determination gets them?

It is VERY important.  It is the main reason that I started the academy to begin with.  Having myself, alongside former USWNT Captain Lori Chalupny, provides these young girls and women with realistic role models as well as a great sounding board for how to reach the highest level of the game.  

In the league's twenty-plus years there have been a handful of teams who have won multiple titles, and if they weren't winning, they ended up as runners-up; after winning in 2017 do you have what it takes to push for another title?

This league's competitive level continues to grow each year, which is amazing!  With that being said, I think that every year our team has what it takes. We always have talented players.  Sometimes the ball falls our way, and sometimes it doesn't.  That's what makes soccer such a beautiful game.  In 2017, we played teams that on paper looked like they could smash us, and I'm sure those teams felt that way when they saw our roster.  But as the saying goes, "Hard work outdoes talent, when talent doesn't work hard."  So, it really depends on our mentality going into the season, making sure everyone stays healthy, playing with the most heart and making the fewest mistakes on the field! 

WPSL has done an amazing job of preparing student-athletes for their jump to the professional ranks - do you have any players or coaches of note who have been drafted into the NWSL or made it to the next-level internationally?

YES!  We have two players that played for us that went on to play in the NWSL, Tessa Gavilsky (now Florio) played for the Houston Dash, and Rachel Tejada was drafted to the Chicago Red Stars.  We've currently had 6 others go on to play overseas.  Should be a couple more added to that soon, however, they haven't made an announcement yet, so I can't confirm. I've attached the link if you want more information on each of them. 

https://www.fireandicesoccer.com/page/show/4736740-wpsl-to-the-professional-league

One of the most enjoyable parts of soccer is fan support and rivalries, does Fire & Ice have a derby? What about supporters - is there a core group of fans who make an atmosphere of note?

Yes, we have a derby against a team from Missouri called the St. Louis Lions. They came into the league a couple years ago.  We have THE BEST group of soccer fans in St. Louis.  One is called the St. Louligans and the others are the American Outlaws STL Chapter.  They both eat, sleep, and breathe soccer and have done an amazing job of promoting our team since the beginning.  They show up to our games, make noise, and completely support us.  We are very fortunate to have them in our corner.

For more information about Fire & Ice Academy Soccer: https://www.fireandicesoccer.com/home

For more information about the WPSL: https://www.wpslsoccer.com/

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.

Mankato United SC

WPSL seems to be adding new teams every time we blink, we wanted to go back to one of 2019’s addition and play catch up. Mankato, Minnesota, a city of around 40,000 residents, is about two hours south by southwest of Minneapolis and the Soccer Club itself was founded in 1986 to serve the community. Protagonist contacted Mankato United during the WPSL annual conference and they were gracious enough to reply with in-depth answers and a few great photos. Thank you to Rustin Luedtke, MUSC WPSL General Manager for taking the time to reply at such a busy time for the league, and for the club.

Judging by the WPSL website, it looks like 2019 was your first year in the league - was it the first year for your women's squad, or had it played at another level prior? Why was the team founded and how does that fit into the mission of the entire Mankato United Soccer Club mission?

2019 was our first year in the WPSL.  We did not play in another league, and the WPSL was our first entrance into this level of play.  We entered into the WPSL for several reasons.  First, as our club has grown, we wanted to provide an opportunity for our college players to have a place to play and train when they came home on summer break.  Second, having a team at this level gives our younger players a visual representation of what they can aspire towards in the future.  Third, Mankato has really grown as a soccer community and our early suspicions about how the community would embrace us absolutely turned out to be true.  Our WPSL team is 100% an extension of our mission and has greatly rounded out our development continuum.  A next future step for us as a club will be to consider adding a men's team in the upcoming years.

What a season it was too, Mankato Utd. finished top of the Central Region / Northern Conference, having only lost one match only gave up 8 goals all season. Is it just me, or did you miss out on the playoffs despite having beat Salvo 2-1 in your final game of the year?  

It was a great season!  We didn't start out the way that we wanted, but ended up winning 5 games in a row to round out the season.  We expected to be competitive in our first year, but it was really our players that took us to the next level throughout the season.  They had a ton of GRIT and just loved to compete.

Jennifer Vetter had 3 goals and 2 assists, Dakota Wendell had 3 goals and 3 assists, and Annie Williams also bagged 3 goals. Are you expecting you scoring leaders back in 2020? Will we see any changes in formation or philosophy to add more goals to the total?

We will have several of our top scorers back, as well as look to attract additional scoring talent.  Jenny Vetter was an All American this fall season for MSU Mankato and will look to lead our attack, but don't be surprised if you see several other players challenging Jenny for that top scorer position this summer.  In general, we play an attacking style of soccer.  We missed a ton of opportunities last year that I would expect us to put in the back of the net this summer.

Maggie Smither was solid as a rock - had 13 saves, 1.00 GAA, and maybe 4 clean sheets? It looks like she entered the NWSL draft too! Although it doesn't seem like she was taken in the draft, she may be on the radar of an NWSL team. How proud is your organization to have a player in the draft? If she were to go, who do you have waiting to fill in between the posts? 

Maggie is a special player and person.  She helped inspire and lead our team last summer.  We are very hopeful that Maggie is able to continue her dream of playing professionally, whether that is being a developmental player for an NWSL team, or playing internationally.  She will be a positive contributor to any team that she plays on, regardless of where that might be.  To have a player in the NWSL draft has been amazing.  As a first-year program, to be able to attract talent like Maggie Smither or Annie Williams was truly special for us....it is something that we absolutely want to build on!

What are you most looking forward to in 2020? What defines success this Year?  

The summer of 2020 is shaping up to be fantastic.  We have roughly half of our roster at this point, and will be recruiting pretty heavily from now until May.  The thing that I personally am most looking forward to most is the fun that our team has.  It is a special group and we look to do a lot more than play and train during the summer.  We are active in the community, we hang out and visit our sponsors often, and in a very short period of time become a family.  Success will be defined by the players that we continue to attract, the product that we put on the pitch, and the positive experience that we provide for the young ladies that are part of our program for the Summer.  Our soccer goal is obviously to be competitive and win the conference every year, but the Mankato WPSL team is about more than just soccer.  We help our players to find internships, home-stays, lead sessions on mental toughness, and more.  Success for us is the whole package.

For more information about Mankato United SC: https://www.mankatounited.org/

For more information about the WPSL: https://www.wpslsoccer.com/

Washington Premier

Washington Premier FC’s General Manager and Women’s Head Coach, Adam Becker took time away from his busy schedule to answer questions about, not only his squad, but the Men’s side as well. WPFC had formerly gone by South Sound Shock and is a founding member of their regional men’s league in Washington, the EPLWA – additionally, they helped to found the Northwest Premier League, a women’s regional league with sides in Washington as well as Oregon. Becker’s women’s team finished 2nd in 2016, before the playoff era of NWPL began and the men’s side, now led by club Technical Director Roy Lassiter of USMNT fame, had never finished outside the playoffs and has now won their league back-to-back-to-back.

Tell us about WPFC - when was the organization founded and what is the overall mission? When did you add a men's premier team to EPLWA and a women's team to NWPL?

The U23 program was founded in 2016/2017. Previously the men’s side competed in the EPLWA and the USASA U23 national tournament as South Sound FC. Our first year with Premier we were named the Washington Premier South Sound Shock, I know it’s a lot hence the simplification of the name to just Wpu23. In previous years it was only a men’s side but Premier was open and willing to add a women’s program into the newly formed NWPL.

Some clubs work with youth programs, and some work without; for Washington Premier FC, how do you incorporate players who have come up through the ranks to the EPLWA and NWPL level? Do you have to augment your elite rosters with collegiate players or local talent who might not have come through your academy?

At premier we use athletes from all aspects. We use current WP youth aging from 16yrs - 18yrs, collegiate athletes from all over and Wp alumni. You do not have to come through premier to play for this team. We’ve had athletes from all over the United States, Brazil, Australia and China.

Formerly South Sound FC, Washington Premier FC of regional league EPLWA has been seen as far south as Salem, OR for pre-season tournaments against NPSL and USL L-2 sides.

Working with college-level student athletes comes with obstacles, do any of your players get compensated for their play for your men's and women's sides? Do they have to pay for their own player cards and training equipment to avoid NCAA eligibility complications?

Whenever working with college athletes there are certain obstacles. As our preseason and season begins most D3-D1 schools are in their spring league. During that time players aren’t available to play for anyone other than school. As the season winds down depending where their college is located some athletes have to return early. So, you can imagine the complications that might arise with scheduling and team chemistry.

Have any of your women or men players moved into the pro ranks? Have any coaches, who might have started off as assistants or positional coaches, moved on to larger clubs?

The men’s side has been able to move guys onto the next level. The women’s side is still new to myself (only coaching for two seasons). But for the men:

Vince McClusky - Tacoma Stars Pro

Derek Johnson - Tacoma Stars Pro

Sam Sizette - Tacoma Stars Pro

Eddie Na - Tacoma Stars Pro

Mike Arguello - Tacoma Stars Pro

Kodi Lida - Canadian Premier League

HFX Wanderers FC

Getting guys to the pro level is always a positive, I believe the work we do with the youth to prepare for college is priceless. Several guys have been able to move from community college to D1 programs as well.

Washington Premier FC’s women have been competitive in the NWPL, finishing in playoff positions since the playoffs started.

It would seem that Washington Premier FC has a built-in support base, with the youth players being able to watch and support the EPLWA and NWPL squads - do you draw supporters from outside the organization? Are there fans coming through the gates; does WPFC need that revenue stream?

We have a good local community outside of the Premier “family”. The core of our men’s team plays for myself on the Tacoma Star Reserve team competing in the WISL so we draw fans from there. The core of the women’s team plays in local leagues and draws a great crowd. It’s not about revenue for home games, it’s about creating a fun, safe family environment where we play an exciting style.

Washington Premier FC’s men have three-peated as winners of the EPLWA title since 2017 (photo: Width Photography)

For more information about Washington Premier

For more information about EPLWA

For more information about NWPL

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

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.

California Storm

The California Storm are one of the winningest teams in women’s soccer, having won the WPSL three times since they helped found the league back in 1997. Their history goes back even further than that, really, as they were themselves founded in 1995 and began play in the USL W-League when they helped found that league as well. While in the W-League, they went by the Sacramento Storm, and made their way to the National final two out of the three years in their tenure there. When they switched and contributed to the beginning of the WPSL in 1998, they switched their name to California Storm and continued their domination of women’s soccer. We wanted to know more about their past, pedigree, but also of their present, so we reached out to the organization and current owner and head coach, Jamie Howard-Levoy was considerably generous with her time and answered all of our questions.

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The California Storm have 10 Division titles and 3 WPSL League titles; Tell us more about the organization - when were you founded? Have you always been the California Storm?

The California Storm was founded in 1997 in Sacramento by Jerry Zanelli. Official name is California Storm of Sacramento. I have been with the California Storm since 2010.

Some soccer clubs exist as an adult end to the development funnel, and some squads don't have a connection to a youth program; how is your club built and what's the overriding mission? Developing elite players is the dream of most soccer programs; after the development, how should clubs help players advance their athletic and professional goals?

The great thing about thing about the California Storm is that we are not one club affiliated. We cater to every club primarily in the Sacramento region but not limited to just those clubs. We focus on growing the game of soccer for both girls and women. We do this by providing free soccer clinics and free girls soccer festivals in the community. The Storm partners with the clubs, the clubs advertise it to their players and then together we put it on.

Our mission for our team is to play at the highest level possible. If it is one of our players' goal to play in the NWSL or overseas, we will do whatever we can to help them achieve that. Our goal in the community is to be the role models for girls so they have someone to look up to and to get them excited about the game. It is also important for us to teach girls about goal setting, confidence building, healthy choices and injury prevention.

For developing elite players to play at the next level, it is important to stress to players that they have to do the work. So many players rely on their natural talent and don't completely dedicate themselves to playing to their fullest potential. As coaches, it is our job to network and develop contacts for these players. It does take time and work on our part which can be tough after a full day of being out in the hot sun. As a coach, we should be excited for them to take that next step and be thankful that we were part of their journey. This is their time, their chance, and if there is anything we can do to help them get achieve their dreams we must do it.

Now that the World Cup is over do you expect any reduction in attendance for your club? How dependent are you on funds from the turnstiles? Have any players, or even coaches, moved on from California Storm to play for NWSL or even any national teams?

The World Cup brought a lot of attention to our team which is something we needed. We have had great players play for the California Storm such as Sissi, Brandi Chastain, Alex Morgan, Leslie Obsborne, Aly Wagner and Julie Foudie to name a few. Alex Morgan played for the California Storm and is now playing in the NWSL and for the US National Team. We just had one of our goalkeepers, Abbie Faingold, sign a professional contract and is playing over in Japan.

This team has always played at a high level, but we fell behind in marketing the team on social media and in the community. I believe that our attendance will continue to grow because of we are out in the community building relationships with players. This past year, we did not charge for admission into games which was new for us. This really helped us build a fan base. Since we don't charge admission, we rely heavily on team sponsors to pay for game day expenses.

Sacramento has a lot of options for soccer fans, with The Republic, Sacramento Gold, and even a short drive to Davis - are there any cross-promotions with men's sides? Do any supporters’ groups come out to Storm matches?

This year we partnered with UC Davis Health and the Sacramento Republic FC which has been huge for us. Both of them have been so supportive of us and share our passion to better the community. We recently did a 4v4 Watch Me campaign with the Sac Republic. This event focused on building the girls game. The players competed at Papa Murphy's Park and the California Storm players warmed the players up and officiated the games. The California Storm also played the first round of the conference playoff at Papa Murphy’s Park before a Sac Republic game. The partnership with the Sacramento Republic FC has brought more awareness to the women's game and we have more fans as a result. Building our fan base is a constant focus for us.

What is the future of your organization? Will we see Storm return to the WPSL in 2020? If anybody is interested, how can they support your organization?

The California Storm will be playing in the WPSL season in 2020 and we are very excited about the upcoming season. We have grown tremendously in 2019 but have so much more to accomplish this upcoming year. If anyone is interested in supporting the team, we are looking for team sponsors and you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

For more information about WPSL Soccer.

For more information about California Storm.

Or check out their Facebook.

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

ISC Gunners

The WPSL recently called it a wrap on the 2019 regular season – and with it, Issaquah Soccer Club (ISC Gunners), one of 119 clubs in the league. They were founded in 1980, but it wasn’t until 2012 that the women’s side were brought into the organization’s fold. WPSL Hall of Famer, Macy Jo Harrison, is the Gunners’ WPSL Program Director, as well as the league’s Associate Director for the West. We at Protagonist were elated to have somebody of such high regard take the time to answer our question for this week’s Spotlight article!

Issaquah Soccer Club, founded in 1980, has probably seen a lot of change in the community since then. When and why did the organization, founded as a youth club, choose to add a women's team?

ISC Gunners chose to add a women’s team back in the summer of 2012. We wanted to provide a top of the pyramid women’s team within our club for all of our female youth to aspire to be on, train with and learn from. Over the years, our women’s team has provided great leadership and role modeling for the youth within the club, and we really pride ourselves in that.

Why the WPSL? With a regional league available in the Pacific Northwest; what is the vision of the club for the women's squad which prompted it to join, what is technically, a national league system?

The vision of the club was to provide an elite women’s team for the youth within the club and the surrounding area to aspire to play on as mentioned before, and also to ensure that ex-professional, current professional players on break, current collegiate players etc… to have a place to play in the summer months when their on their summer breaks.

The WPSL is the largest women’s soccer league in the world with competition from all over America, Canada, Mexico etc. We chose to join the WPSL instead of the regional league provided in the Northwest to ensure we gave our women’s team the best opportunity to compete against teams from all of these locations nation/worldwide, at a higher level of play.

There are several types of club setups, some of which are open to fan support and even charge at the gate. While others focus solely on player development and providing opportunity for personal and technical growth. Where do ISC Gunners fall in that spectrum?

Our ISC Gunners WPSL team hits both ends of the spectrum. We strive to compete and win the Northwest Conference with players we bring in from England, Spain and throughout America for the summer months, and we look to get our youth players involved who are on our oldest/second to oldest girls teams within the club. We stress the importance of our oldest girls teams/players to join in with training, and potentially games throughout the summer to ensure they are prepared for their college endeavors and to ensure that they are improving significantly in playing with very experienced players who’ve been around the block a few times!

In the Pacific Northwest, we are fortunate to have two huge NWSL clubs in both the Reign and the Thorns, but does that make it hard to draw talented players to the squad? Conversely, do the local big clubs ever reach out for talented players? Do NWSL scouts ever come looking?

We’ve not seen a negative effect in having the two NWSL clubs in the Pacific Northwest as of yet. We continue to draw in talent as best as we possibly can and we have several committed, loyal players who come back to our squad each year because of the camaraderie and family feel that we create within the squad. Back in 2013, our ISC Gunners WPSL team was the official Reserve team for the Seattle Reign, so several of our players were invited into first team training throughout the summer. In 2014 and 2015, we were not the official Reserve team, but we kept that relationship alive with the Seattle Reign FC. We’ve not seen any NWSL scouts at our WPSL games in the Pacific Northwest conference, but they might have been there without us knowing. It’s difficult for them as their season is in full swing as well, so there’s not always time to do these things.

At the U23s level, I imagine most of the women are also college players and cannot accept payment without risking NCAA eligibility - how does that affect training and how do you maintain motivation?

You’re correct - a ton of our WPSL players are current collegiate athletes who are on their summer breaks and we are NOT allowed to provide them with any sort of payment. We’ve been very adamant with our players that they are to attend as many training sessions as possible, and we demand commitment from our players year in and year out. We maintain motivation by ensuring our training sessions are full of learning experiences as well as making them fun and entertaining. The family feel our ISC Gunners WPSL team has is one of the major reasons we continue to draw players back to us each year - we are family. We also do not charge our players any money to play on our women’s team - instead, we require them to attend our club tournament and events each summer as volunteers to give back to the club.

The very nature of women's soccer seems politicized, at least at the national and even NWSL-level; do these tendencies reach your level? Do you have any players who really take current events, such as equal pay and gender equality, to heart? Or do the players and the club steer clear of politics and focus on the soccer?

I wouldn’t say that the politics side of women’s soccer is prevalent in the WPSL. The league owners and commissioners are all for women in sports so I haven’t seen a negative political presence personally in the WPSL. We absolutely have players who take the current events such as equal pay and gender equality to heart, myself being one of them. With that being said, we do steer clear of the politics and focus on the soccer side more often than not on a team and club level and we ensure our main focus is on the soccer at hand.

For more in formation about the ISC Gunners’ programs

For more information about the WPSL

Vancouver Island FC

Just as 2019 World Cup was coming to an end, the WPSL was also quietly wrapping up it’s 2019 regular season. In their inaugural season, Vancouver Island FC finished second in the Northwest Conference with five consecutive wins to close out their fixture list. However, it wasn’t enough to secure a playoff spot and after a great first season, Vancouver Island FC have to sit-out the post season. Protagonist was interested in getting to know a little more about our semi-professional Canadian neighbors, so we reached out to their organization and Head Coach Neil Sedgwick was happy to reply to our questions about their identity, mission, and…

I love your badge - often I run across club crests which are borrowed directly from an associated men's team or just taken from a template online. What's the story with the badge elements, the colors, and the name?

We provided the designer with a number of ideas, Vancouver Island concepts which we wanted them to consider within the design. As ever, they came back with several designed which we offered feedback on. From there we took these designs to our first community meeting and they selected, almost unanimously the design. We followed a similar process for the name. The group came up with a number of variations, they discussed them and then voted on the name. We wanted this team to be owned by the community. It was important that there was input.

As for the colours, we have taken the same colours as Pacific FC. We believed that it was important that the top men's and women's teams shared certain aspects, and colours were something which we felt made complete sense.

Vancouver Island FC, a Canadian pro-am women’s side, play their soccer in the WPSL.

What is the primary objective of the women's side? Vancouver Island has a unique soccer history all to itself, with famous men's clubs from bygone eras; has there ever been women's soccer in Victoria or on the island? What's the history of the women's game there and where are you taking this squad?

There has been a W-League team with the Victoria Highlanders FC, however, it has been 4-5 years without that opportunity. We simply wanted to provide the opportunity for players to compete at a high level whilst providing the opportunity for young players to watch the top female players from the island. We can only become what we see, and it was important to us to be advocates for the women's game when there are so many wonderful things going on for the men.

Where do we want it to go? We are looking to create this as a sustainable opportunity for players and spectators on Vancouver Island.

It’s hard running a club in any league, some organizations have certain advantages like built-in youth teams to funnel players up, or ownership of the facilities to reduce overhead. What, if any, advantages do your club have, are they effectively wielded, and what assets or advantages do you wish you had?

We have been connected to BCSPL as a coaching staff and a number of our current VIFC players have worked with us in this environment or in academy environments. That is a natural connection and gives them a reason to come watch. But we are hopeful that other clubs and academies also encourage the young girls to come out and watch these players.

Cascadian rivalries transcend leagues, as Vancouver Island FC’s Rachel Baird (left) tries to a beat Seattle Sounders Women player to the ball. (Photo: League Website)

Your club seem brand new, I don't imagine you've had any player or coaches move into the ranks of NWSL squads? Are there any notable players or coaches from other locales who have decided to join you at Vancouver Island FC?

We are fortunate to have a number of players who have had fantastic careers and there are players who are still on the rise. People like Mariel Solsberg, Katie Krautner, Liz Gregg have all been in professional environments. Ashley Cathro, Cecilia Way, Emily McCue have been part of the REX program. Then so many university players who are currently contributing or have been strong contributors to programs such as North Dakota State, UBC, UVIC, UNBC, Queen's, UCalgary, Stoneybrook, to name a few. We have a strong group of players on this island who are training and playing at really good levels.

We're in a World Cup year for women's soccer and there seems to be a heightened level of interest, is the future of the women's game as bright as it seems? Do you see fan interest increasing? For any new teams forming, what words of wisdom would you offer to grow that club? What is a pitfall to avoid?

We may see more Canadian teams enter our conference. I think there is a good level of interest there. We hope that this will bring more interest from Victoria soccer community. I believe we have a lot of soccer fans who would enjoy what they see on the field, we just have to get the word out. We are not operating with a large budget so we rely on a few means to market the program. But the word is spreading, however, we are near the end of our season. With a point in our last game, we finish 2nd behind the Seattle Sounders in our first season. The only team the Sounders have lost to is us... a great start.

Bin-4-Burgers, a community restaurant, have gone all-in and become a sponsor of their local soccer team.(Photo: Island Independent Sports News)

For more information or to follow Vancouver Island FC, check them out here:

http://wpslvancouverisland.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/vancouverislandfc_wpsl/

https://twitter.com/VanIslandFC

Fortuna Tulsa

One of our new favorite things at Protagonist Soccer is digging into WOSO all across this country. Tulsa Fortuna is a second year club, but one that is already making waves, playing in the WPSL National Playoffs this weekend. We spoke with Wayne Farmer, General Manager for the club, to find out more about this team from Oklahoma.

So tell us about Fortuna Tulsa. Your league, your club origins, etc.

Fortuna Tulsa finished its inaugural season last year in the 2018 WPSL. Overall, we saw the first season as a success in setting the WPSL league attendance record of 1,720 people on May 25th 2018 vs Oklahoma City FC. We also won Franchise of the Year, as well as other WPSL recognitions for social media, marketing, and game day broadcasting.

Your crest looks like it borrowed its look from Fortuna Dusseldorf, any particular connection to that club? Just like the look?

Some similarities, but we take pride in the uniqueness of our logo. The meaning of Fortuna spoke to team owners Barry Williams and Dave Hibbard. The specialty of reading ‘Good luck Tulsa’ also had a great ring to it. After entering the league and announcing our brand, the following and support continued to grow.

Image courtesy of Tulsa Fortuna. Photographer - Lori Scholl

We follow Tulsa Athletic (of the NPSL), how's the overall soccer scene like in Tulsa? Is the enthusiasm equal for the women's game?

The soccer scene in Tulsa is great! I just came from the park watching the A’s play against Ozarks FC. We have 2 great amateur teams with the Athletics and Fortuna Tulsa that both won conference championships this season, and a USL Championship team in the Roughnecks that is pushing for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The enthusiasm around the women’s game is fantastic, this can be seen in the anticipation around our games and the attendances.

Where do you draw your talent from?

Yolanda Thomas, our Head Coach, has done a great job selecting players that reside in Tulsa but now attend some of the best schools around the nation. It is important to note that our team is not just made up of college players. Yolanda selected the best elite players that live in Tulsa that have graduated college as well as the 3 high school players to complete the roster.

Which player(s) should we be focusing on from your squad?

Taylor Malham is a US youth national team player who is currently at the University of Arkansas. Taylor, has played both seasons with us and continues to be a huge attacking threat. We could also highlight our captain, Rachel Hummingbird-Garcia, a player who has graduated from playing division 1 soccer at the University of Tulsa. Rachel is a mother, works full time, and still makes time to prepare and play at the elite WPSL level. The coaching staff have done a great job forming a team with true depth, where most positions are 2 or 3 deep with little drop off from the last player.

How does your club create connections to your local community?

We have a very strong connection through our media platforms where we provide a true insight into training and games, but also keep that connection while the players are out of season with us. We are very active in the community attending local festivals and events, as well as hosting youth soccer clinics.

If someone just found your club, what's the first thing they should know about your club?

Great question! Barry Williams (Fortuna Tulsa owner), has instilled into the club the saying ‘treat people how you want to be treated’. We hope that is something individuals experience when coming to a game as a fan, an opposing team, or in everything we do.

Your club is making a strong run in the WPSL Playoffs currently, how's that run been and who's your next opponent?

So far our games both home and away have been a lot of fun, with Yolanda and her staff giving a lot of players playing experience. We play Salvo SC in St Paul, MN. Salvo are a first year team that need to be congratulated for their season so far. The team travels up Friday morning and play the regional semifinal Saturday at 1:00pm. I would invite all Tulsa fans and readers to tune in and support Fortuna Tulsa this weekend.

For more information about Tulsa Fortuna check out their website or follow them on Twitter.

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.