Women's Professional Soccer Threatened

Sunday, 04 December 2011 16:34

If you care about Women's Professional Soccer you should read this--according to HuffingtonPost: Women's Professional Soccer may lose its status as a professional league after the size of said league went from six teams to five. US Soccer, the sport's governing body in the United States, have a rule that says professional leagues are required to have a minimum of eight teams but they aren't letting that stop them.

The league officially began in 2009 with seven teams and the New York Times cites the recent loss of the Florida based magicJack team as the source of the current problems. "With only six (all in the eastern part of the country) in 2011, W.P.S. requested and was granted a one-year waiver by the federation's board of directors," writes NYT. "Now with only five teams a certainty for the 2012 season, W.P.S. requested an extension of the waver to take it through a season that will include the London Olympics in the hope of attracting new investors before 2013."

"Our primary goal is to retain our [Division 1] status. We just came off a phenomenal season in 2011 and it feels like this is our time," said Jennifer O'Sullivan, the league's commissioner.

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In further comments, Change.org states: Women's Professional Soccer faces a serious threat to its existence in the United States due to the latest decision by US Soccer which is requiring the league to have six teams in the next 14 days for the 2012 season. The league currently has 5 teams and is in danger of losing its sanctioning from US Soccer despite the fact that the league already has strong indications of expansion for the 2013 season.

Like any league, WPS has certainly had its growing pains but is looking ahead to a bright future. The league had a great 2011 season with many positives as several WPS Clubs broke attendance records. Women's Soccer has gained unbelievable awareness and interest all across America after the success of the US National Team at the World Cup and the high level of play throughout the WPS. Every player on the 2011 World Cup Roster has played in the WPS and benefited from the day in day out training and weekly competitive games in what has been up until now, the best women's soccer league in the world. Some players would have never been in the National Team frame if it weren't for the WPS. The WPS brought them the exposure and the platform that they needed to push to the forefront and represent their country at the biggest stage in world soccer. Without the support and Division 1 sanctioning of the league, the league will not be able to uphold and retain its Top domestic and National Team players as well as International Stars.
And what does this mean for your daughter? Or for your little sister? Your cousin? Your friend? WUSA has folded and we have recovered. But to see Women's Professional Soccer fail twice would surely mean the end. The opportunity for the millions of young girls that dream of being the next Hope Solo or Alex Morgan will never get the chance. All because US Soccer did not back the league that is playing in their back yard. That is producing and bettering their players for not just today, but for the future. The league and owners cannot be forced with their backs up against the wall to bring someone into the league who is not the right fit. This has become very clear. These 5 owners are committed and have fought tooth and nail, putting in millions of dollars to see the league succeed. The players have sacrificed their whole lives to become a professional athlete and live out their dream-the dream that could be crushed in just a matter of days. Growing a new league takes time and patience, especially a women's professional league. Time and Patience to grow the fan base and build each market. Time and Patience to tweak business models, and find their niche in their respective markets. Rome wasn't built in a day; neither will the WPS be. The WPS needs full support and backing from US Soccer to make this go.

The league would simply need an exemption from US Soccer for one year of the 6 Team Requirement. Please help us, and sign this petition to put pressure onto US Soccer to support their OWN players in their OWN country for the development of Women's Soccer not just for today, but for tomorrow and years to come.Why People Are SigningBecky Sauerbrunn 7 days ago55 people like this reason
For many of us, the WPS is a stage to further what we've been working on for most of our lives. WPS represents an opportunity to fulfill a dream that would otherwise go unrealized.

Rob Cunningham
After profiting from the USWNT's run in the Women's World Cup, are you really going to stab the team in the back by effectively shutting down their league? Do your job of supporting soccer in the United States.Michelle Carter 7 days ago15 people like this reason
If there is no WPS, how will my daughter see the best women's soccer players in the world in action & how will they be an example of what hard work, strong character, athleticism, and leadership truly is? She needs to see that her dream can be a reality if she works hard enough & wants it bad enough! Without the example of these incredible women athletes, how will she know what can be and if there's no WPS, her dream will end after four years of college. A WPS player came to watch one of my daughter's U16 games and our coach (a veteran coach for 30+ years) wrote to our association, "I can honestly say this is the first time I have ever seen a professional athlete in any sport show at a match for no other reason than to support the players. I was impressed!" Please keep the WPS alive through these growing pains. America is finally seeing how truly amazing women's soccer is with the World Cup this past summer and the Olympics in 2012. There's not enough women's sports out there as it is now, don't end the dreams of thousands of young girls by terminating the WPS!!

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