Pay to play is not a new concept in youth sports, especially soccer. Articles have been written, research has been done, and lectures have been given. The pay to play concept has bled into low-income neighborhoods and created a divide for players of color within US Soccer development programs. The problem isn’t merely that it exists—the problem is that this issue has essentially become somewhat of a long-standing tradition in youth soccer. It has become the norm throughout the United States.
WHAT IS “PAY TO PLAY,” AND WHY DO I HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT IT?
Pay to play can refer to many different fields and professional areas, like politics and business. However, pay to play is a phrase that has been commonly heard or used when referring to youth sports in general. It is the common belief that money must be exchanged for the potential access to the elite club leagues, which lead to potential college scouts, which lead to potential college scholarships, which lead to potential US development leagues, which lead to potentially playing at a national team level.
When you exchange money for goods and services, there is a sense of privilege in that. So why would we hear so much about something like that in something like youth soccer? We probably hear so much about it because it has become an evolving problem that was created by the very people who have claimed to love the sport. Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, and yet somehow, it does not truly “belong” to everyone here in the States. The playing field in youth soccer is no longer level, and it has not been for several years. How do we try and solve this problem at a grassroots level?
RACE AND LOW ECONOMIC STATUS ARE RELATED
To acknowledge the huge disadvantage that pay to play holds in youth soccer, one must also acknowledge the fact that race and low economic status are related in the United States.
Poverty is poverty and money issues can affect anyone in this country. There are average families struggling every day. No one is saying that there are NOT poor white people. What many are saying, though, is the numbers of low-income Black and Hispanic families ARE much higher. That also means they live in more under-developed areas, with fewer educational and athletic resources in their neighborhoods and communities, leading to far fewer opportunities in general.
A few years ago, the Working Poor Families Project released a policy brief that contained information and charts examining the relationship between race and ethnicity in poverty levels. They also charted the percentages of working families below 200% poverty by race and ethnicity.
2013 American Community Survey | Source: Working Families Project
With a constant pay to play system in place for youth soccer in the United States, this immediately sets a barrier between potential players of color and an elite soccer league or an Olympic Development program. Most families who enroll their kids in sports do so as a means of social interaction and activity. What happens when that child eventually develops and displays actual talent and skill? Where do they go to improve and enhance their skills, as the costs of youth soccer and its elite leagues rise? For the non-white youth of this country, that opportunity shrinks every year.
There are youth development academies out there that are free with a “homegrown” player emphasis that can lead to opportunities for young players to someday play with the senior team. The Chicago Fire Developmental Academy is one. One of their main perks is that participation comes at no cost for its players, and it provides a door to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy League at the U-16 and U-18 level. It also hosts its training sessions in and around the Fire’s stadium, Toyota Park, which is located in Bridgeview (a suburb south of Chicago). It is one way to eliminate some of the parental noise that may come from pay to play teams, while giving low income families an opportunity for their child to be selected based on their talent. It is also extremely competitive and limited to 50 boys.
So why do the development academies in the women’s game have such heavy fees? When looking into academy fees for girls, one can check into the Portland Thorns FC, arguably the most popular team in National Women’s Soccer League. They have their academy information available online, like most NWSL academies, for families who are interested in having their daughters set on a path of potential. They outline a pyramid of potential for success through their academy that can lead to college opportunities, NWSL drafts, and maybe someday the United States senior national team.
The academy state fee was listed at $1,350 for the 2015/2016 season, after estimated travel costs for U16’s, the grand total rounded out to $4,515. The academy state fee is now $1,600 for the 2016/2017 season.
Portland Thorns FC Academy
What families from low-economic backgrounds are able to fit an additional $4,500 into their already tight budgets? Of course these types of academies, camps, and various development leagues all offer some type of payment plan. They may also offer some kind of financial assistance in the form of scholarships on a case-by-case basis. In the event that a child is sponsored or offered a scholarship into these leagues and academies, what type of additional pressure do they carry into these development programs?
The constant pressure to succeed or immediately contribute to their teams could be considered unfair emotional and mental baggage for them. What happens when one of these teens are just having a bad day and don’t feel like practicing? The attitude of “you’re fortunate to be here” doesn’t leave much room for error or lax attitudes. It could also cause strife between “paying” parents and “non-paying” parents. After all, isn’t that why one pays to play? Paying for the privilege of having their child get access to the best coaching? And to get as much playing time and pitch time as possible?
WHAT COULD THIS MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF U.S. SOCCER?
When one thinks about success in US soccer at a national level, one immediately thinks of the United States Women’s National Team. They have won multiple Olympics, FIFA World Cups, and other various international tournaments. Although the US Soccer Federation could continue to improve their relationship and support of the women’s game, the United States is one of the stronger federations when it comes to women’s soccer. The USWNT has grown in reputation for their ability in peak physical play and fitness, along with their fierce attitudes on the pitch.
Just because it has been referenced and noted that we have outstandingly fit players and that other countries may not doesn’t mean the competition isn’t catching up. The inaugural She Believes Cup, an elite 4-team tournament hosted in the US, saw the USWNT face 3 top-five ranked teams. Each victory of theirs was closely contested—all with one-goal margins of victory. There were no 5+ goal wins, like we saw throughout their World Cup Victory Tour.
When you’re competing against other highly-ranked international teams, why should we sell ourselves short of creativity and depth from potential future players? The “American Style” brand of women’s soccer is to be bigger, more physical, and fit—to do enough to literally run the team off the field. What happens when other federations try to match that style? Does that leave room for creativity on or off the ball? Does it not hurt our future when these financial barriers are a constant issue?
The infrastructure of youth soccer in the U.S. has to be looked at from the bottom, at the grassroots level, in and around communities. However, that does not mean that there shouldn’t be accountability at the top. Administration and coaches have to look at themselves and the infrastructure and ask if this how they want to operate.
This country has prided itself on being the melting pot of the world. It is a problem when not everyone here has access to the world’s game. It completely contradicts the motto often heard throughout women’s soccer: “Grow the Game.”
For more content related to Race in WoSo, please check out our discussion here. We will continue to have these discussions and have a follow up to this Pay to Play article discussing Youth Soccer and Latin-American Bi-Culturalism.
With the last group stage games played it’s now time for the quarterfinals of the Olympic women’s soccer tournament.
On Friday, August 12th, eight teams will be paired down to four semifinalists. The winners are guaranteed at least one more game and a chance to play for either gold or bronze.
The quarterfinal match-ups are as follows:
12 pm EST – United States vs. Sweden
3 pm EST – China vs. Germany
6 pm EST – Canada vs. France
9 pm EST – Brazil vs. Australia.
Times corrected.
So, who ya got?
Women’s Soccer 1/4 Final:#USA vs. #SWE, who ya got?
If the Boston Breakers hadn’t gone 0-3 in their last three WPS games in 2009, I wouldn’t be writing about what is perhaps the most unlikely championship in American professional women’s club soccer history. Americans love a good underdog story, especially one that involves sports. Struggling with management and coaching changes, fighting to make the playoffs, and successively defeating each of the three higher-seeded teams in a Super-style playoff system, you might say that Sky Blue FC’s run to the 2009 WPS Championship is one of those memorable—if not downright miraculous—sports stories. If you are a longtime fan of women’s professional soccer, you might remember it. If you don’t, let me fill you in.
The Captain Becomes the Coach
Sky Blue had three different head coaches during their inaugural 2009 season. First was Ian Sawyers, who was also General Manager. He opened the season with one win, three losses, and two ties. Kelly Lindsey was brought in after Sawyers was fired, and the team fared a bit better under her, recording five wins, four losses, and three ties. After Lindsey resigned, with only two matches left to play in the regular season, management decided to name Captain Christie Pearce head coach, making her the first player/coach in the history of American women’s professional soccer. Mike Lyons was brought in as her assistant coach. Pearce had a 1-1 record in those final two regular-season matches, which was good enough to clinch a playoff spot. Including the playoffs, her overall record was 4-0-1.
Gerry Marrone, the General Manager who was Sawyers’ successor, oversaw the change from Coach Lindsey to Coach Pearce. He shared the story of how the change took place.
The day that this change took place was an interesting one.I was dealing with a personnel issue early in the day and I thought that Kelly was going to resign.Because of the way things were unfolding I went to the practice field to observe the team.Interestingly enough Christie had just returned to the practice field but was not active as she was returning from injury.The team was gathered when Kelly arrived, she walked up to address the team, turned to me and handed me her team computer, computer bag and letter of resignation for both her and her assistant coach (whom I had suspended earlier that morning).The team was surprised – some reacted negatively and some positively.It was pretty quiet for a couple of seconds.
Because of what had unfolded that week and earlier that day I was not necessarily surprised at what happened, but certainly at how it happened.I expected we were going to be making a change and prior to coming to the field I met with then managing owner Thomas Hofstetter and suggested that if what I expected to happen actually took place we should ask Christie if she would do it – become player/coach.We had been through a tough year from a coaching perspective and I didn’t feel it made any sense to go out and bring in an outsider with only a few games remaining and us being out of the current playoff picture.Thomas and I discussed it, and he had no hesitation with the idea.He gave the green light.
Back at the practice field, as Kelly left, got in her car and drove away I looked at Christie and we walked a few yards down the field.I asked her if she would run practice that day, and then come to the office so we could discuss the situation – I told her I had an idea that I wanted to run by her.As was very normal with Christie – she didn’t miss a beat and said no problem.I addressed the team, explained the situation, talked about the events of the morning and told them Christie was going to run practice that day.I told them not to worry, they were in good hands and we would have a plan by the end of the day.Christie then took the reins, addressed her new team (not officially yet), put them at ease and got on with business.
When Christie came to the office a couple of hours later I asked her if she would consider being the player/coach.With literally no hesitation she said yes immediately.We discussed bringing someone in to help her and she made a suggestion of whom that could be and we moved forward.It was a crazy day, but we were on our way to a championship when she left the office that day. ~ Gerry Marrone
And just what kind of person does it take to take on the dual responsibilities of captain and coach? Well, let’s just say that sharing a nickname with a superhero isn’t a bad sign.
Christie was clearly the key to all of this happening.Throughout the season she was herself – Captain America.She is one of the most natural born leaders I have ever seen.Christie brought in Mike Lyons as her assistant, and between the two of them I think they did two things tactically – the kept it simple and played to the strengths of the players we had. Christie was always the on-field leader – and Mike was a great motivator on both the practice fields and the sidelines.I think Christie would tell you this was all new for her – watching films from a different perspective, planning for the matches from all angles – not just defensively.I think she was enjoying it too.I still believe she will be the coach of the national team one day.
~ Gerry Marrone
The decision to turn a captain into a coach set off a chain reaction that lead to Sky Blue hoisting the trophy. With a newfound freedom, the team was able to, as Marrone called it, “play simpler.” Players who had once been shoehorned into playing a more American style were sudden set free to bring their uniqueness to the game.
On the field I think Christie and Mike made the game simpler.They put players in positions that were best suited for their abilities and played to their strengths.Two good examples of this were Franciella (Fran) and Rosana – our two Brazilian players. Rosana was and still is a star of the Brazilian national team, and was classic Brazilian – played with flair and personality.She scored a half-volley goal earlier in the year that made my eyes bulge watching it.Under the previous coach Rosana was being held back – forced to as she told me, “play like an American”.Christie and Mike set her free to play like a Brazilian and it paid dividends.
~ Gerry Marrone
Pearce remembers the season and the offer to become the coach. The “no-brainer” decision might have scared off another player but not Pearce.
I think 2009 was a difficult season for Sky Blue, and then, when the role was asked of me to become coach it was a no-brainer. Because I knew at the time the team needed someone who believed in them and that wanted to take it on, and at that point, it’d be tough for a coach to come in and actually understand the personalities and kinda everything that was going on that season. So, it was a no-brainer for me to accept that role and then just have the team, you know, come together and kinda buy in to the same system and just enjoy it and have fun. And I think you could see that within the team and the dynamic of how we went from almost last to first and winning that championship. But I enjoyed it; I loved it. The team was awesome. No egos on that team, so it was amazing to coach. ~ Christie Pearce
Natasha Kai, a Sky Blue forward, remembers what it was like to play with Christie, first as a captain, then as a coach and captain.
I lived with her, so I got to experience her, not only as a captain on the team and our player/coach, but I also got to get close to her off the field. You know she’s one of my role models. I’m sure she’s a role model for a lot of people around the world, especially in America, but you know she’s a good example of, you know, everything. Mother, coach, friend, um, and I learned a lot from her over the years. And I’m very fortunate to be back here, you know, many, many years later and still being able to play with her. ~ Natasha Kai
The Team
A coach cannot be a coach without a team. The team put together in 2009 blended national team players from four different countries: the United States, Brazil, Canada, and Australia, with some young talent and experienced players to create a team that could bond together and win.
This is the team that suited up in the playoffs.
Jenni Branam stood in goal for Sky Blue for 16 games and had an impressive .97 GGA, while having six clean sheets to her name—two in the playoffs. Only two goals got past the Sky Blue goalkeeper in the last two games of the regular season and the three playoff games. England Women’s National Team goalkeeper Karen Bardsley was the backup goalkeeper.
Jen Buczkowski, recently retired from FC Kansas City of the NWSL, was joined by Keeley Dowling, Meghan Schnur, Julianne Sitch, and Christie Pearce to form the defensive unit.
The Sky Blue midfield was home to the likes of Kacey White, Yael Averbuch, Francielle, Kelly Parker, Noelle Keselica and Collette McCallum. Francielle scored the game-winner over Washington in the 85th minute of the Super Semifinal.
The midfield’s play gave the team a chance to get the ball to a talented group of forwards. Heather O’Reilly (FC Kansas City fans will know that name as well as they know Buczkowski and Averbuch), Natasha Kai, Rosana, Kerri Hanks, and Katie Hooker formed a formidable attacking unit.
But it wasn’t always the players that suited up that made an impact. As Gerry Marrone explains, sometimes it was the third-string goalkeeper (also serving as equipment manager) who got the team motivated and ready for action.
I think there was another intangible we had – Shannon Myers.Shannon was our third goalkeeper behind Jenni Branam and Karen Bardsley.She was what was called at the time a Developmental Player and also served as the equipment manager.However, she was so much more.Shannon was a motivator.From what I heard (because I was clearly not in the locker room) Shannon was a driving force and frequently did pre-game speeches to the team. I got to know Shannon more following this season and I can tell you she is simply one of the highest quality people you will ever meet, and I have no doubt she was a key factor in this championship run. ~ Gerry Marrone
Natasha Kai, back for the 2016 season after a few years away from the game of soccer, remembers how her team managed to come together to take home the title.
I mean, the beginning of the season – you know – you can’t even write a book about that. But I think as the months went by, we kinda molded together and glued ourselves together, and we were all tuned in to realize, hey, we’re the Bad News Bears. Anything is possible. We just needed each other’s backs. And slowly, game by game, we started winning. And we were like, you know what, we might as well just take home the championship. Every game was a challenge, but every game we got closer and closer to the championship game.We made it to the championship game and, you know, we were like, hey, we’re here we’re here; we might as well win the damn thing. So, we did. ~ Natasha Kai
Pack for L.A.
The WPS playoffs were like nothing NWSL fans have seen. The 4th-seeded team from the regular season played the 3rd-seeded team, the winner went on to play the second-seeded team, and the winner of that game played the first-seeded team for the title. Three road games for the 4th-seeded Sky Blue team posed a daunting task.
It definitely was a challenging format, but we kinda understood the format because it made regular season play that much more important and effective. But you know, we just had basically gotten to that fourth place spot in 2009, and you know it was tough, but it was rewarding and motivating and challenging, but I think it made the team stronger with each victory, and you kinda felt that momentum. So, I think it actually benefited us, coming from the bottom to the top. At that point you have nothing to lose, and you’re on the road, and you’re getting stronger as a unit, and I think it helped us through that victory in 2009. ~ Christie Pearce
Sky Blue first headed down to Washington, then on to St. Louis, and finally to Los Angeles. On a map, it almost looks like fate was taking Sky Blue out west, little by little, towards their own manifest destiny.
One of the most memorable moments of this run happened a couple of days before the playoffs began.The way the schedule was laid out – if we won on the road in Washington on the Saturday we needed to go straight to the airport to board a plane for St. Louis to play on Wednesday.If we won in St. Louis we had to fly directly to Los Angeles for the final on the weekend.The players were all asking how this was going to work, and there was some general confusion mixed with excitement.There was a team meeting in the office with the team and staff to discuss logistics and Christie stood up and made one very clear statement – PACK FOR L.A.!That became the rallying cry for everyone – we were going all the way and when you got ready to board that bus in NJ for DC be prepared for the week – we were going to L.A.
~ Gerry Marrone
Sky Blue wanted the players to know that the whole organization was behind them. So they came up with a unique way to show the players that they were thinking about them.
In the office the staff – led by our PR Director Gloria Averbuch (yes, Yael’s mom) developed a plan to show the players we were all behind them.We held a drawing in the office where each staff member and volunteer selected the name of a player out of a hat – similar to what you do for a secret Santa.We then prepared a gift bag for each player with things that would remind them of the season, the struggles and the goal – to win the Championship.These bags were to be delivered to each player as they were boarding the bus to leave for Washington.The entire staff met the team bus to help load the luggage and have a proper send off.We gave out the gift bags.~ Gerry Marrone
Game 1: Washington Freedom
Going into the game on August 8, 2009, Sky Blue had not beaten Washington that season, and they had only drawn them once, with the scores of the three games being 1-2, 4-4, and 1-3. The 1-3 loss to Washington had happened only the week before.
Sky Blue needed to figure out how to shut down Lisa De Vanna and Homare Sawa, along with Abby Wambach, who was back after suffering a broken leg, while also managing to score against future USWNT captain Becky Sauerbrunn, future World Cup champion Ali Krieger, USWNT defender Cat Whitehall, draftee Becca Moros, and Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod.
The first half of the game saw both teams enter the locker room scoreless. But in the 54th minute, Natasha Kai was brought on for two-time MAC Hermann Trophy winner Kerri Hanks. Less than a minute later, she scored the first goal of the match. Not to be outdone, Lisa De Vanna ripped one past Branam in the 78th minute. Pearce went to her bench and selected Francielle to replace Collette McCallum. Francielle, who had only played six games with Sky Blue at that point, scored the game-winner in the 85th minute.
Game 2: St. Louis Athletica
On August 19, 2009, Sky Blue faced the second-seeded St. Louis Athletica. They played the Athletica three times in the regular season. They lost each time. Now they had to play the regular season runners-up in St. Louis in order to advance to L.A. for the final.
The St. Louis Athletica boasted one of the best goalkeepers in the world—both in 2009 and 2016—in Hope Solo. Their star striker, Englishwoman Eniola Aluko, netted six goals and assisted on four others during the season. Future NWSL captain for the Chicago Red Stars, Lori Chalupny, was their captain and a scoring threat in her own right.
The winning goal was slotted past Hope Solo in the 30th minute by a defender, Keeley Dowling, who had never scored before as a professional soccer player. Yael Averbuch assisted. Just one more unexpected feat from the team that wouldn’t quit.
Just as Christie Pearce predicted, they were going to LA. But not before a few moments of team bonding happened. One moment during the travel sticks out to Marrone more than the others.
After we won in St. Louis on Wednesday we had to fly to Los Angeles for the final.Because the travel plans were so last minute we couldn’t get everyone on the same plane.We all went to the airport, along with all of our equipment and hunkered down in the terminal while we split the travel party in two.Shannon Myers traveled with her guitar, like we needed even more luggage!Imagine a crowded airline waiting area littered with soccer players all sitting on the seats and floor.Luggage and bodies everywhere.Shannon pulled out her guitar and starts playing Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours” – first just the music, then she starts singing softly.A couple of the players start singing along.A gentleman that was traveling somewhere else sees what’s going on.He asked me who we were and where we were going and I explained it to him quickly. He pulls out his Ukulele and joins in. Before you know it there are about 30-40 people singing along in the terminal with the Sky Blue women.Even as I write this now I’m smiling and tearing up thinking about the memory – it was special. ~ Gerry Marrone
Game 3: Los Angeles Sol
The Los Angeles Sol was possibility one of the greatest women’s professional teams ever put together. A look at the lineup for the final shows just how solid they were from tip to tail. Canadian goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc led a backline that gave up only 9 goals all season. Manya Makoski, Brittany Bock, Allison Falk, and Stephanie Cox stood in front of the keeper on her backline. Japan’s Aya Miyama, USWNT players Aly Wagner and Shannon Boxx, and McCall Zerboni created a dynamic midfield. Marta, considered by many the best attacking player in the world at the time, and China’s Han Duan started as their forwards.
The final game took place on August 22, 2009. The 80-degree weather set the stage for a battle of the ages. Sky Blue had come this far, and they would not be denied.
We should get this out of the way. Sol defender Allison Falk received a red card 27 minutes into the game for denying Natasha Kai what was considered by the referee to be an obvious goal scoring opportunity. For 63 minutes—not including stoppage time—The Sol was forced to play a player down. Playing down for that long would be a disadvantage to any team. But games are not played on paper, and calls are made by humans. Sometimes that is just the way the ball bounces.
The game-winning goal was scored in just the 16th minute by Heather O’Reilly, assisted by Natasha Kai.
It was the first goal that Sky Blue had ever scored against the Sol.
O’Reilly is no stranger—then or now—to scoring or assisting game-winning goals. Three other instances spring to mind from her professional career. In 2004, her game-winner against Germany in the Olympic semifinal sent the USWNT to the gold-medal game, where they reclaimed the Olympic title after their loss in 2000. In 2012, her cross in the Olympic semifinal to Alex’s Morgan’s head for the game-winner over Canada became the stuff of legend. And bringing it back to club, her assist on Amy Rodriguez’s goal in the 2015 NWSL final saw her club, FC Kansas City, beat out the Seattle Reign for their second-straight title.
Just a reminder, the only three teams that Sky Blue hadn’t beaten in the regular season were the ones they defeated in each of the playoff matches. When they did so, they joined the Sol as the only two teams in the league to have beaten each of the other teams. Kai summed up her feelings about what it was like to step onto the field against the Sol and to beat them.
Stepping on the field, I think we already beat all the odds on making it, and like I said before, the excitement was there, all our emotions were there, and, you know, with all the crap we’d been through, through that whole 2009 season, it felt good to walk on the field as the underdogs and then walk off the field as champions. And, you know, that’s the best feeling ever, knowing that nobody had our backs except for the 22 of us and our ownership and everyone involved with Sky Blue. And bringing home the trophy was the exclamation mark to everything. It was us against the world and we overcame that. ~ Natasha Kai
Christie Pearce did not only coach the final game, she also spent 90 minutes shutting down Marta—something that very few defenders have ever been able to do. She shared her thoughts on what it was like to accomplish what the team set out to do.
It was pretty rewarding, you know, to know that A) you’re capable of doing that and B) your team respected you so much and bought in to each and every game plan through the playoffs. It was pretty amazing. And then to beat a team like L.A. Sol, who were just stacked and loaded and, you know, on paper were much better than us. But you know, just shows that if you put a good team out there on the field that are working together, united, it’s hard to break down, and you saw that in the championship game. ~ Christie Pearce
Gerry Marrone shares the story of the Sky Blue after-party and how he came to learn that his championship-winning player/manager was three months pregnant—something that was unsurprisingly not public at the time but only served to add to the legend of Coach Pearce.
Thomas Hoftstetter (Managing Partner) traveled out for the game and we met in LA.His first order of business after making sure the team was OK was to go find a place for a party after the final.We discussed the budget and how we wanted to stay within a certain dollar amount.We drove along the coast not far from Home Depot Center (the name at that time of the stadium) and looked [at] a few places.We came across a place that had an upstairs patio/deck area that they would give us – it was on the beach and facing the Pacific Ocean – a perfect ending to a rather tumultuous season.We established a budget for the party – the staff was going to notify me when we were getting close to the number and we could shut it down and move to an open bar where people could pay for their own drinks.And according to Thomas – “win or lose we are going to celebrate this season!”And we did.
Obviously we won and the place was rocking.Abby Wambach came by as well as several other “stars” to join in the celebration.The trophy was a very large cup – and it was being used as such and passed around – as we all celebrated into the night on the beach.Within the first 90 minutes the hostess found me about the bill – we were already approaching our limit.I looked at Thomas and simply shrugged – meaning what the hell – we came this far and won – keep it going.As we approached closing time I was sitting at a table with Christie, her husband Chris and several of their friends and Christie asked to talk to me.I couldn’t imagine what could possibly be up.
That’s when she said, “I wanted to speak with you about this later, but because the players now know I wanted to tell you.We were celebrating the win in the locker room”, to no credit of us – I completely dropped the ball and was not prepared with Champagne for after the game.It wasn’t because I didn’t think we would win – I really thought we would, but it just never occurred to me.What a massive fail on my part.
Christie continued, “I had to tell the girls I’m pregnant – it was the only way to explain why I wasn’t taking a drink”!Christie was not only pregnant – she was pregnant enough the doctor was going to shut her down if the season had lasted even one more week.If you think back to that injury Christie had around the time we appointed her player/coach she was having some complications from her pregnancy that no one knew about.Now, after 90 minutes of completely shutting down Marta – the undisputed best player in the world at the time, she was telling me this.I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.~ Gerry Marrone
Ownership That Believed
A winning team needs ownership that is willing to support them in both good times and bad. In the 2009 season, Sky Blue saw plenty of both. As General Manager, Gerry Marrone worked closely with the ownership, and it was his duty to help steer the ship.
Thomas Hofstetter was the Managing Partner and whom I worked with on a day-to-day basis.Francesco Prandoni, Steve Temares and Phil Murphy – who just today announced he is running for Governor of New Jersey, made up the group.Throughout this season we lost more money than they ever had projected.There were many reasons for this, but it never impacted the desire to succeed and win a championship. In fact, during this run to the Championship they gave me the approval to travel with the entire team – all 22 players, plus Shannon the Equipment Manager.Even though we could only roster 16 for the games they permitted everyone to travel as a team.During the season when you traveled only the rostered players would make the trips to manage expenses more efficiently.I honestly believe this made a considerable difference for not just team moral, but team unity. I don’t think at the time the players clearly understood what we did – but I think they appreciated it. ~ Gerry Marrone
Where Are They Now?
As with the current league, some players leave to have a second career after soccer, and some manage to hang around much longer. Of those that I could track down, here is where they are now:
At the start of the 2016 NWSL season, Pearce and Kai were both playing for Sky Blue, while Buczkowski, O’Reilly, and Averbuch all played for FC Kansas City. Pearce and O’Reilly both won gold at the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Karen Bardsley plays for Manchester City of the English FA WSL and is the number-one goalkeeper for the English Women’s National Team. She helped the Lionesses win the bronze at the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Rosana plays for PSG in Division 1 Féminine. The sport of soccer said goodbye to Buczkowski in 2016. She retired mid-season to attend the physical therapy school at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
Several players coached after finishing their time as a player or stayed in the soccer world in another capacity. Kerri Hanks coached at Texas Christian University. Collette McCallum is the assistant coach of the Perth Glory’s Women’s team. Keeley Dowling is the assistant coach at the University of Texas at Austin. Casey White is the Capital Area Soccer League Older Girls Director.
Some left soccer for other dreams. Cori Alexander founded Cori Alexander Photography and found a second career as a photographer. Jenni Branam left soccer in 2011 to become a nurse.
The Legacy
Calling a team “the most unlikely champions in American professional women’s club soccer history” is not a something I do lightly. FC Gold Pride went from bottom of the table in 2009 to top of the table in 2010 and became the 2010 WPS champions. But they dominated the 2010 season, before folding ahead of the 2011 season. None of the WUSA or NWSL champions would really be considered unlikely; neither would the 2011 WPS champs, the Western New York Flash. Unless a future NWSL champion somehow manages the upset, the title belongs to Sky Blue.
Natasha Kai called the team the Bad News Bears. She’s not wrong. Few people would have wagered at the start of the season that Sky Blue would scrape into the playoffs. Fewer still would have predicted that they could beat the three other playoff teams—none of which they had beaten before—and come out champions.
This team of unlikely champions proved that it doesn’t always matter if a team gets off to a fast start—it’s the process of building through the season, adding bits and pieces as you go, that can lead to a place in history. Christie Pearce told them to pack for L.A., so they did. And after they’d won, they had one more t-shirt to pack.
Coach/Player Christie Pearce and Forward Natasha Kai hoisting the trophy. Photo Credit: Gerry MarroneCoach/Player Christie Pearce and Assistant Coach Mike Lyons after the Sky Blue victory. Photo Credit: Gerry MarroneGM Gerry Marrone with the trophy. Photo Credit: Gerry Marrone
In many ways, the National Women’s Soccer League has never looked better. With last season’s post-World Cup surge in attendance, the addition of a tenth team in the Orlando Pride, and player acquisitions like Lindsey Horan and Raquel Rodriguez (not to mention the return of fan favorite and big personality Natasha Kai), fans are eagerly awaiting the unprecedented fourth season of American women’s professional soccer. Should the USWNT do well at the Rio Olympics, it will only heighten interest in the league.
Which is why it could be the best time to introduce something many have been calling for since the league’s 2013 inception: an All-Star Match.
The lack of such a game, an institution in nearly every other major sport, has been puzzling. Both the first two incarnations of top-tier women’s professional soccer in this country, the WUSA and the WPS, held two All-Star games apiece with varying formats.
The first All-Star match took place in 2002 after the second WUSA season ended. Split into North versus South, the South won with an MVP performance from Abby Wambach in her rookie year with the Washington Freedom. The following year, in what ended up being WUSA’s final season, the All-Star match was moved to the middle of the season due to the 2003 Women’s World Cup, with a team of Americans falling to a team of WUSA internationals.
WPS’ inaugural All-Star match in 2009 presented yet another format. After the season ended, a team voted on by fans, media, coaches, and players hosted Swedish club Umeå IK. The American win featured a brace from Christine Sinclair. The 2010 All-Star match moved back to the middle of the season. With the same voting format as the previous year, top-voted players Wambach and ultimate winner Marta chose their teammates in the style of a pickup match.
The WPS did not hold an All-Star match in 2011, claiming most likely players would be away on National Team duty at the Women’s World Cup. And of course, the WPS would ultimately fold before the 2012 season.
With the lack of transparency that characterizes the NWSL, it is unlikely we will ever know if discussions of such an endeavor have taken place. However, one can hope that the league recognizes the benefits an All-Star match could bring.
The NWSL has struggled to create stars beyond National Team players, which is a problem given the amount of time those players are often away. If a fan is hard pressed to name a Houston Dash player other than Carli Lloyd, that fan is not likely to attend a match when Lloyd is called up for National Team duty. With the exception of perhaps the now-departed Ella Masar, the casual soccer fan simply does not know the Kim Littles, Kealia Ohais, and Sarah Hagens of the league.
An All-Star Match brings those players to light. With a lineup that could include Lauren Barnes and Arin Gilliland on the back line, Christine Nairn and Allie Long in the midfield, and Sofia Huerta and Beverly Yanez up top, anyone would be hard-pressed to deny the talent. The NWSL is often touted as a league with some of the best parity in the world, and nothing would demonstrate that level of play more than a field of the best twenty-two players.
Another advantage of bringing these top players together would be to create a prime scouting opportunity for Jill Ellis’ National Team. What better chance to see who deserves a call-up than seeing the best players from across the league play each other all in one game? Players like Crystal Dunn, Samantha Mewis, and Stephanie McCaffrey all earned first or repeat National Team looks based on their NWSL performance.
Finally, an All-Star match brings attention, and as an endeavor that is still fairly new, this league needs all the attention it can get. A televised, marketed game (no small feat in the world of women’s soccer) can create new fans as well as showing confidence in the league. A strong, confident league will stem the flow of young talent currently lost to early retirements and the allure of European leagues. It will also attract top international talent like Amandine Henry, further increasing the fan base.
Fresh off a World Cup win with the possibility of Rio gold on the horizon, professional women’s soccer has a chance to propel this momentum into something that will last. An All-Star match can only help, and after two failed leagues, the NWSL needs all the help it can get. But hey, the third time is the charm, right?
Hey all you new NWSL fans out there. Yeah you. I have a message for you.
Pick a team.
Pick an NWSL team and stick with them. For one whole season; just pick a team and stick with them. Even if they break your heart. Maybe especially if they break your heart.
Sports in America has a lot of do with pride. We take pride in our team when we slip on a hat or a jersey or a pair of sweat pants with their crest stamped on them. And the connection we have with that team is what keeps us from maybe losing interest in that team when there isn’t a World Cup or an Olympics to get our soccer juices flowing.
I know a lot of you just found the NWSL at the tail end of last season. You got high on the World Cup and you decided to log on to YouTube and watch those same players go head to head with each other. And suddenly you got to see some great match ups. Tobin Heath’s Thorns taking on Kelley O’Hara’s Sky Blue was a great match. So was Hope Solo’s Reign taking on Carli Lloyd’s Dash.
But if you want to keep the league going and healthy you can’t just be a fan of Tobin Heath or Hope Solo or Morgan Brian. You have to be a fan of the Thorns or the Reign or the Dash. You have to buy in to that team as more than one to four national team players. If you really want to support the league you have to buy in to one team even if your favorite national teamplayer is traded or gone for national team duty or out for a season due to pregnancy or injury.
Fan bases take time to grow. As year four of the NWSL gets ready to start it’s hard to really have the baked in relationship to one of the ten teams in the league unless you live in one of the cities. I get that. I live four hours away from three different teams so any home town pride for a team isn’t there for me.
That is why I present the following tips on how to pick an NWSL team.
1) Look at the team as more than a showcase for USWNT players.
Sure the Dash have Carli Lloyd who hit a hat trick in a World Cup final. But will that World Cup final moment and Carli Lloyd really be enough to keep you a fan of the Dash for more than 2 or 3 games? Most likely no.
So look at the team rosters. Look for other players that you might know. Watch past games and see what other players stand out to you. Try to find ones not on the national team that you really like. Try to find a team with a style that you enjoy watching.
2) It’s alright to be pissed off at your team.
I am a Reign fan. I make no bones about the team I support even if I try to take my bias out when I’m writing about the NWSL or another team. But no team in this league pisses me off like the Reign. Because they are my team. Because I invest time and energy and even money into them and sometimes they just let me down.
But you know what? If I team pisses you off that means you care. That means you are invested in them. And that is a great sign.
3) It’s alright to like players on other teams without it being your team.
One of the biggest problems I faced when trying to pick my team after finding the NWSL was feeling like if I picked one team it would cut me off from supporting other players I liked. And then I remembered the MLB and NFL where I have my team, the Red Sox and Packers respectively, and I still managed to like other players in those leagues.
Case in point, I am a huge Becky Sauerbrunn fan. She is one of my favorite 3 players in the world right now. And yet I am not an FCKC fan. I can want Sauerbrunn to do well, really well in fact, and still not call myself a fan of the team or support them. In fact I personally hope they end up at the bottom of the table. But that is the Reign fan in me coming out.
The bottom line is whatever team you pick is not as importuning as picking a team and sticking with them. And it’s ok to say that you’re a fan of one team but like another. I like the Chicago Red Stars a lot but they just aren’t my team.
Whichever team you pick for the upcoming NWSL season I want you to remember the most important rule. Portland sucks.
The Olympics start tonight. Here is a quick guide to the group stage for the USWNT and a look at what the knockout rounds might bring.
The Group Stage: Group G
Game 1:
Opponent: New Zealand
When: August 3, 2016 – 6 PM ET
Where: Mineirão; Belo Horizonte
TV Channel: NBCSN, NBC Universo
Game 2:
Opponent: France
When: August 6, 2016 – 4 PM ET
Where: Mineirão; Belo Horizonte
TV Channel: NBCSN, NBC Universo
Game 3:
Opponent: Colombia
When: August 9, 2016 – 6 PM ET
Where: Amazônia Arena; Manaus
TV Channel: NBCSN, NBC Universo
Other Groups:
Group E: Sweden, Brazil, South Africa, China PR
Group F: Canada, Zimbabwe, Australia, Germany
Knockout Games:
The USWNT is in Group G. The winner of Group G will face the third place team from either Group E / F, likely China or Canada. The road is much harder if the USWNT end up in second place in Group G. The second place team plays the winner is Group F, likely Germany or Australia.
I am RJ Allen. I am the Editor in Chief of Backline Soccer. I’m joined by Chelsey Bush, who is the Managing Editor of Backline Soccer.
So Chelsey, why is Backline Soccer a thing now?
Chelsey Bush:
We felt like it was time to devote all our attention to promoting women’s soccer, and Backline Soccer is the perfect place for us to continue to provide insight, analysis, and conversations you can’t find anywhere else.
RJ Allen:
Our time at Midfield Press was a fantastic entry into running a website and learning about the world of soccer coverage. But it was time to create our own place.
Plus, now Chelsey has a title fitting her boss status.
Chelsey Bush:
Midfield Press is a great place, and I look forward to seeing how they continue their excellent coverage of men’s soccer.
RJ Allen:
We also have done a bit of rebranding. Titles of weekly pieces will be changed from more generic “NWSL Week X Recaps” to something with a little more panache.
Chelsey Bush:
We’re putting more of our stamp on things.
RJ Allen:
And, I think, the biggest change (outside of the site as a whole) is the rebranding of The Midfield Report into The Scouting Report.
Chelsey Bush:
Yeah, we definitely couldn’t let that go. It’s one of our most popular features.
New name, same faces!
RJ Allen:
We are adding a new news feature to TSR. Because, with a limited staff, we can’t get to everything. And if we don’t write about it, we want to at least give it some attention on the podcast.
Which I’m excited about.
Chelsey Bush:
Very exciting things coming up.
RJ Allen:
What are you most looking forward to in the Backline Soccer world?
Chelsey Bush:
I’m pretty excited about the NCAA coverage we’re adding. Personally, I’ll be doing a weekly column with an NCAA WoSo roundup.
The future of our WNT is there right now. The faces of the next World Cup are in college.
RJ Allen:
That is something I’m looking forward to learning more about. It’s a weak area for me, so growing my base as the site grows its base will be great.
Personally I’m looking forward to how the interviews with players grow and how TSR grows. Bringing on guests, our own thoughts, adding to the intelligent debate, etc.
Chelsey Bush:
We do have a lot of fun on there.
RJ Allen:
Something that will also be pretty great is that the four TSR hosts will be in Houston for the final.
And if all goes well we’ll be doing at least one live show from the hotel.
Chelsey Bush:
And we’re 75% sure all of us will survive the weekend.
It’s going to be a ton of fun, and we’re going to see some great soccer no matter who ends up in the game.
I’m really excited to bring my TSR friends to my “home base.”
RJ Allen:
I think it’s important that we’re branching off at this point. So when season five happens—it’s amazing that we’re all so sure it will—and the league is strong enough for a season five, we’ll hit the ground running.
Chelsey Bush:
Yes. We’re going to be doing a lot of building and work behind the scenes during the off-season.
No off-season for WoSo writers!
RJ Allen:
This is a really exciting time for us at Backline Soccer. And we hope all of you enjoy the ride with us. Between our own writing, TSR, interviews, and everything else we’re doing, it’s a really exciting time.
Chelsey Bush:
We’re ready to make our mark, and it’s going to be a blast.
RJ Allen:
If you want to find us elsewhere online you can find us on Twitter @BacklineSoccer, you can email us backlinesoccer@gmail.com, and you can find The Scouting Report here.
If you’d like to write for or need to contact, Backline Soccer you can contact us here.
In honor of the Chicago Red Stars retiring the number of former captain Lori Chalupny this weekend, we have composed a list of 17 reasons as to why we love Lori Chalupny.
1) Her longevity. Chalupny has had a long soccer career with success on various levels: college, various professional leagues, and the U.S. national team.
2) Her 2003 National Championship with the University of North Carolina.
3) Her 2008 Olympic Gold Medal.
4) Her 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup championship.
5) The way she battled her way back from a struggle with concussions. Unable to play for the U.S. from 2009 to 2014 due to injury, she utilized league play (WPS/NWSL) and fought her way back onto the national team.
6) How, when she returned to the national team, she didn’t pull veteran rank over Tobin Heath for her original number 17 and just wore 16 instead. Total team player. (That’s ok, she’ll always be 17 to us.)
7) She is Hope Solo’s favorite ‘Left Back of All Time’. She says so herself! She’s our favorite too.
8) When she played as a Red Star in the WPSL, WITHOUT PAY because she believed in growing the game.
9) She loves pizza like YOU love pizza. While at national team training camp in her hometown of St. Louis, Chalupny gave us a tour of IMO’s pizza and even shares a slice with teammates.
10) The way she is a St. Louis girl through and through. Look how she cringes putting on rival Cubs jersey (sorry Cubs fans).
Source – Chicago Red Stars Snapchat
11) You can’t knock civic pride, though. Look at all the joy on her face when she scores for her team in front of her hometown crowd.
12) The way she grew to love Chicago as her very own city.
13) She will be the head coach for Maryville Women’s Soccer in 2018!
14) The way she could command and anchor a midfield.
15) The way she could defend and attack the left flank.
16) The way she represented the Red Stars crest and captain arm band with dignity and pride every single match.
17) The way her number will never be worn by another Red Stars player.
Honorable Mention: During a Red Stars segment of “KK Cam,” Chalupny accompanied then goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc and Zakiya Bywaters on a trip to a hair salon. While there, she had zero chill, expressing her fear of clippers and blades going near KK’s head.
All of these reasons and more are why we miss seeing you out on the pitch, Chups. Thank you, Captain!
For the first time since 2000 it looks as if there will be no member of the 1999 World Cup winning team representing the United States at the Olympics.
Christie Rampone ruled herself out of the latest USWNT camp, and with her the door moves ever closer to being shut on the famed team that found World Cup glory on American soil.
Rampone’s statement via US Soccer:
“I really appreciate Jill inviting me in, but at this time, I don’t feel one hundred percent healthy enough to train and compete at that level. I’ve been able to manage myself and contribute to Sky Blue this season, which I will continue to do, but I also have an understanding of the level of fitness and health needed to push for an Olympic roster spot and I know I’m not there right now. It’s not the right choice for myself or the team to put myself in that environment.”
The 99er’s were, for a very long time, the team that every other USWNT was compared to. Rampone served as the bridge between the 99ers and the 15ers, and she will surely be remembered as one of the very best defenders and captains the team has ever known. But with Rio all but out of the question, it looks as if Rampone is stepping through the door with the 99ers and shutting it softly behind her.
Rampone, then Christie Pearce, first trained with the United States women’s national team during her final year at Monmouth college. It was then she made the switch from goal-scoring forward to goal-stopping center back. On February 28, 1997 against Australia, Rampone entered her first international game. Unless she is called up post Rio, her last game for the USWNT will have been played on September 20, 2015.
Rampone is one of, if not, the most successful women’s soccer players in both US and international history. She is one of only eight Americans with two World Cup titles (all seven others won in 1991 and 1999). She has more Olympic medals than any other women’s soccer player in history, with a sliver in 2000 and golds in 2004, 2008, and 2012. Rampone was named USWNT captain in 2008 and remained captain until 2016 when Carli Lloyd and Becky Sauerbrunn jointly took over the post.
Famously, she led Sky Blue FC to a WPS championship as player/coach in 2009. Finishing the season with a coaching record of 4-1-0 in 5 games. Sky Blue will benefit from her leadership and play for the remainder of the season without call ups preventing her from staying with the team. And we will be treated to at least a dozen or so more games with her leading her team into battle.
There will never be another player quite like Christie Rampone. Her number 3 will never quite look the same on someone else’s back as it did on hers. She might never have reached the level of name recognition that Mia Hamm or Alex Morgan have. She was never as publicly outspoken as Abby Wambach. But Rampone was the heartbeat of the United States women’s national team for over half of its life. She was a leader—a force to be reckoned with on defense and a guiding force to players young and old. Stepping away on her own terms must be commended even if the taste left in many people’s mouths is bittersweet.
A lot has been written lately about if the amateur NWSL players should be paid, why they aren’t paid, and if the league or their clubs can afford to pay them.
Very little has been written about how these players should be paid and about what might be a reasonable agreement under which these players, who put in as much work as the players under contract, could be paid.
Every unallocated player (someone who is not being paid by the United States or Canadian federations) makes between $7,200 to $39,700 for the duration of the season, going from April to October. And while this is not a livable wage and needs to be raised if the league wants to retain talent, the amateurs aren’t paid at all. They are simply reimbursed for some, but not all, expenses.
Unllocated players, therefore, make between $360 and $1,985 a game, per their 20-game schedule.
Side note: USWNT players make $54,000 for the NWSL season, meaning $2,700 a game. Still too low, but much more reasonable than their solely NWSL counterparts.
If the NWSL keeps needing to use amateur players going forward, and they will always need to with a 20-person roster and a slough of both United States and Canadian national team players, they should be required to pay them. This pay should not count against the team’s NWSL salary cap (currently set at $278,000).
This is the current NWSL language on amateurs:
An amateur Player is any person other than a professional Player.An amateur Player may not receive or retain any remuneration for playing except expenses directly related to a game or games which have actually been incurred by the Player.
This is my proposal for paying amateur players:
An amateur Player is any person other than a professional Player.An amateur Player will receive $200 each time they are listed in their club’s 18-person game-day roster. They may also receive remuneration for expenses directly related to a game or games which have been incurred by the Player.
The shoestring budget that some clubs operate on should be able to accommodate this modest pay for players putting on their uniforms to go out and try to score or defend goals in the club’s name. If they can’t, that has to be a sign that the ownership group might not be the right fit for the NWSL, going forward.
2015 and 2016 have seen teams having to often bring on amateur players because of the World Cup and Olympics. If the pay changes are put into effect in 2017, a non major year for the United States and Canada, fewer players will need to be called up. Too late to help out those who have already gone without pay, but a good time to implement a new policy and have two seasons to try it out on a smaller scale before the next World Cup year.
Pay the amateur players. It’s bad enough we call them amateur and not non-contract players. The least we can do is pay them. Maybe not what they are worth, but at least something. It’s the right thing to do.
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