Women's Professional Soccer

History

Planning

After the folding of Women's United Soccer Association, which played its third and final full season in 2003, WUSA Reorganization Committee was formed in September of that year. The committee led to the founding in November 2004 of the non-profit organization, Women's Soccer Initiative, Inc. (WSII), whose stated goal was "promoting and supporting all aspects of women's soccer in the United States", including the founding of a new professional league.{{Cite web |access-date = January 20, 2008 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080201072926/http://www.wsii.org/wsii/about.html |archive-date = February 1, 2008 In June 2006, WSII announced the relaunch of the league for the 2008 season.{{Cite news

In December 2006, the organization announced that it reached an agreement with six owner-operators for teams based in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Washington, DC, and a then-unnamed city.{{Cite news | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714065948/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=411235 | url-status=dead | archive-date=July 14, 2012

On May 27, 2008, the league announced that it would expand to Philadelphia for the 2010 season, with the franchise likely sharing facilities with MLS's Philadelphia Union. Despite being the eighth named team, the league still considered adding an eighth team to play in the league's inaugural season. An eighth team for the inaugural season was tentatively announced as being located in San Diego, and was finalized later. Still, despite the extra time given to the original five cities for preparations, the Dallas franchise did not materialize, citing stadium issues. Thus the league began with seven teams.

The new name of the league, Women's Professional Soccer, was announced on January 17, 2008, along with the logo, which featured the silhouette of retired player Mia Hamm.{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2008-01-18-hamm-silhouette-logo_N.htm

Building the league

Player allocation

Player allocation began on September 16, 2008, after the Beijing Olympics in August, when WPS announced the allocation of 21 US national team players, three players to each of the seven teams that began play in the 2009 season.{{Cite news |archive-url = https://archive.today/20130202134811/http://www.socceramerica.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=28601 |url-status = dead |archive-date = February 2, 2013 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090112053954/http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS128534+08-Jul-2008+PRN20080708 |archive-date = January 12, 2009

Inaugural season

Main article: 2009 Women's Professional Soccer season

Before the season began, WPS was only able to secure two sponsors, and most teams did not advertise much or get their rosters finalized until late in the preseason. During the season, though, WPS secured several more sponsors, and WPS announced the expansion to Atlanta as the ninth team for next season.

WPS's inaugural game was played to a crowd of over 14,000 fans at the Home Depot Center as the hosts Los Angeles Sol beat the Washington Freedom 2–0. The first season saw several issues occur, including an uneven schedule due to the odd number of teams (that the Sol took advantage of as they won the inaugural season), several season-ending injuries, two major trades, decisions from the WPS disciplinary committee and commissioner, and a Cinderella-run to the championship title (won by Sky Blue FC). Most teams considered the first season a moderate success, despite many losing more money than planned.

Growing pains

This success/optimism did not extend to the Sol, though, as after AEG failed to sell the team it was announced that the Sol would be disbanding.{{Cite news |access-date=May 27, 2010 |archive-date=May 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531061528/http://www.potomacsoccerwire.com/news/460/11342 |url-status=dead

The other expansion franchise, the Philadelphia Independence fared much better, finishing third on the season and ultimately losing the WPS Final to the incredibly dominant FC Gold Pride. Around the same time, WPS announced the addition of a western New York franchise for the 2011 season, spawning from the existing Buffalo Flash organization.{{cite press release |access-date = September 24, 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100927173356/http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/news/press_releases/100924-buffalo.aspx |archive-date = September 27, 2010

More problems came to light early in the offseason. Four teams – FC Gold Pride, the Chicago Red Stars, the Boston Breakers, and Washington – all missed the payment deadline for a large up-front escrow meant to prevent what happened to St. Louis from happening again. Ultimately, the Gold Pride could not find the necessary money and folded. Chicago was given a 30-day extension but announced in December that they would not play in WPS in 2011, opting to regroup in the second-tier Women's Premier Soccer League. Washington and Boston ultimately were able to make their payments,{{cite news |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110714064325/http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story_sports/10326818/article-WPS-lives-on--looks-toward-future/ |url-status = dead |archive-date = July 14, 2011 |access-date = November 16, 2010

National exposure

The beginning of the league's third season was marked by three overshadowing challenges: low attendance, problems with (ex-Freedom) magicJack owner Dan Borislow,{{cite web

The success of the United States women's national soccer team at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup resulted in an upsurge in attendance league-wide and helped set a new all-time league attendance record for a single game at 15,504 during a match between the Western New York Flash and magicJack in Abby Wambach's hometown of Rochester, New York on July 20, 2011. A new attendance record for a WPS final was also set just a few weeks later at Sahlen's Stadium again in Rochester when 10,461 fans filled the stadium on August 27, 2011, for the championship game between the Flash and the Philadelphia Independence.{{cite web

The national exposure to women's soccer, and the upswing in attendance, sparked other groups interested in bringing teams to the WPS. The league had hoped to have ten teams for the 2012 season,{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111204025139/http://espn.go.com/espnw/more-sports/7299951/abby-wambach-wants-wps-survive |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 4, 2011

The league had sought an extension of the league size waiver through the 2012 season, which would include the 2012 Summer Olympics, in hope of attracting more sponsors for the 2013 season. USSF granted sanctioning, with conditions requiring expansion, through 2014.{{cite news

Folding

On January 30, 2012, the league announced suspension of the 2012 season, citing several internal organization struggles as the primary cause. Some of these included an ongoing legal battle with ex-franchise owner Dan Borislow, and the lack of resources invested into the league.

Prior to the formal announcement, the USSF showed reservation about renewing sanctioning for WPS, citing the sparsity and geographic concentration of WPS team as the main problem. (USSF requires professional, top-division leagues to have at least eight teams over at least three time zones.){{cite news |access-date=December 1, 2011}} Ultimately, USSF granted WPS a waiver on this issue for the third time in WPS's history, on the conditions that WPS expands to six teams by 2013 and eight by 2014.

On May 18, 2012, the WPS announced that the league had officially ceased operations. The Boston Breakers and Western New York Flash were later assimilated into the WPSL Elite League.

Organization

Business model

WPS commissioner Tonya Antonucci said that unlike WUSA, which had higher expectations and employed a top-down model, WPS would take "a local, grass roots approach", and "a slow and steady growth type of approach", citing WUSA's losses of close to $100 million. She said the new league would have a closer relationship with Major League Soccer, the top men's professional league in the United States, to cut costs on staff and facilities, and for marketing.

The team budgets for the inaugural season was $2.5 million.{{Cite news

WPS Players Union

WPS players were represented by the Women's Professional Soccer Players Union (WPSPU), an independent, democratic labor organization run by and for the players. The WPSPU was certified and recognized by the league on September 8, 2010, in Washington, DC. Jennifer Hitchon served as Executive Director and Robert H. Stropp of Mooney, Green, Baker & Saindon, PC, was General Counsel. The players who made up the 2011–2012 WPSPU Executive Committee were: Eniola Aluko, Rachel Buehler, Allison Falk, Leslie Osborne, Christie Rampone, Becky Sauerbrunn, Cat Whitehill, and Kristine Lilly (member emeritus). These players were responsible for advising the Executive Director, setting union priorities, approving union bargaining positions and proposals, and responding to WPS counter-proposals, among other activities.

Media coverage

Main article: Women's Professional Soccer on television

Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español with Samuel Jacobo and Jorge Caamaño aired weekly Sunday night matches and the WPS All-Star Game. Fox Sports Net aired the semifinal and league championship contests. The national television contract was in effect through the 2011 season with an option for 2012.{{Cite news

Teams

^- Team was originally named the Washington Freedom

Attendance

Commissioners and CEOs

Awards

WPS handed out seven end-of-year awards. Six of them dated to the league's formation, while the Rookie of the Year award was added in 2010. Main article: Annual Women's Professional Soccer awards

• Michelle Akers Player of the Year Award
• WPS Coach of the Year Award
• WPS Defender of the Year Award
• WPS Goalkeeper of the Year Award
• WPS Rookie of the Year Award
• WPS Golden Boot
• WPS Sportswoman of the Year

References

References

1. "Women's pro soccer league to debut in U.S. next year".
2. (May 28, 2008). "Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) plans to expand to Philadelphia in 2010, bringing league to eight teams". Women's Professional Soccer.
3. (August 9, 2008). "San Diego Finalizing WPS Ownership Group". Women's Professional Soccer.
4. "'Abby Wambach Day' in Rochester, N.Y.". ESPN.
5. "WNY Flash Wins WPS Championship Title". WKBW-DT/TV.
6. Bell, Jack. (November 24, 2011). "Top Women's League in Danger of Losing D1 Sanctioning". The New York Times.
7. Bell, Jack. (December 15, 2011). "Did W.P.S. Pin Federation in a Corner?". The New York Times.
8. (January 30, 2012). "WPS Suspends Play for 2012 Season". WomensProSoccer.com.
9. (May 18, 2012). "WPS finally folds". [[SoccerAmerica]].
10. Howell, John. (May 12, 2012). "WNY Flash Dominate in WPSL Elite Debut, but Is This Major League?". [[Bleacher Report]].
11. (September 8, 2010}}{{dead link). "WPS Players Union Recognized". Women's Professional Soccer.
12. "An Interview with Women's Professional Soccer Players Union Executive Director Jennifer Hitchon, Pt. I". All White Kit.