Tag: USWNT

The Future of the USWNT is in the NWSL: Offense

Posted on by RJ Allen

With the USWNT beginning a new cycle and the team in transition, it’s time for new blood. In this two-part series, I take a look at whose NWSL play has earned a call-up to National Team camp and the chance to make an impression on Jill Ellis. Part One examined the defense, while Part Two takes a look at offense.

Center Midfield

Of all the many, many takes offered after the USWNT’s early exit from the Rio Olympics, perhaps none were louder than those pointing out the issues in center midfield. Last year’s retirements left two gaping holes in the shapes of Shannon Boxx and Lauren Holiday. Jill Ellis never really tried to replace Boxx, a U.S. legend at defensive midfielder, who hadn’t been a factor for the U.S. since early 2013. Morgan Brian occupied the spot during the latter part of the 2015 World Cup and performed admirably, but since then Ellis has preferred her higher up the pitch. Holiday, although perhaps never used to her potential on the NT, was nevertheless a formidable presence in the midfield that has been sorely missed. Like fullback, the time is ripe for young center midfielders to enter the fray, and thankfully, the NWSL has plenty.

Leading the charge is Danielle Colaprico. Called to camp last year, the backbone of the Red Stars midfield was recovering from injury and did not see any playing time. Colaprico is possibly the best heir to Boxx’s crown—an intelligent defensive midfielder whose command of the field belies her diminutive size. She can drop back to defend on top of the centerbacks, restart the play, push into the attack, and make it look easy. Last year’s NWSL Rookie of the Year, Colaprico was a huge part of Chicago’s success in making it to the playoffs and is an equally large reason they remain in the mix this year.

The other key to Chicago’s strong midfield is Vanessa DiBernardo. Like her teammate, DiBernardo has been called up to senior camp but did not play. Strong in the attack, she has a keen eye for finding seams in which to send balls to catch her forwards at the perfect time on their runs into the box, and she has a rocket of a shot of her own at her disposal as well. As a member of the 2012 U-20 World Cup championship team, DiBernardo already has international experience.

Yet another member of that 2012 U-20 team, as well as part of the 2013 UCLA championship squad, Sarah Killion has been quietly working her way back toward another call-up. She’s been as instrumental in Sky Blue’s midfield as her teammate Raquel Rodriguez, while only receiving half the attention. Rather like Holiday, she can be a box-to-box midfielder, honing her defensive skills on one end while setting up plays on the other. Killion has excellent distribution and a calm presence on the field. She’s also taken three penalty kicks for Sky Blue this year, converting all of them.

Winger

Kealia Ohai has been on the fringes of the National Team since arriving in the NWSL in 2014. Often in the discussion but never on a roster, Ohai started off this season slowly, struggling to find the back of the net. Then, due to a diminished roster after Houston’s Olympians departed, Ohai moved to outside midfielder, and she hasn’t looked back. Tied with Rachel Daly for the team lead in both goals and assists, Ohai has been tearing up and down the flanks of any pitch she’s stepped on. Her speed and turns have bested every fullback she’s faced, including WNT veteran Ali Krieger, while both her crosses and diagonal runs into the box have led to goals. Ohai is playing with newfound confidence and leadership, and as a small, fast forward converted to winger, she should be right up Ellis’s alley.

Sam Witteman has been an intriguing player to watch on the Orlando Pride. The rookie, who played in seven different positions in 2015 for California, has continued her versatile play in the NWSL. No matter which line she plays on, it’s clear she belongs on the flank. Witteman has great service from the outside and plays with an intelligence that makes one forget it’s her first professional season. Going forward, she is certainly one to watch.

Forward

Apart from goalkeeper, forward is likely the hardest position to break into on the USWNT. Often the face of the team, from Mia Hamm to Alex Morgan, the team tends to carry a lot of depth at forward. That said, the years in between cycles are the best time for turnover, so now is the time for NWSL goalscorers to make their mark.

Shea Groom struggled initially this season as the lone forward atop FC Kansas City’s formation, but once Tiffany McCarty was inserted on the flank, the two found a chemistry that has pushed Groom to third in the league for goals. The scrappy striker brings a quality that is missing among the WNT’s star forwards—a willingness to sacrifice her entire body to push the ball over the goal line, regardless of what (or who) is in her way. Groom messes with defenses across the league, getting under their skin with her relentless pressure and tireless work ethic.

It would be hard to ignore any of the Western New York Flash’s high-scoring front line of Lynn Williams and Jess McDonald, helped out by Makenzy Doniak. Williams and McDonald lead the league in goals, and McDonald also leads in assists. The three have combined for 17 goals in 15 games, propelling the Flash to third place. The trio makes up the speediest front line in the league and can score seemingly at will from both the run of play and set pieces. It’s hard to imagine any of them staying under the NT radar.

Another forward worth a look is Bev Yanez of the Seattle Reign. Yanez brings a wealth of professional experience, culminating in a 10-goal season last year, earning her a place in the league’s best XI. A technically gifted player in the vein of Christen Press, she is underrated, with both a nose for goal and a playmaking ability that shouldn’t be overlooked.

As Jill Ellis continues to place her emphasis on offense, she is fortunate to have a vastly talented pool at her disposal in the NWSL. These players are just a few of those who’ve earned the chance to wear the crest for the U.S.

The Future of the USWNT is in the NWSL: Defense

Posted on by RJ Allen

With the USWNT beginning a new cycle and the team in transition, it’s time for new blood. In this two-part series, I take a look at whose NWSL play has earned a call-up to National Team camp and the chance to make an impression on Jill Ellis. Part One examines the defense.

Goalkeeper

Few positions on a National Team can be as impenetrable as goalkeeper. A goalkeeper is a long-term investment, and once a #1 is established, she can hold that spot for years longer than field players. For the majority of its 31-year lifetime, the USWNT has had three main goalkeepers: Mary Harvey, Briana Scurry, and Hope Solo. Harvey came aboard in 1989 and led the team to victory in the 1991 World Cup. Scurry received her first cap at age 22, became the starting goalkeeper before the 1995 World Cup, and held the spot for a decade. Solo made her first appearance at age 18 and took the regular starting position in 2005. Her ambitions for her career after the Rio Olympics have been unclear; often ambiguous, her statements about the future have ranged from assertions that her best is yet to come to more vague words that imply the time has come. Regardless, it’s clear the U.S. will soon be grooming a new #1, and probably should already have started.

The current backups, Alyssa Naeher and Ashlyn Harris, are both more than capable of holding the spot and performing well. However, as stated previously, the USWNT likes to find its goalkeepers young, allowing them to mature into the role and gain plenty of experience while doing such. With the record the U.S. has and the reputation both Scurry and Solo hold, it’s hard to argue with that. So which young NWSL goalkeepers could we see in U.S. colors soon?

Jane Campbell leads the discussion of probable Solo replacements, but the Stanford senior hasn’t played in the NWSL (yet). Abbie Smith is another talented college and Youth National Team goalkeeper who should be in the mix. Known for her booming goal kicks and punts, Smith was on her way to living up to her reputation as a top-notch keeper when she took over for Libby Stout on the Boston Breakers, but a knee injury in May took her out for the season. Assuming she regains her form, Smith should be on the USWNT watchlist.

The best option may well be Katelyn Rowland. A U-20 Women’s World Cup veteran like Harris, Naeher, and Smith before her, Rowland also starred at UCLA, setting NCAA shutout records and picking up two assists as well as leading the Bruins to the 2013 NCAA Championship. After a season and a half of serving as backup to Nicole Barnhart, longtime Solo backup herself and possibly the league’s best goalkeeper, Rowland made the bold move to leave FC Kansas City and assert herself as a #1, seeking a midseason trade to the Western New York Flash, where she soon secured the top spot. Rowland is an excellent shot stopper who rarely shows indecision off the line. As she earns more playing time at the professional level, Rowland should continue to grow and work her way into the National Team pool.

Centerback

The centerback position is fairly deep on the National Team currently. Becky Sauerbrunn is seemingly set to go another cycle with Julie Johnston at her side, while Whitney Engen is ready as backup and Emily Sonnett waits in the wings, not to mention Ali Krieger who spent a game and a half at the position this year for the team. It could be difficult for anyone to break into that group, but that’s not to say that the opportunity doesn’t exist.

Megan Oyster leads the pack. After a strong rookie season, Oyster started this year where she left off, helping propel Washington to the top of the table. However, after a dreadful game in Portland, Oyster has since struggled at times to regain her form, particularly when she was called upon to anchor the backline after the departure of her Rio-bound teammates. That said, her good performances far outweigh her mistakes, and Oyster has it in her to compete at the top.

Kassey Kallman is another option. After being a key part of the 2012 U-20 World Cup championship team, Kallman is on her third NWSL season, where she currently serves alongside Engen on Boston’s backline. The two are quietly one of the better centerback pairings in the league, where their record belies their solid work.

Another option may be Cari Roccaro. A youth NT standout and once considered a possible number one draft pick, Roccaro’s stock fell considerably when it was revealed she had been playing with two labral tears in her hips and would undergo surgery in the offseason, delaying her NWSL debut. However, her former Notre Dame head coach Randy Waldrum took a chance on her and brought her to the Houston Dash, where she completed rehab ahead of schedule and soon earned a starting position. Still not yet back to 100%, Roccaro is a disciplined player who is comfortable pushing up into the attack.

Finally, Abby Dahlkemper deserves a look. A former UCLA teammate of Rowland, the pair has reunited at Western New York, where Dahlkemper has stepped up. Most promising from Dahlkemper is that although her youth and relative inexperience occasionally show, she has shown definite improvement in her sophomore season. She also brings significant youth national team experience.

Fullback

Unlike central defense, the outside back pool for the USWNT is extremely shallow. Ali Krieger appears to have fallen from favor, while neither Kelley O’Hara nor Meghan Klingenberg had good tournaments in Rio. Jaelene Hinkle is the only young player to have seen any time at the spot recently, and although her National Team debut wasn’t stellar, her allocated status and tremendous season for the Flash may earn her a return appearance.

Lauren Barnes was invited to camp earlier this year but didn’t see any playing time. Barnes brings versatility to the role, as she can play both fullback and centerback. She hasn’t had a solid 2016 for the Seattle Reign, but who on the Reign this year has? If Barnes can regain her form, either central or outside, she could work her way back into the mix.

Finally, any discussion of outside backs would be remiss not to mention the best pairing in the league: the Chicago Red Stars’ Arin Gilliland and Casey Short. The two bring exactly what Ellis likes to see from her fullbacks – fast players, comfortable with the ball at their feet, who will push into the attack and don’t shy away from taking the shot themselves. However, both Short and Gilliland are also strong on the opposite side of the pitch, something Ellis’ current wingback system lacks. They’re skilled on 1v1 defense and demonstrate great awareness of when to drop back. It would be baffling to see January camp without at least one of the two on the list.

Although some old faces will be departing, the options are there for the USWNT to have a strong defense once again, which, as they undergo that rarity of a goalkeeper change, is absolutely necessary.

Up next: Part Two of the series, which will focus on offense.

The Downsizing of Fat Fans

Posted on by RJ Allen

I haven’t always been a sports fan.

I grew up in southeast Wisconsin, a place where Sunday Catholic masses in the fall usually included a reference to the Packers during the homily. And sometimes a joke about the Bears or the Vikings, to the delight of almost all. But I found football boring (little did I know) and paid it no mind.

I played basketball and baseball until sometime around seventh or eighth grade. I was big–tall–and slow.

The thing is, I’ve always been large. Fat, really. And the journey to being able to say that without feelings of overwhelming shame, well, it’s been a long one. And the thing about being the fat girl is that we don’t really play sports.

To be fair, women’s sports wasn’t really a viewing option. Maybe some golf, maybe some tennis. But except for Olympic years and major tournaments, I can’t remember seeing a women’s basketball game on television, never a women’s soccer game nor a women’s hockey game.  

The bodies of female athletes that I saw on television were tall, toned, and definitely not fat. Toned, but not overly muscular.  Even their athleticism was marked by a kind of grace that I just didn’t possess.

I never saw myself reflected in the women I saw playing sports. I didn’t see the fat girls.

As time marched on I eventually stopped playing sports. I tolerated gym class while I focused on other activities. For a long time, I looked at sports as something with nothing to offer me.

My foray back into the wide world of sports began with the NFL. With the Packers, a Super Bowl win, and the excitement of being able to connect with my dad and brothers. And, yes, the allure of the family Fantasy Football trophy.

But it wasn’t until the Women’s World Cup in 2015 that I truly became a sports fan.  I’d never watched a soccer game before June 8th, 2015, when the USWNT bested Australia.  No one in my family ever played soccer. None of my friends did. And, yeah, my dad, the football and basketball fan, thought it was boring. He’d say, “They’re always flopping around on the ground!” or “What good’s a sport where nobody scores?”

But I watched that game against Australia, and I was hooked.

Immediately.

My Google history from that night included a lot of names of players I’d never heard of before (I’d really only heard of Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, and Hope Solo through cultural osmosis) as well as things like “What is stoppage time?” For reference, as a former basketball player, I was very concerned the first time I saw someone take the ball over the centerline, then back, then forward again.

“Isn’t that a foul? A backcourt violation?” I wondered.

Turns out, it was not.

Since June 8th, 2015, I have watched every single USWNT game.

I’ve watched as many NWSL games as I have been able (and while the ability to watch on YouTube is wonderful, are you seriously telling me that I have several hundred channels with my cable subscription, and not a single one is willing to broadcast the games?).

I went to a Chicago Red Stars game against Sky Blue FC earlier this year and had an amazing experience, and I took my mom to the July 9th USWNT match against South Africa. She’d never seen a soccer game before either, and she loved every minute of it. And when the Red Stars take on the Washington Spirit in their last game of the regular season later this year, I will be there, cheering my head off.

The USWNT turned me into a women’s soccer fan.

But I’ve also become more and more aware of my status as, what I’ve termed, a “fat fan.”

See, I’ve always been large, always been overweight. I think I was thin once, for about two weeks, after I was released from a hospitalization for pneumonia at the age of six months. I spent high school wearing super-sized Nike t-shirts and rocking the layered flannel look (and yes, I know–it wasn’t a look then; it still isn’t now).

I sit gingerly and carefully on seats that look unable to hold my weight–or I just stand–because I can still hear one of the kids back in elementary school taunting me about being too heavy for the desk chairs.  

I get anxiety about flying on airplanes–because what if they want me to pay for a second seat? Or what if I get sat next to someone who makes a big deal about my arms touching theirs on, or my thighs touching theirs. (Fat flying anxiety: it’s an actual thing.)

And on the one hand, becoming a fan of soccer has introduced me to the whole wide world of female athlete body types, and honestly helped me move toward overcoming my lifetime’s worth of shame over being the fat girl. But at the same time, I find myself continually reminded of who I am.

Life as a fat fan—and this isn’t limited to soccer; it’s just the sport I have the most experience with of late—can be complicated. As much as sports celebrate bodies and active lifestyles, and as much as soccer has helped to promote body positivity (thank you, Ali Krieger, and Christen Press, for your ESPN Body Issue comments in 2015 and 2016, respectively), I am always reminded of my size as a fan.

What it’s like to be a fat fan?

First of all, the official merchandise.

Now, this isn’t a problem so much in the NFL–I have no problem getting a Jordy Nelson or Clay Matthews jersey in the size that I want.

But I have noticed that it’s a problem in the soccer world. The USSF caps replica and authentic jersey sizes at 2XL. In both men’s and women’s sizes. (Let’s not get lost in the many problems with women’s jerseys, but seriously, that v-neck?). For a while, you could only get the 3-star jersey in the women’s cut. Which, as Serena Williams helpfully pointed out, doesn’t fit every body type.

But the 2XL in either cut doesn’t fit everybody (or every body) either.

So if you want to represent your favorite athlete or team, as a fat person, you’ve got to squeeze your body into a 2XL or go the route of finding non-licensed apparel. Which, yes, does exist. But, as a fans of the USSF and its players, we should try to avoid.

I have two jerseys: a 2015 away jersey with Ali Krieger’s name and number and a 2016 away jersey with Kelley O’Hara’s. I’m a defense girl; always have been. They’re 2XL and, yes, technically they fit, but they’re tight.

They’re tight and I feel uncomfortable wearing them. I spend the day pulling them down as they roll up, self-conscious that my fat back is showing. I spend the day feeling like Bruce Banner, just one moment of not paying attention to how wide I’m swinging my arms from bursting out of the seams. For the record, the 2016 jersey is just slightly better. I am comfortable wearing that one outside of the house. Sometimes.

But you know what would be so much better?

A jersey in 3XL.

That would fit just a little better and make me a little more comfortable. I’d still be fat, yeah, but I’d certainly feel a little more dignified. And what about fans larger than me? I know they exist. How hard would it be to offer a 4XL or 5XL option? How hard would it be to make fans of all sizes feel comfortable using their bodies to mark their enthusiasm and their passion for the sport?

The official NWSL team merchandise isn’t always better–though it can vary from team to team.

I’ve got a wonderful long-sleeve Red Stars shirt and a bright orange Sky Blue shirt that (after some deliberate stretching) fits okay. Team jerseys, depending upon availability, can range from topping off at L to 2XL, but never higher.

Which is a shame for multiple reasons. Not only are the opportunities far more frequent for people to go and see them play, but the league could benefit even more from increased merchandise sales to help support teams and players.

The NWHL, for example, also only offers up to 2XL, both in shirts and jerseys. But their merchandise is undergoing a revamp as they design new jerseys for their second season, and it’s possible that available sizes might change or increase nearer to the start.

But there’s actually a simple solution to this.

As a fat person, I’m used to sometimes paying a few dollars more for a size I want. Lots of places offer sizes up to 2XL at a set price, and sizes above 2XL with a slight surcharge. If I could go all day without feeling like everyone knows what color underwear I’m wearing, I’d pay the extra bucks.

The problem isn’t limited to federation and league products, either. The issue also exists within individual player merchandise, their personal branded lines. It isn’t an institutional issue but a cultural one.

And sometimes, yes, it’s simply out of the player’s control.

I can tell you, if there’s a player out there who offers their gear in larger sizes? I’m 100% more likely to buy from them.

Ashlyn Harris’s store via Sqor, when it first opened, offered at least one shirt that went into at least 3XL: the all-black Keeper shirt with her name on back.

It’s one of my favorites.

In contrast, Megan Rapinoe’s line doesn’t seem to offer anything over 2XL. Ali Krieger’s most recent t-shirt design only went to 2XL (and sold out in a day—congrats!). But when someone contacted Team Krieger, they did express concern over the issue of sizing. It’s interesting to note that the Krieger website includes a sizing chart that lists Bella+Canvas shirts being offered up to 4XL but the product itself is only offered up to 2XL. I love both players, and I support them both, but I can’t in good conscience buy a shirt from them that I’m not sure will fit me.

Hope Solo’s merchandise store seems to only offer options up to 2XL as well, but she recently put out a “Resting Pitch Face” merchandise line in cooperation with Girl Up. And with this product, her sizes went up to 3XL in one of the t-shirt options, and 5XL in the sweatshirt option. I was already a Hope Solo fan. I’ve got a (too-tight) t-shirt from the US Soccer store with her name and number in gold lettering, but am I considering plunking down more money for a shirt or sweatshirt that actually fits? That I can wear outside without feeling self-conscious?

You betcha.

And sure, there are the inevitable responses to issues like this. Why not just lose the weight? Why not be more active? Why not get healthier? Is it the responsibility of institutions or individuals to cater to fat people?

Well, those are questions that open up a whole host of other issues about the way society and culture views body types. But I can tell you this. I’m not unhealthy. My blood pressure is perfect. I don’t have diabetes.

Oh, and last summer, inspired by the USWNT during the Women’s World Cup (and in particular, Ali Krieger’s stories of her multiple comebacks after what could have been career-ending injuries), I actually did a C25K program and ran in a 5K in the fall.

Yeah, me. The fat girl.

So it’s not just that I’m lazy (I’m willing to admit that I can be), unhealthy (I’m not), or some other accusation someone wants to toss at me. And others who experience similar things aren’t either. The issue is that larger people exist, that we can be just as passionate as fans as everyone else, but we are continually reminded that sports just aren’t for us by the limited merchandise options made available.

We are literally being sized out of athletic patronage.

So, back to that last question: Should there be more size options? My answer is going to be yes. Yes, federations and teams and players should try to offer products in larger sizes. I’m not even saying that every product has to go up to 5XL or above. But one or two of them? Absolutely.

Why?

We’re fans.

We buy tickets. We squeeze ourselves into uncomfortable stadium seating that gouges into our hips, and if we look like we’re on the edge of our seats for the whole game, it’s 50% excitement and 50% because the armrests don’t hurt our sides that way. We buy merchandise that we can wear (snapbacks and scarves) or display (flags and signs) and merchandise that we’re apprehensive about wearing (jerseys, shorts, t-shirts, jackets, socks, etc.). We show up to games, and sometimes, honestly, sometimes we’re a little afraid or anxious about what other people think. Are our rolls of fat showing? Do we look ridiculous in this? Do people think we’re trying too hard, that we know less or aren’t truly fans because we weigh more?

We cheer and we root and we are so, so proud of our players and our teams and our leagues.

But sometimes?

Sometimes we don’t wear our gear at all. Sometimes we show up in things that fit us, things that make us feel like we don’t have to worry the whole day.

And then we wonder, the whole time, do people still know that we’re fans? Do they think we’re imposters? Do they know that we live and breathe and die by the scoreline? Our team’s place on the table?

Come the end of September, I’m going to be at that Red Stars game. And I’m going to be wearing some sort of soccer gear. I just wish I could be certain that I will be comfortable in it as I’m hooting and hollering and cheering the teams and the players on.

Race and Class are Connected in Pay to Play

Posted on by RJ Allen

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
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
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.

USWNT

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.

Olympic Quarter Final Matchups Set

Posted on by RJ Allen

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?

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A Quick Guide to the USWNT at the Olympics

Posted on by RJ Allen

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.

Quarter-finals: 8/12

Semi-Final: 8/16

Final: 8/19

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

Gold medal match

Winner E

Third F / G

Winner E / Third F / G

Winner G / Third E / F

Winner

Winner

Winner G

Third E / F

   Winner F / Runner Up G .  

  Runner Up E / Runner Up F  

Winner F

Runner Up G

   Bronze medal match   

   Runner Up E  

   Runner Up F   

Loser

Loser

Introducing Backline Soccer

Posted on by RJ Allen

RJ Allen:

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.

17 Reasons We Love Lori Chalupny

Posted on by RJ Allen

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.)

worldcupchup

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.

frechups

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).

chupscubs
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.

Chichups

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.

chups17

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.

5

All of these reasons and more are why we miss seeing you out on the pitch, Chups. Thank you, Captain!

The Door Quietly Shuts for the Last 99er

Posted on by RJ Allen

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 Conversation on Race and WoSo

Posted on by RJ Allen

RJ Allen:

So, Sandra and I are going to tackle a pretty big issue: race and WoSo.

Sandra would you like to let the people reading this know your background?

Sandra Herrera:

Yes. As far as my ethnicity, I have always identified as Mexican-American or, more recently in my adult years, as Latina or Latinx.

RJ Allen:

I am so white I sometimes glow in the dark.

Sandra Herrera:

Haha, that’s a cool skill to have sometimes.

RJ Allen:

I’m also from upstate New York. My county is, as of 2010, 94.97% white.

Sandra Herrera:

That’s a pretty high stat. I was born in south Chicago and currently live just outside of there. However, both community demographics are similar: about 75% Black 20% Hispanic.

Thanks, wiki.

RJ Allen:

So we come from pretty different backgrounds. A nice thing when talking about this, I think.

Let’s start off with something that, I think, we both agree on.

The USWNT and NWSL teams should not have a quota of players of color on their rosters. Which I’ve seen brought up by some fans as a way to diversify quickly.

Sandra Herrera:

Correct. Don’t get me wrong. I completely understand where some people are coming from, as far as people wanting to be able to see this sport represent the country that we live in today. That diversity is somewhat scarce when it comes to WoSo or to soccer in general, and we should try to find a way to remedy that. However, no I don’t agree with having a type of quota in place to achieve that. I feel like that’s unfair to young players of color currently trying to reach a higher plateau in women’s soccer.

RJ Allen:

I’ve been the token woman in a group of men for committees, and it’s hard enough there. On a soccer pitch, I can’t see it working out very well.

As someone who is white, it’s hard for me not to go with the “take the best no matter what race they are” stand. But then I think about the pay for play system and the resources, and it gets much trickier.

Sandra Herrera:

I mean, ultimately, I think at the end of the day, everybody wants to be judged on the merits of their character and on the basis of their talent. When you dig deeper into pay to play you start getting into things like race and classes and unfortunately those things are tied into money in this country.

RJ Allen:

I’ve heard it said that USSF isn’t racist, they are classist. But in this country, it’s the same thing.

Sandra Herrera:

Yeah, I think when it comes to race, it’s such a sensitive topic. So it’s hard for people to try and separate the two, but they are completely related.

No one is saying that poor white people and poor white families don’t exist, because they do. Unfortunately, the reality is that there are higher numbers of poor African-American families and poor Hispanic families.

RJ Allen:

I think women of color on the USWNT and NWSL are sort of damned if they do, and damned if they don’t. They are either treated with total kid gloves, or they are needlessly picked apart.

Sandra Herrera:

I think there’s a lot of pressure for players of color once they reach that level.

RJ Allen:

The kid gloves make it hard for people to take it seriously, because they can see the results with their own eyes. And the picking apart is just unneeded.

Sandra Herrera:

Yeah, for sure. There’s a lot of criticism either way, I think. Sometimes there can be a bit of a “remember who you’re representing” mentality in those situations. But at the end of the day, they are professionals and should be treated as such.

RJ Allen:

I do always find it funny who fans think of as women of color and who they don’t.

You know my favorite example of this.

Sandra Herrera:

Ha ha! Yeah, I do. Are you talking about Amy Rodriguez?

RJ Allen:

I am.

ARod has called herself a Latina, and her father’s parents came over from Cuba, but she is usually overlooked.

Sandra Herrera:

I love Amy Rodriguez.  I just want to be on record saying that, ha ha.

ARod has called herself Latina because it’s part of how she identifies herself as. She is a person in this country who has Latin roots, and I think she is proud of that. However, I get how she can be overlooked by some people.

She has blonde hair and very light skin. She can be referred to as what is called a “white-passing” Latinx person. So I actually think it’s kind of important and kind of cool that she honors her roots and her heritage.

RJ Allen:

It just makes me laugh because the people overlooking her are usually the ones talking about how the team doesn’t have many Latinas on it.

Sandra Herrera:

Let’s keep it real here. As of right now, I don’t think they do—unless I am forgetting somebody, ha ha.

Same thing with Stephanie Cox I feel like, once she got married, she got overlooked a lot as well because people just couldn’t recognize it without the Lopez name.

RJ Allen:

Speaking of much needed left backs on the USWNT…

(And the Reign.)

Sandra Herrera:

And that’s actually something that I really appreciate from Rodriguez. Because she’s been married happily and

has a family, and she understands the importance of that name on the back of the jersey. So I’ve always been happy that she’s kept it and represented it out on the pitch.

RJ Allen:

People skip over ARod because of how she looks, which doesn’t help with the whole thing of not judging people just on how they look and wanting diversity.

Sandra Herrera:

Bingo. It’s a pretty common thing, unfortunately, in the Latin community. We are one of the most diverse ethnic groups in this country and if you’re too pale or too dark you don’t fit the prototype.

But that’s a whole other topic. So, yeah, I miss Rodriguez, ha ha.

RJ Allen:

I do find it funny that people don’t know how to “classify” Christen Press. Speaking of not fitting a prototype.

Sandra Herrera:

I think that people just have a tendency to want to mold people into their own perceptions of what something or someone should be.

It sucks but that happens a lot.

RJ Allen:

I’ve heard people ask if she just has a really great tan.

Sandra Herrera:

I am laughing really hard right now. Yeah. That happens too.

RJ Allen:

Didn’t USWNT’s Twitter do that with Mal?

Sandra Herrera:

I think that people in general, not just athletes celebrities or famous people, have the right to identify themselves to the best way that they feel comfortable in their own skin.

RJ Allen:

She and Carli were “comparing tans”?

Sandra Herrera:

Oh man, yeah. I know that it was a completely harmless moment between two teammates. But the photo made me a little uncomfortable at first without knowing the context in which it was taken.

RJ Allen:

Yeah, the social media person was a bit clueless in that moment.

Sandra Herrera:

I can only speak from personal experience, but it made me uncomfortable because I, myself, am actually very fair skinned as well. I have had to have those conversations and talk about being a white-passing Latinx person in a white-privileged society.

Seeing the picture made me a little uncomfortable at first because I have had those moments with white friends of mine in the summertime who went out and got tans and were like, “Oh my God I’m darker than you!”.

RJ Allen:

I’ll admit I snorted when I first saw the photo, before I thought about the content.

Sandra Herrera:

Yeah, like those moments happen between friends of different ethnicities. They just do.

But there are people out there who maybe went to that place, like I did, when I first saw the photo.

But I don’t view it as some type of divisive thing between teammates, like at all. If anything, they probably were just a really comparing tans, ha ha.

RJ Allen:

How do you think the issue of having more diversity gets resolved?

If it’s even possible with how sports and USSF operate.

Sandra Herrera:

You know, I think it’s going to be pretty difficult. I like to sit here and think that it would be easy, but you’re talking about an infrastructure that’s been in place for decades.

You look at a sport like basketball, and you notice a difference in its beginning versus its present.

RJ Allen:

The pay for play has to go for it to have a shot at being fixed. But there are a lot of people getting a lot of money who would want to keep it in place.

Sandra Herrera:

Exactly. Youth soccer in this country has become a bit elitist, and that’s sad. When you go back in history and visit the teams that you fell in love with, and you can literally point at the few diverse players, that’s not something to hang your hat on.

What does that mean for the youth of this country who come from low economic backgrounds and live in urban areas who love soccer?

What does that tell them when they don’t see someone who looks like them or don’t see a last name that they can relate to? It tells them that they don’t belong there.

RJ Allen:

Seeing something helps kids believe they can do it too.

We talk about it with women’s sports all the time.

The reason that we want it on TV is to give girls a sign they can do it one day.

Sandra Herrera:

Yeah exactly. Visibility matters. Representation is important. The fact that there are people who actually want to debate that, is sad. I don’t think it should be a debate those things are important. Period.

RJ Allen:

Warning: I do not believe this, but I want you to smack it down, so I’m saying it anyway.

Sandra Herrera:

Ha ha, go for it!

RJ Allen:

Representation matters, but in sports, doesn’t winning matter more? Shouldn’t the USWNT, or any other team, pick blind to race and try to win, in the short and long term, over having a rainbow on their team?

Sandra Herrera:

Haha, I think that says more about the infrastructure that’s in place than anything.

RJ Allen:

Is that why other countries tend to be more diverse than the US?

Sandra Herrera:

Because they believe in scouting talent in urban areas?

RJ Allen:

I was going with their infrastructure allows for it. But yes.

Sandra Herrera:

Yeah, true. But I mean, you look at a guy like Messi and wonder where he would’ve ended up if HE came up through U.S. Soccer.

RJ Allen:

Knowing the coach? On the bench.

Sandra Herrera:

Oh, man. Quite possibly, yes. LOL

Or not even make the cut because he was too short.

RJ Allen:

Do you think the coaching staff being all white affects this?

Sandra Herrera:

That’s difficult to say. I want to believe that the coaching staff wants to change something like pay to play, but at the same tine, you don’t hear them being vocal about it.

RJ Allen:

WoSo seems to be—and I am saying this as a white person—a white person’s sport in terms of fans/media who covers it/coaching.

Sandra Herrera:

To be fair, there are a lot of you guys who are acknowledging that. So that helps. Sometimes you even give a platform for voices on these topics. So I thank Midfield Press for that.

I’d ask you the same question I guess, what do you think needs to be done to change it?

RJ Allen:

I think we need to change the youth system to include more women of color and I think it will change through sheer numbers.

If you have more 7-year-old girls of color playing, it would follow that you’d have more playing at 13 and 18 and 25, right?

Sandra Herrera:

True.

I get changing it at the bottom.

What about the top?

RJ Allen:

I don’t know. If I’m being honest. I do think there needs to be some rules for hiring coaches. Interviewing more women or people of color.

A Harvey Rule as it were.

Sandra Herrera:

I’d like to hear more people at the top talk about it, frankly. Acknowledging that it needs to be fixed from inside, at the top. Not just grassroots and at the bottom.

I don’t want to sit here and just be like it all boils down to race. Before anything I am just Sandra, and then comes everything else.

I think you brought up a good point about the coaching. For sure.

RJ Allen:

I think, in general, WoSo people (coaches and players) are usually scared of speaking out.

Sandra Herrera:

I think so too.

RJ Allen:

Woso is such a small world.

One wrong move, and you could be banished.

Sandra Herrera:

Yeah, that’s very true. Isn’t that, in itself, pretty elitist?

RJ Allen:

I think sports are in general. Women’s sports even more, yes.

Sandra Herrera:

In women’s sports, and, I’ll add, even more so if you’re a woman of color. 

RJ Allen:

Yes.

Sandra Herrera:

You know, I read this quote from Mindy Kaling, regarding Hollywood and the whole typical straight white male world that it is. But to be honest, it’s something that I’ve felt whenever I’ve gotten some sort of opportunity to better myself.

She says, “When you are a minority, and it’s the first time you’ve done something, you’re like, this could all be taken away from me.”

And that’s why I think it’s so important that we do have someone like Sydney Leroux writing her blogs.

That you have people like Crystal Dunn or Christen Press who are willing to answer my questions and speak on things like race.

Navigating this world of WoSo has been, at times, overwhelming for me, personally. You want to be authentic and true to yourself and to the sport without offending someone.

And that’s difficult when you start talking about things like race or pay to play.

RJ Allen:

Sometimes you have to offend people to make them either pay attention or look at what they thought was a given but wasn’t.

Though I do have some privilege to be able to do that without having racist things said to me.

Sandra Herrera:

It’s crazy sometimes, to think about your words offending someone and all you’re trying to do is speak your truth.

I imagine it’s even harder wanting to speak your truth but feeling like you cannot because of the type of spotlight you might be in.

It’s also discouraging. Real discouraging.

RJ Allen:

The NWSL marketing—we all have issues with it—but I’m sort of amazed that they haven’t marketed more to the Latina community, with the history of soccer love there.

Sandra Herrera:

Yeah, I’m fascinated by it really.

I think the marketing in NWSL is figuring itself out as the league grows too.

RJ Allen:

Not marketing to adults is an issue as well.

Sandra Herrera:

Absolutely.

I get marketing to youth. I do. It’s been done since, like, the beginning of time.

But the there have also been, like, two other leagues that folded. So, yeah.

To be honest, I’m not sure a league like NWSL knows how to market to the Latino community.

RJ Allen:

Any suggestions to help them out?

Sandra Herrera:

Don’t be afraid to incorporate Spanish media with your teams.

The Red Stars have a GREAT Spanish language webcast for their home games, I’m not sure if other teams do.

RJ Allen:

Chicago is the only team with a Spanish language webcast, as far as I know.

Sandra Herrera:

I’d say try to market around your Latin players, but I’m not sure if that would work for most teams, ha ha.

RJ Allen:

Any closing thoughts?

Sandra Herrera:

I think it’s easy for us, on the outside looking in, to talk about restructuring at the grassroots level—from the bottom up. However, I don’t think those at the top should be left off the hook. If you love this sport like you claim you do, you should start talking about it how to fix it. That includes people at the administrative level as well as coaches.

I feel like, at this point, it’s not enough to just think about what we could do at the community level.

They need to be held accountable and they need to make better decisions.

RJ Allen:

You can’t have change if no one at the top admits there is a problem.

Sandra Herrera:

Exactly.