Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Dear W-League fans,
I’m delighted to have the opportunity to be a part – along with you - of the passion, excitement and commitment that is being directed toward the development and growth of women’s soccer in North America. With the sport of soccer currently at its strongest in the United States and Canada, interest in the women’s game continues to grow and annual participation is reaching new highs throughout the world. Our dedication and responsibility to the women’s game are of the utmost importance to ensure the highest level is maintained and opportunities continue to be presented to the young ladies and women striving to play at all levels in North America.
As we embark on the 18th W-League season, 2012 will undoubtedly be one of the most competitive seasons on the field and most successful and enjoyable off it. With all 27 teams returning from 2011 and the addition of three new clubs for this season, W-League teams are no longer in a position of rebuilding from year to year, allowing regional rivalries, operational standards and fan affinity to thrive due to the stability we’ve achieved. It’s an achievement that hasn’t come overnight, nor is it the pinnacle of where the W-League is headed, but it’s an achievement that reinforces the W-League as the leader in the business of women’s soccer and the model to build on as we implement more levels within our women’s soccer development structure…the pyramid, as we often refer to it.
While the W-League teams continue to work tirelessly to effectively grow their brand and extend their fan base within their local communities, the W-League office, headquartered in Tampa, Florida, continues to work with potential new ownership groups and partners that will further enhance the league nationally. Interest in the W-league is strong and quality of ownership gets stronger with each new franchise that is brought into our league.
The 2013 growth of the W-League will bring with it the opportunity for players to compete at the highest level of women’s soccer in new regions across North America. With multi-year commitments and investments, the ability to look a few years down the road rather than season to season has added viability for our owners and confidence from our players in knowing what the next step is. For some, that next step is player development while the players still have college eligibility. It also can be the next phase in a playing career at the highest level after college, the platform that opens international opportunities, or even a national team. These next steps are all opportunities provided by the W-League.
Additionally, with an established youth development system in place through both the Super Y-League and Super-20 League, which includes player identification programs held at IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Florida, the emphasis now is to connect all of our levels of women’s soccer to further augment the player development and identification system within our women’s pyramid. This not only will allow female players to move from the youth level through adult competition within a single club structure, but will also give W-League teams an opportunity to build a foundation that increase their ability to reach players at an earlier age in their playing careers while adding revenue streams through camps, clinics and other youth development mechanisms that supplement W-League business operations.
We are at an important juncture now and each month we will share with you how we’re continuing to develop the W-League for our teams, for our potential new owners and for our fans. The effort is solely to help us – to help me – build a relationship with you, to build confidence in the capability of the business of women’s soccer and to both introduce and engage you in our growth at all levels of women’s soccer in North America.
I look forward to sharing more next month as the W-League continues to lead the development of women’s soccer in North America!
AMD