Professional women's soccer league generates excitement among current Pilots and alumna
By Jeff Trousdale
Women soccer players everywhere received some good news last week when player allocations were made to the seven teams of the new Women's Professional Soccer League (WPS), scheduled to debut in 2009.
The allocation of national team players, including 2008 UP graduate Stephanie Cox, began the team-building process that also consisted of an international draft on Monday and will include two more player drafts to fill out the rosters.
Cox played in the 2008 World Cup and Olympics, but she's happy for the opportunity to play soccer in an organized league that's not just with the national team.
"I'm so excited to be able to play in a pro league," Cox said. "After graduating from Portland, it will be good to finally have another city to be able to call a permanent home."
Cox, a native of Sacramento, is especially happy that she was allocated to Los Angeles, one of her top choices of cities in the league. The allocation process allowed players to list their top choices for teams, and teams to list their top choices of players. A selection committee then worked to evenly distribute three national-level players to each team.
"I'm glad to be back in California and after meeting the coaching staff and management I think it will be a very professionally run organization," Cox said. "The coach, Abner Rodgers, knew Clive and has connections to UP, so it should be a similar style of play as well."
While Cox is the first of the team to join the professional ranks, a number of other current and former UP players are excited for the opportunity to play professional soccer.
"It's always been a goal of mine to play professional soccer," said junior goalkeeper Kelsey Davis. "The league coming back is awesome because before you had to go international or play for the national team."
Davis said that she looks forward to the prospect of playing against women that she had watched while growing up. Angie Woznuk, who graduated from UP last spring, is also eager for the opportunity to play against such elite competition.
"I think the level of play will be very high, and that is something that I really look forward to," Woznuk said.
Woznuk, a former All-American and member of the national team's pool of players, was not assigned to a team in the in the initial allocation, so she hopes to be picked in one of the upcoming drafts. Woznuk said that her time at UP was important in preparing her to play at a higher level.
"I think at UP we played at a very high level, our coaching and our competition was some of the best," Woznuk said. "It was definitely helpful in preparing me for the next step."
Cox also said that playing at UP was important in preparing her to play at an elite level.
"I think that the coaching and training at UP is great, and they put a lot of personal responsibility on you to get better," Cox said. "They really help you get better off the field."
Cox, Woznuk and Davis all said that they hope to play soccer for at least a few years in the professional league. However, both Woznuk and Davis said that starting a family and having kids are two things that female athletes, in particular, often think about.
"I'll play for as long as I can," Davis said. "I want to have a family at some point, but nowadays I think that a lot of women can come back from having kids and still play at a high level."
All those involved hope that the WPS will stay around long enough for athletes to have kids and come back to play. The WPS was formed in 2007, following the failure of the Women's United Soccer Association, a professional league that lasted from 2001-2003. UP women's soccer Head Coach Garrett Smith hopes that the new league learns from the mistakes of the old.
"The old league failed because they didn't spend their money wisely, so hopefully they learned their lesson," Smith said. "They have some of the same people, so that could be a good thing or a bad thing as well."
Woznuk hopes that the league gets the same kind of support that women's soccer at UP gets.
"I always loved playing in front of the crowd at UP," Woznuk said. "Hopefully this league will be the same, and we will get a lot of fans wherever I go."
All three women said that the return of a professional league is important for women's soccer in the U.S.
"This league is huge because right now only about 25 people can make it to the national team," Cox said. "There's a big talent pool out there and I'm excited to be part of something that gives all these girls something to look forward to after high school and college."
Davis said that the league will be helpful in giving young girls role models, as well as something to work for.
"It provides an end to the means," Davis said. "Young girls playing youth soccer now can look forward to playing professionally in their own country, so I hope it gets a lot of support and lasts this time around."
