Women’s Soccer Is Growing Rapidly, Says W League President

Amanda Vandervort has been heavily entrenched in the world’s favorite sport for most of her life. She says that not only is soccer bigger as a result of the successes of women’s teams and star players such as Alex Morgan, Mia Hamm and Megan Rapinoe—but also that a new generation of fans are shaping the game.

“There’s an entire generation of diverse, digitally-savvy, passionate fans in communities across this country who are committed to supporting their favorite players, teams, and leagues,” said Vandervort, a former college coach and goalkeeper for the University of Wyoming. “We see fans filling stadiums and engaging via social media like never before. And the most exciting part is that we’re just at the beginning of seeing what women’s soccer has in store.”

The nine-year veteran executive of Major League Soccer (MLS) recently took over a new role, in October 2021, as president of the United Soccer League’s W League, the nation’s premier developmental league, and one that is tasked with bringing up the next generation of superstars and World Cup champions.

Much like the USL does for Major League Soccer and other premier leagues around the world, the W League, which consists of 44 clubs from coast to coast, essentially acts as a soccer pipeline of emerging talent between the college game and professional soccer’s world stage.

The W League kicked off its inaugural season in May, crowning the South Georgia Tormenta champions, after a contentious 2-1 defeat of Minnesota Aurora FC, on July 23.

This week, I connected with Vandervort to get the lowdown on women’s soccer in the U.S., and why she thinks the sport is growing so rapidly now in America.

Andy Frye: Women’s soccer has been on Americans’ radar ever since the 1999 World Cup win. How do you think fandom has grown since then?

Amanda Vandervort: That sold-out match at the Rose Bowl at the 1999 Women’s World Cup put women’s soccer on the map in the United States, as our spirited and inspirational team caught the attention of fans, sponsors, media, and it especially inspired young girls across this country.

But outside of these special events, women’s soccer has long been a participation sport. Fandom has come in the form of young players emulating Mia Hamm, but until now, consistent access to the highest levels of women’s soccer hasn’t been a reality in most communities across America.

Today, with the introduction of more leagues – including the USL W League and our future USL Super League—there’s more access to elite soccer in cities across the USA.

AF: What are the biggest goals right now for the W League? And how are they accomplished?

Vandervort: Across all our women’s soccer properties at the USL, our goal is to be a global leader, both on and off the field. The USL W League is the U.S.’s trusted and preferred pre-professional women’s soccer league, developing the next generation of female talent. We provide a powerful, positive platform for future generations of female players, coaches, referees, media, partners, executives and owners.

We play from May to July, with 44 teams across 20 states and we’ve created thousands of opportunities for women, with over 1,500 athletes participating. Our expansion for the 2023 season has already begun, and we concluded our inaugural season in Minnesota in front of 6,500 fans at a sold out TCO Stadium. South Georgia Tormenta won 2-1 over Minnesota Aurora FC with an electrifying extra time goal.

AF: Many Americans follow European clubs like Liverpool and Barcelona. Did this year’s women’s Euros help generate more buzz?

Vandervort: Being at the UEFAEFA
Women’s Euro 2022 Final this past July was an amazing experience. The passion, the fans, the buzz about women’s soccer was incredible. We’re living a movement right now, on the fields and inside the boardrooms—from England to Japan, Brazil to Australia, and right here in the U.S. —more and more people are jumping into women’s soccer full force. And yes, that’s at the national team level and the club level too.

When we look at all the records that have been broken in this past year alone – like the record crowd of over 87,000 people that attended the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 Final between England and Germany, or the more than 91,600 fan at the Women’s Champions League semifinal between Barcelona and Wolfsburg, we see increased visibility, investment, and interest across the game at all levels.

AF: Who in your opinion are the most exciting players to watch?

Vandervort: This is a tough one because I love so many players! But I think I’d focus on the next big talent, because that’s the pathway we’re building here at the USL, a youth-to-pro pathway that facilitates holistic player development and creates opportunity for top-level talent to become pros.

From our W League’s leading goal-scorer Amy Andrews to our USL Final MVP and top goalkeeper Sydney Martinez – I have no doubt you’ll see these players on the professional stage soon. I love seeing those who are performing at the Euros or the Champions League today. But also those who will be there tomorrow too!

Read Frye’s interviews with Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.

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