It’s been an absolutely crazy couple months here at the WPS League office so instead of sitting down and writing one long drawn out blog post, I’m pledging one blog post every other day for the next two weeks with one unique update each time.

Today’s update: Interns.

I feel incredibly lucky to have had worked with incredibly motivated, talented interns throughout my career… especially in the past year and a half as I’ve been involved with Women’s Professional Soccer. From Elly in Chicago (who’s now the web manager for the Chicago Red Stars) to Sue in San Francisco (who’s now working with Los Angeles Sol), WPS interns are an incredible group to work with… and let’s not forget they’re the future managers, directors, general managers, coaches, executives, and perhaps players of Women’s Professional Soccer.

Interested in an internship? We’re looking for Fall interns. Send your resume today!

We’re in full swing here at the League office with 10 full time employees and 7 interns. We’re a small group, but a tight one. In the web department, it takes a team of 5, sometimes 6 people to keep womensprosoccer.com league content fresh and up-to-date. Plus, we help each of the teams manage their sites as well. Needless to say, there’s no way these wheels would keep spinning without our trusted WPS interns. So I wanted to give a big shout-out.

Jill started with us first back in March, and she finally ;-) posted a blog at the end of last week which I’m very proud of her for: Inside the League. Jill’s been a trooper, driving 2 1/2 hours (in good traffic… imagine rush hour) two days each week and I couldn’t be more grateful for all the time, effort and energy she’s putting into this organization. She keeps the entire intern team super organized, and puts herself out there to solve even the trickiest of html puzzles. Even when womensprosoccer.com crashes, she keeps me steady eddy with her witty sense of humor and cool, collected problem-solving skills. Jill’s big project: http://delicious.com/womensprosoccer – trust me, this is awesome! It’s a complete collection of all our online news since the league kicked off.

You surely must’ve noticed an influx of highlight videos right about the time Amy joined the crew. She’s come to us from Whitman College in Washington and her multimedia skills are second to none. She’s got an incredible grasp of social media (yes, we’re Facebook friends, but hey who isn’t), and has taken charge of getting our YouTube channel the best viewing experience for all our fans. She’s been a huge boon to Marketing as well this summer as we’ve been running a number of campaigns on the Fan Corner (Father’s Day and Who’s Side Are You On?). And if you’re up to any mischief on our social networks, the Amy police is on you.

Grace arrived at the League office about three weeks ago now and jumped right into the thick of it. She’s writing stories, blogging, and keeping our editorial schedule rockin’. She knows the soccer ropes, and doesn’t hesitate to ask the biggest WPS player for an interview, or bring questions we’re all asking ourselves to the forefront. Grace has html’d herself right into the WPS News Index page, too, which I’m uber-impressed by. This kid’s a serious journalistic talent, Sports Illustrated look out! And she’s got CMS-trouble-shooting skills like you wouldn’t believe. Here’s to Right_Row_1.

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a special w00t to Jalila & Sue (pictured above) and of course Abby, who all previously interned at WPS. Following their internships with WPS, they’re all now working for the League – Jalila and Abby at the main office, and Sue at the Los Angeles Sol. Internships are the way to get into a career in pro sports :-) WPS has developed a special Internship program too that I’d love to share with anybody seriously considering WPS or pro sports in general as a career.

Interested in an internship? We’re looking for Fall interns. Send your resume today!

A look back at USA’s 1999 World Cup victory with WPS stars Brandi Chastain, Tiffeny Milbrett, Christie Rampone, Kristine Lilly, Briana Scurry and Tony DiCicco. If this video doesn’t bring tears of joy to your eyes you must be dead.

Watch as seven champion athletes and undeniable Title IX beneficiaries celebrate the historic legislation’s 37th anniversary.

Here’s a few quotes I collected throughout the day:

“I was in High School when it took effect, we went from having options of gymnastics, volleyball, and track… to everything the guys had. My friends and I were on an undefeated, state champ soccer team, and now we could try out for everything else too!”

Sandy Hunt, FIFA Development Division, Referee Instructor, Match Assessor at FIFA, Pac-10 Conference Coordinator of Women’s Soccer Officiating and US Soccer (soccer)

“For me as a collegiate rower, I saw the greatest effects of Title IX in my own sport. Once Title IX was passed, universities began searching for new women’s programs to add, and rowing and lacrosse were probably two of the most non-mainstream sports that were picked up. Rowing quickly went from being a third or fourth-tier high school sport, to one at the top of the list, providing girls with an opportunity to attend Division 1 Universities on full athletic scholarships. After my own college career, I moved onto coaching and had first-hand visibility into the impact and new opportunities these high-school girls were now afforded. Just as with many women’s sports, Title IX gave the sport a voice where previously there had been silence, and I think it’s easy for everyone to celebrate that kind of advancement.”

Jill Coy – Women’s Professional Soccer Marketing Manager (rowing)

“As a college tennis player, both when I was competing and looking back now, it’s been a thrill to see the increased parity at the college level as a function of Title IX, because there’s so many more programs that can have women’s tennis. There’s no doubt in my mind that where I am today is in part due to the opportunities that Title IX created.”

Rachel Epstein, Women’s Professional Soccer Director of Marketing (tennis)

“The biggest thing I get from Title IX, is listening to a woman speak and feeling empowered by her strength.”

Jen Plante, The Atlanta Beat Director of Community Relations and Player Relations (soccer)

“Two things come to mind. I was lucky enough to be part of an event that a lot of people have attributed to the coming out party of Title IX, or the year of the American women, which was the 1996 Olympics. The American women won everything in sight in the 1996 Olympics, and those were definitely the daughters of title IX that were doing that. They blew the place apart… that’s what they did with the opportunity. But the other part of it is, I remember reading a column written by Christine Brennan talking about the macro impact of Title IX. She talked about how Title IX helps support women to develop into major positions in government, business, and more. She wrote about the impact and benefits sports will have on our country as a whole, which are just incredible. These are now, and are going to be, the daughters of Title IX.”

Mary Harvey, Women’s Professional Soccer Chief Operating Officer (soccer)

“Universally, I think Title IX has given girls and women an opportunity to reap the benefits of participating in sports that boys and men have long enjoyed. Women get to experience not only the joy and satisfaction of competing and winning, but everything it takes to get there like discipline, accountability and self confidence. Personally, even though I’m not the best athlete in the world, I’ve been able to take these attributes and relate them to other areas of my life. I think, ultimately, that’s Title IX’s greatest achievement: we’ve raised a generation of women who are able to apply the positive elements learned from sports to the world around them.”

Jalila Sparks, Women’s Professional Soccer Office Administrator/Legal Assistant (rugby)

“My life would look extremely different without the opportunities that Title IX brought about. Sports helped me to develop all of my best qualities and gave me determination and drive, opportunity and achievement. The skills I learned from sports also helped develop my confidence in the classroom and in my studies. From being a player to a coach and now working in professional women’s sports, I am very aware that Title IX has directly affected my path in life.”

“But the passing of Title IX was only the beginning of a journey. It is up to us now to continue taking advantage of the opportunities we have and to continue developing the next generation of confident young women.”

Alyse LaHue, Chicago Red Stars Operations Manager (soccer)

“While my mom was growing up, she didn’t have the opportunities to play sports that I do now. She always reminds me that I was very fortunate to have the opportunities to participate sports when I was younger, when I was in high school and even now when I’m in college.”

Grace Weitz, Women’s Professional Soccer Intern/Division 1 Intercollegiate Athlete (soccer)

“As a young female athlete, there were so many things that I couldn’t have and couldn’t do. I remember one instance very clearly to this day, when I was 12, I wanted to play baseball but I wasn’t allowed because I was a girl, and I just didn’t understand why. Now, if you go down to the little league field, it’s co-ed, there’s boys and girls playing! I also played sports in college and had one uniform that was red/white striped – that was our home & away uniform, which we washed ourselves, because we could only afford the one. It’s marvelous that my female athletes at Stonybrook just automatically assume they’ll get these things, and I think title IX is the reason for it. To take it one step further, when I was young, it wasn’t even reality that we would have a Professional women’s sports league, and I would have to say Title IX laid the foundation for the existence and success of these ventures today.”

Sue Ryan, Head Coach at Stonybrook University (soccer)

STAY TUNED FOR MORE QUOTES!!!

Left to right, top to bottom: Don’t Mess with Mer, Wheels Julian, Solid as a Rock Ben, Master Trick-Meister Cy, Shoot from anywhere Matt, goalkeeper Gaston aka “The Wall”, yours truly, Quick Feet Jung, This is my Recovery Run Dana, Rocket Shot Amy, and El Capitan Josh. (not pictured: Juke-em Justin, Collected Christian, Touch & Go Megan, and Leave them in the dust Dixon.)

Go Kells!

The Family asked that in lieu of Flowers, please make a donation to the following:

Charlotte’s Foundation for Women’s Soccer

To fund and promote women’s soccer – the sport that was so dear to Charlotte Moran’s heart.  This non-profit charity is dedicated to providing opportunities for women and girls’ soccer, including girls’ ODP, field development for women and girls’ teams, and the expansion of women and girls’ soccer leagues. There will be a formal announcement of the foundation at a later date. 

Charlotte’s Foundation for Women’s Soccer
c/o EPYSA
2 Village Road, Suite 3
Horsham, PA. 19044

At the request of Charlotte, there will be no viewing or visitation at the funeral home.

A Mass will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, May 26th at St. Bede the Venerable Parish, 1071 Holland Road, Holland, PA 18966. Directions may be found at http://www.st-bede.org/directions.htm.

Immediately following Mass, all friends are invited to attend a luncheon at Vereinigung Erzgebirge Soccer Club – 130 Davisville Road, Warminster, PA, 18974. Website is http://www.veclub.org.

Please forward to friends, former players, women’s national team members – past and present – who may not be aware of Charlotte’s passing.

Many thanks.

Charlotte Moran (center) pictured with her good friends Louise Waxler and Sue Ryan.

It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I share the passing of our friend Charlotte Moran. Charlotte passed away peacefully early this morning at her home after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

Charlotte was one of the most active organizers for girls’ and women’s soccer in America. She had over 30 years of experience in soccer management, from her start as a team mom in 1977, through roles at regional and national levels. She has served at various times as a club secretary, league secretary, league vice president, state vice president and state president.

Link: EPYSA – In Memorium
Link: US Soccer mourns the Loss of Charlotte Moran
Link: NSCAA mourns the passing of Charlotte Moran
Link: Women’s Soccer World – 1997 Tribute to Charlotte Moran
Link: 2009 Glenn Myernick Service to Soccer Award
Link: 2007 NSCAA Women’s Committee Award of Excellence

Charlotte was an ODP state administrator for 20 years, Chairperson for the National Girls’ ODP from 1991-1995, and acted as the Chair of the US Soccer Women’s Committee from 1990-1991. She was the long-time Executive Director for the Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association and the Administrator for the Region 1 Olympic Development Program.

Charlotte was the Director of Team Operations for the Philadelphia Charge of WUSA from 2001-2003, and was in support of bringing an MLS and WPS expansion teams to Philly. Click to download this PDF, it’s a tremendous article from 2001 when Charlotte left EPYSA for the Charge:

I can only imagine how proud she would have been at today’s ceremonial naming of the new Women’s Professional Soccer team in Philly, the Independence.

In 2009, Charlotte was awarded the Soccer Champions Coaches’ Clinic Glenn Myernick Service to Soccer Award. She was awarded the Youth Long-Term Service Award at the 2009 NSCAA Convention in St. Louis. In 2008, Charlotte was honored by the NSCAA Women’s Committee with the 2007 Award of Excellence, an award established in 1999 to recognize those who have brought honor and distinction to women’s soccer. She’s on the short-list with April Heinrichs, Michelle Akers, Lauren Gregg, Michelle Morgan, Adele Dolansky, Colleen Hacker, Lynn Berling-Manuel, Anson Dorrance and Tony DiCicco.

Here’s a congratulatory message from her Region 1 Team, filmed in the winter of 2007:

I can’t express how sad this makes me to lose such a wonderful friend and mentor. I feel lucky to have had Charlotte in my life… she gave me advice on nearly everything – from my career path to my boyfriends. Even my jewelry.

And I’m not alone. Charlotte touched so many lives… The notes of love and gratitude are flooding my inbox today… here’s a note from John Daly this morning: We have lost a jewel this morning. What Charlotte did for soccer in general, and girls’ soccer in particular cannot be measured. So many young girls are now enjoying, and have enjoyed, the fruits of Charlotte’s efforts. Whether playing in the new Women’s Professional Soccer league, or in coaching, young women all over the country have benefited from the remarkable work Charlotte put in over the years.

Below I’ve posted a little behind-the-scenes video I made at Regional Camp in the summer of 2007. It makes me so happy to watch this, and I know that none of this would have been possible without the love, support, hard work, passion, vision and guidance of Charlotte (she gets a cameo at 1:04):

Charlotte’s contributions to this world and to soccer were enormous and there is a huge void in our game, world and lives that will be difficult to fill. Our thoughts and prayers are with Charlotte’s family at this difficult time.

April 23, 2009: A Special Note from Amber Brooks for Pancreatic Cancer Research

Editor’s note: Amber Brooks is a Region 1 ODP player, where Charlotte has been the Regional Administrator for years.

Dear friends,

As you all know by now, our very own Charlotte Moran has been battling pancreatic cancer since her diagnosis in November 2007. Most of you are familiar with Charlotte’s numerous contributions to girls’ soccer, and recognize that she is in fact the embodiment of Region 1. She is the one responsible for providing us vast opportunities and we owe much of our personal development and success to her efforts. Many of you have reached out and provided support during her struggle, but now I am calling upon everyone to wear their support by purchasing a “Score for the Cure-Charlotte Moran” purple bracelet. These bracelets are offered for purchase in conjunction with the Inaugural Score for the Cure 3 vs. 3 Soccer Tournament in Honor of Charlotte Moran taking place on May 22, 2009. One-hundred percent of the proceeds benefit the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, which was created to find better treatments and a cure for pancreatic cancer.

Purchasing and wearing the bracelets is a simple, yet meaningful statement of your support. It would certainly bring a smile to Charlotte’s face if she saw coaches and players alike sporting the purple bracelets in her name at the 2009 Region 1 ODP Tournament in June and at Regional Camp in July. Together we can show our appreciation and inspire Charlotte to keep fighting!

Sincerely,
Amber Brooks

Please fill out this form and send in your order.

Dear Athlete,

Whether you know it or not you are, quite literally, a marketable product… but unless you’re one of the few headliners in your league, chances are you just can’t afford a team of people to get your name out there, build a cool website, or create a personalized marketing campaign.

Good news! There are ways make yours a household name using FREE tools currently available online – most of which fall into the category of “social media”.

Before we dig into it, there are a couple things you should think about before engaging in a Social Media Marketing campaign:

• Be yourself. People can sniff out disingenuous posts from a mile away.
• Writing an over-edited, “vanilla”, ubiquitous post will not reap positive results.
• Social media is about 2-way communications – real relationships. Engage with fans, and they will reward you handsomely for it.
• It’s okay to keep your personal sites, well… personal. Instead of “friending “ the hundreds of requests you receive on any given site, start “Fan Page” in that community and direct requests there.
• Good resource: A Word on Social Media Etiquette from Techipedia http://www.techipedia.com/2008/social-media-etiquette-handbook
• Be mindful that you may have 13-year-old girls reading your posts, and on the flip-side, 45-year-old men.
• Link your pages to each other. This will allow fans to crawl your mini-social-network and engage within different communities.
• Links = equity. The more people you can get to link to your pages, the more valuable they become on the World Wide Web. Good resource: 101 Link Building Tips to Market your website: http://www.seobook.com/archives/001792.shtml

Facebook / MySpace / Fan Corner – These are all free-access social networking websites used connect and interact with other people. Here are some keys to building a successful campaign:

• Use your real name, on your profile and in the URL whenever possible. Your name is your brand.
• Post a clear photo of yourself – headshots in uniform or action shots are best, so people can see who you are and what you do immediately upon finding your page.
• Update with regularity – player stats, events you’ll be attending, thoughts on the last/upcoming match, etc.
• Answer questions that people ask on your wall/comments.
• Post photo galleries, videos, etc. as soon as possible after matches and events.

Twitter – Twitter is a micro-blogging site where users seek to answer the age-old question, “What are you doing now?” Twitter is currently gaining incredible traction in the Professional Sports world. Embrace it, but keep in mind:

• Add an avatar and a bio at the minimum. Let people know who you are.
• Following people is a compliment to them; being followed is a compliment to you.
• Learn the Tweeter’s lingo. Good resource: From Twits to Tweeple, Why I Embraced Twitter and You Should Too: http://www.searchengineguide.com/jennifer-laycock/part-two-from-twits-to-tweeple-why-i-emb.php
• Answer your Direct Messages and @replies.
• Build your followers by getting your Twitter page listed and following others in your community:
www.womensprosoccer.com/connect/wps-twitter-list
www.athweets.com
www.athleteswhotweet.com
www.athletetweets.com
www.twackle.com
• Don’t follow a whole bunch of people and then un-follow them. This is commonly known as Twitter-spam and is poor form in the Twitter community.
• Use some of your Tweets as “link-bait” to direct fans to other online properties – for example, a blog you wrote, a Facebook post, or a video of you. But be cautious not to use Twitter exclusively for push marketing, Twitter is about real relationships.

YouTube – Start a YouTube channel and keep it updated. Remember to use relevant keywords and a quality description when you post.

Blogging and Commenting – Blogs are a great way to drive interest in your brand, and develop a content-rich site that will (hopefully) perform well in organic search like google. Good resource: How Search Engines Rank Pages: http://searchenginewatch.com/2167961

• Write catchy headlines and use relevant keywords in titles and section headers. Good resource: 10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work: http://www.copyblogger.com/10-sure-fire-headline-formulas-that-work
• Give attribution/links to other sites and bloggers whenever appropriate.
• Link-exchange with other relevant sites, and connect with other bloggers who share your out-of-sport interests.
• If you’re blogging for an external source – New York Times, Los Angeles Times or Chicago Tribune for example, include a link to your player profile and your Twitter page. Leverage this mass audience by encouraging people to dig a little deeper.
• Don’t use your blog as a flame war against a player or team you don’t like, or to tarnish someone else’s image.

Conclusion

Don’t be fooled by thinking that Social Media Marketing is easy – It’s work. And you’ll need to put the time into making it successful.

However, the greater your popularity, the more tickets you’ll sell to matches and/or the more page views you’ll turn on your team’s website (which equals ad impressions)… and the more you’re worth for those lucrative endorsement deals! Then maybe someday you can afford a team of people to do this important Social Media Marketing for you. ;-)

Finally, you’re leaving your digital signature on the Internet right now. Think about the consequences of your engagement on any social site. Racial slurs, criticisms without warrant, and blatant abuse don’t work in real life, and they really have no place in the social media channels. Above all, think about maintaining a certain level of professionalism that you would hold yourself to in any in-person interview.

In addition to the ideas listed here, there are many more outlets that you can utilize for your marketing campaing. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like more information about them – Delicious, Digg, StumpleUpon, BallHype, etc. – or want to learn more strategies to make your websites Google-Friendly (Search Engine Optimization).

Thanks for your time, and Happy Tweeting!

Sincerely,
Amanda

I was in Chicago this weekend for their home opener. I’d been to two Opening matches already – LA Sol vs. Washington Freedom, and FC Gold Pride vs. Boston Breakers, both were very cool. Los Angeles hosted the Inaugural Match, which by all accounts was the most awesome event I’ve ever helped organize. FC Gold Pride is my local club, of course, and the Assistant Coach of the Boston Breakers Lisa Cole is a very good friend of mine. Plus, I’d been dying to see Kelly Smith play and I’m officially obsessed with Eriko Arakawa.

But this opening match one was about something different and incredibly special for me personally. I flew in on Friday night and was whisked away to dinner with the Hayes family, all of whom had flown in from England for the Red Stars Home Opener. There were 14 of us- Emma (of course), Myriame (her mom), Sid (pappa Hayes), Becky and Tor (Emma’s two sisters), Mark (bro-in-law), Kirsty (Emma’s best friend from childhood), Kaz and her parents, OB from New York, Aunt Pat (Sid’s sister), and the infamous Ruby-Roo. Emma’s 5-year-old-niece who never forgets a promise to color a picture.

The Hayes family and friends at dinner in Friday night when I arrived.

The dinner itself was an overwhelming amount of food, and our English visitors never stopped talking about how huge the portions are in America. After dinner, Mark and Tor took Ruby back to their hotel, the Carneys split another direction, and the Hayes clan all ventured back to Emma’s apartment in the Gold Coast where they were staying. Walking back to the building where I used to live (Em and I had a 2-bedroom in the same building when I lived in Chicago last year) was extremely nostalgic, but I figured there were already too many people to stay in that one-bedroom so I graciously accepted the offer of one of the Red Stars players to crash in her extra bed for the eve.

Zed Bar and Blue Chicago on Clark Street in Chicago.

The next morning, Becky, Kirsty, Sid and myself went to the Red Stars training session with Emma. The most poignant moment for me was when we were getting out of Emma’s car and Carre Jonsson came right over, introduced herself to everybody, and gave me the biggest smile and handshake. To be fair I couldn’t take my eyes off her the rest of the training session as she has such a dynamic personality. She’s a natural-born leader who’s obsessed with the fine details of her game in a way you’d hope all professional athletes would be. Wow.

It was great to see Asst. Coach Denise Reddy get the players warmed up and ready to go, and when Em took over the session and started coaching I was sitting next to Sid, her dad, the proudest parent ever. Kirsty was fun to banter with because she’d played left back at Arsenal Ladies for some ridiculous amount of time – 15 years maybe? So her insight was clever. And Becky was tuned in to everything Emma did. Funny how these sisters, only one year apart in age and raised like twins, know each other so well.

Training over. Hungry. Off to the Rainforest Café so Ruby can get her Alligator on. Big portions, lots of birthday singing, and animatronic elephants. Couldn’t get out of there fast enough. Then off to do some shopping – It’s no secret that the Hayes family loves to shop – and take in a pedicure and manicure at my old haunt. Later that night – Zed restaurant for some cocktails and Blue Chicago Bar for dancing and singing.

There’s nothing quite like taking a 5-year-old to the Rainforest Cafe.

For me, I think back to last year when Emma was offered the Head Coaching position at Chicago Red Stars. She struggled with the decision to leave her family in England and return to America for another coaching gig. I knew why then, but I now empathize with her in a way I hadn’t before. The fact that the whole of her fam flew out for this Opening Match shows how special that family truly is. It’s so amazing to see how much they support, love and value all the work Emma’s doing at CRS… even if it did take her halfway around the world again. And for me, having been Emma’s friend for so many years, it was a truly special experience to feel like I was part of they Hayes family ;-) this weekend.

So on Saturday night when that player kindly offered her extra sleeping spot to me again, I respectfully declined and snuggled up with Emma’s bud Kirsty on a blow-up mattress in the living room… along with the rest of the family strategically spread out on various pieces of furniture. But nobody seemed to mind the tight quarters – it was honestly like they wouldn’t have had it any other way. And one bathroom worked surprisingly well for eight people, I couldn’t believe it.

We woke up Sunday to biscuits and tea… and you could feel Game-Day in the air. Twitter was a-flurry with pre-game jitters and Emma took a radio interview from her bedroom while Ruby danced about trying to learn the National Anthem. Ruby, Becky and I pulled out the magic markers and poster board to make a Fox Soccer Channel sign with a big Chicago Red Stars badge on it – did anybody see us on TV? Ruby also made a big sign that said “I love my Arntie Emmie”, and she used a “love heart” to save space instead of writing out the word love. That’s now hanging in Emma’s kitchen. So cute.

Denise, OB, and Effy (CRS center back Ifeoma Dieke) helped shuttle us all to the match, where we had exclusive loading-dock parking. Very cool. I led the fam to the stadium club for some pre-game food, and was lucky to meet up with Aaron Burch, League Ops, down in the tunnel. He and I did the rounds at Toyota Park. It was wet and rainy but I didn’t mind one bit cuz I got to see all my old pals – Greg Zaskowski, Pat McNamara, Carrie Sear, Alyse LaHue, Mannie the Intern (well not an intern anymore), Amber Simons, Jim Houghton, David Quinn, Felipe Montoya (thanks for the rain slickers, shhhhhh, it’s our secret), Marcia McDermott…

Another amazing moment: walking into “Mission Control” where Elly was sitting in the Director’s chair, headset and all, organizing all the PA announcements, video board graphics, and instant replays. It was only 5 months ago when we walked into that room and were both blown away by its complications. And now, here she was, running the show. I am so proud and so happy for her – she works so hard!!!

Shortly thereafter I picked up Ruby because she got to walk out the tunnel and onto the pitch with her Auntie Emmie. Talk about a great moment – We stood right between the players as they left the locker room to take the pitch, they literally flanked us on either side. Heather O’Reilly gave Ruby the “oh you’re so cute!” nod, and Ian Sawyers asked if she’d be cheering for both sides. The League Representative in me came out and I said, “Absolutely Ian,” because I’m a supporter of WPS and want ALL of our teams to succeed. But let’s be honest – Ruby was dressed head to toes in Red Stars gear and had been singing “c’mon you Red Stars” since she woke up. Emma and the Red Stars players came out of the locker room next and every one of them smiled at Roo. She even had her photo taken with the Match Day Pennent. She’ll see that photo in 10 years and realize the enormity of the moment. For now she was just a happy kid.

I was just outside the tunnel for the National Anthem, standing with Rachel Epstein and Commish Tonya Antonucci from the League office, which was amazing to be able to share a bit of my past with my present as the National Anthem was being played. The National Anthem has always given me goose bumps and tears since 9/11 when I was living in NJ, and this was no different. And the enormity of the moment really hit me as the fireworks went off as each player was announced. This is it. WPS is here. I hadn’t actually felt this way until now.

TA kicked the opening ball to Tarps and the match began.

I found my way back to the stands where I found Peter Wilt and his wonderful wife Ann for a cheer, was joined by Roller Girls Alice in Chains and Katie Stapely, gave a big hello to Illinois Head Coach Janet Rayfield, found Marcia McDermott taking in the game with the fans in the stands, hooted and hollered with Arnim Whistler, and had a beer with Kirsty, Becky and OB. By the way I’ve never met a 5-year-old girl who knows her football the way Ruby does. “Get the ball back”, “C’mon you Red Stars”, “Faster”, “Get a goal Red Stars” all seemed to be everyday vocab. (Tor did say that since the time she was born she’s been told over and over again, “You’re a Spurs fan,” so I can see where she gets it from).

Despite the pouring rain and 0-0 draw, this was quite possibly the most exciting match I’ve ever been to. It was more than a soccer game to me, and it honestly wasn’t about the outcome. It was about the journey that I’ve been on over the past couple years, and seeing that all come to life. And sharing that with Emma and her family… actually feeling like they were my very own family… is the only way I would have wanted it to be.

From Forbes.com: Social networking has clearly reached a tipping point. Sites like MySpace and Facebook boast hundreds of millions of members. Barack Obama’s presidential victory demonstrated that platforms like YouTube and Twitter could transform electoral politics. Yet in corporations where such tools have been expected to bring profound transformations, there has been strong resistance to change.

Not here.

WPS, and our Commissioner in particular, recognizes the unique opportunity social media presents us. I’ve started to compile a comprehensive list of all the WPS Tweeters. Here’s the ones I already know are in the Twitter-mix off-hand (more will follow – I will keep a comprehensive list for you here and on my Big Soccer blog).

Women’s Professional Soccer @womensprosoccer
Tonya Antonucci @wpscommissioner – WPS Commissioner
Mary Harvey @wpscoo – WPS Chief Operating Officer
Vicki Veenker @wpsgencounsel – WPS General Counsel
Rob Penner @rdpenner – WPS Director of Public Relations
Amanda Vandervort @vandey01 – WPS Web Coordinator (hey, that’s me!)
Karyn Lush @klush17 – WPS New Media
Hope @wpsteenreporter – our WPS teen coorespondant :-)

Boston Breakers @bostonbreakers
Kelly Smith @kjs8eng – Boston Breakers Player
Alli Lipsher @alipsher – Boston Breakers Player
Joe Cummings @breakersgm – Boston Breakers General Manager
Tony DiCicco @tonysocc – Boston Breakers Head Coach
Lisa Cole @lcole22 – Boston Breakers Assistant Coach
Kevin Hassett @khassett – Boston Breakers New Media and Communications
Greta Teller @GTeller – Boston Breakers Marketing Manager
Erica Hunt @EricaHunt – Boston Breakers Account Executive
Matt Lopez @mwlopez – Boston Breakers Account Executive
Heather Pease @hpease – Boston Breakers Account Executive

Chicago Red Stars @chicagoredstars
Lindsay Tarpley @lindsaytarpley Chicago Red Stars Player
Danesha Adams @daadams9 – Chicago Red Stars Player
Megan Rapinoe @pinoe – Chicago Red Stars Player
Nikki Krzysik @Krz23 – Chicago Red Stars Player
Brittany Klein @britklein – Chicago Red Stars Player
Natalie Spilger @nspilger – Chicago Red Stars Player
Peter Wilt @redstarsceo – Chicago Red Stars President
Marcia McDermott @mmcd21 – Chicago Red Stars General Manager
Emma Hayes @emmahayes1 – Chicago Red Stars Head Coach
Nate Kipp @nathankipp – Chicago Red Stars Assistant Coach
Jim Houghton @redstar1 – Chicago Red Stars Marketing
Alyse Lahue @alahue – Chicago Red Stars Operations
Elly Deutch @deutche – Chicago Red Stars New Media
Pat McNamara @pmcnamara1 – Chicago Red Stars Corporate Sponsorship
Amber Simons @ambersimons – Chicago Red Stars Operations
Kait Sawyer @kaits – Chicago Red Stars Sales & Office Manager
Billy @barmes4 – Chicago Red Stars Equipment Manager
Rob @mizzourc – Chicago Red Stars Intern
Tom Dunmore @pitchinvasion – Red Stars Supporter’s Club
Nicole Hack @nikhak – Red Stars Supporter’s Club

FC Gold Pride @fcgoldpride
Jill Oakes @joakes19 – FC Gold Pride Player
Liz Bogus @TeddyRoxy – FC Gold Player

Washington Freedom @dcfreedom
Kati Jo Spisak @kjspisak – Washington Freedom Player
Cat Whitehill @CatWhitehill4 – Washington Freedom Player

Saint Louis Athletica @athleticasoccer
India Trotter @IndiaT – Saint Louis Athletica Player

Los Angeles Sol @losangelessol
Aly Wagner @alywagner – LA Sol Player
Kendall Fletcher @kendallfletcher – LA Sol Player
Valerie Henderson @valhenderson – LA Sol Player
Christopher Higginson @christafa – LA Sol New Media
Charlie Naimo @LASolGM – LA Sol General Manager
Kenzo Bergeron @LASolOriginal – LA Sol Marketing

Sky Blue FC @skybluefc
Thomas Hofstetter @HofstetterTh – Sky Blue FC Owner
Francisco Prandoni – @DOCIntl – Sky Blue FC COO
Karen Bardsley @klbardsley – Sky Blue FC Player
Natalie Smith @NatalieLSmith – Sky Blue FC Staff
Paul Blodgett @pblodgett – Sky Blue FC Goalkeeper Coach

Below is a thank you note from Matthew Driver, General Manager and Head Coach of the brand new Philadelphia WPS franchise.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the staff of the NSCAA for allowing myself, and the staff of the 2010 WPS Philadelphia Independence attend the Algarve Cup as part of their group at such short notice. In heading to the Algarve I had but one agenda, and that was to attend as many games as possible in as short a time as possible. However, the Algarve Cup offered up much more than the opportunity to see a concentrated number of world class teams and players competing in such a relaxed atmosphere.

The course leaders, former national team coach April Heinrichs and peak performance specialist Dr. Colleen Hacker were nothing less than spectacular. Due to the time constraints and demanding agenda that we had organized prior to our arrival we were only fortunate enough to be able to attend 50% of the meetings/seminars that both very uniquely talented ladies conducted, but the one’s that we did attend where incredibly informative and really did complement what our objective was. Dr. Coleen’s zest for life and passion about the application of sports science in our field was second to none. April’s knowledge past and present of the women’s game at the international level was incredibly insightful and helpful to me, she gave not only to us but to each of the individual course participants, and for that I thank her. Lastly, not to forget Marti, who as the course administrator did a great job keeping everything in check and on time.

For what it is worth, this was a fantastic course which was run by world class professionals whose passion for educating and their love of the game shined through. Well done to all the NSCAA staff and to the participants for making this a truly worthwhile and thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Read more thank you notes at http://nscaa.com/subpages/20090317111653886.php.

Below is a thank you note from Colleen Murphy, Head Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of Scranton.

Hi Amanda,

I just wanted to send an email to express how wonderful my experience was in Portugal last week. As a young coach, I learned more than I ever could have imagined from my peers and especially from April and Colleen. April and Colleen were extremely knowledgeable but also very
personable and approachable during the week. I can’t imagine learning from two better people.

It is so important that we continue to allow women to experience an environment where they feel comfortable to ask questions and to learn. It was nice to be among so many great female coaches, and to learn from each other. It is rare that we have such opportunities, and I would
love to continue to support such courses and to also add more if possible. Its very important that women learn to help other women, and the Algarve Cup symposium is a perfect environment to do this.

I hope very much that this symposium continues, and that April and Colleen continue to present. The strength of this experience is learning from other women who have been successful. Learning from individuals who truly know women’s soccer, and can teach us the keys to becoming successful.

It was a great experience, and I look forward to participating in more NSCAA courses in the future!All the best,

Colleen Murphy

Read more thank you notes at http://nscaa.com/subpages/20090317111653886.php.

Below is an email from Angie Hind, Head Women’s Soccer Coach at Dartmouth College.

Amanda,

I would like to echo the sentiments of my fellow participants on the Algarve Symposium. It was fantastic and a breath of fresh air as far as professional development opportunities go in the women’s game.

Being able to watch some of the best women’s teams in the world compete at the one venue was tremendous. Having access to see National teams practice and then the chance to hear various national coaches express their approach and coaching philosophies was both interesting and thought provoking. These opportunities alone were somewhat unique in themselves however this course offered so much more…

April Heinrichs and Colleen Hacker were simply superb in their ability to impart knowledge, share their depth of experience in the game, and stimulate discussion within the group. Their influence on this course cannot be overstated as their enthusiasm and accessibility created a learning environment which was open, engaging, and stimulating.

I left this symposium inspired and equipped with many new activities, practices, and concepts to consider. In talking with many of my newly made friends and colleagues, I know there are many inspired coaches now doing the same…

April, Colleen, NSCAA, and fellow symposium participants….thank you!

Angie Hind

Updates by Elizabeth Hammes – More at http://www.nscaa.com/wc.php (Click here for my first post about the trip)

3/10/09: Monday we started off with a classroom session with April talking about systems (see the photo above). We then were off to the Germany vs Sweden game. We made it there early so we could see the warmups. Sweden was up 3-0 at the end of the first half. Germany tried to catch up but the 45 minutes was not enough time, they were defeated 2 – 3. After that game we hopped back into our vans & rushed to the US vs Norway game in which the US won 1-0. Afterwards Pia came & addressed our team. She talked mainly about the Beijing experience & how the US was able to win the Gold medal after having a rough start. In the evening we went back to the classroom where April finished up her talk on the 4-4-2 system of play.

3/9/09: Sunday. We had the opportunity to catch the German National Team Practice. Afterwards the asst coach addressed us on how the Germans are focusing on their flank play & how they are bringing in a new set of young players. We then went on to see the China’s practice. In the evening Dr Hacker spoke on what sports psychology is & on the psychological skills triad. Afterward, we had group presentations & analysis of how you would address a certain team (China, Germany, USA) at halftime or after the game, based on the games we had seen on Friday. After the class sessions ended, all hit the strip for dinner. Another amazing day in the Algarve!

As the Chair of the NSCAA Women’s Committee, I am proud to annouce that the third annual NSCAA Algarve Cup trip has officially begun. :-)

The trip was organized by Women’s Committee members: Boston Breakers Assistant Coach Lisa Cole, NSCAA Board of Directors member Marti Coan, Former USWNT Head Coach April Heinrichs, and renowned sports psychologist Dr. Colleen Hacker. During these 10 days, they will take participants behind-the-scenes at one of the world’s most distinguished sporting events – The Algarve Cup. No where else can anybody get this kind of access.

The photo above is from the Germany vs. China match. Click for 2009 Photos (I’m uploading them as the participants email them over). For more information about the NSCAA Algarve Cup Trip, check out the NSCAA Women’s Committee homepage. For details about the Algarve Cup in general, visit U.S. Soccer.

3/6/09
Here’s an update by Marti Coan: “First day was a bit cold, nice when the sun was out but cold when the wind picked up. First we watched Germany beat China, score was 3 – 0, and China was a man down when we left to see the U.S. vs. Iceland game. Great to see some familiar faces on the field at the U.S. game. Exciting getting to know the newer ones, learn their body stance, agility and skills. Iceland was giving it all they had but couldn’t hold them. Natasha Kai was very determined and got the finish! Then we went on to the Portugal vs. Wales game. I believe it was 3- 1 to the host country. More to follow!”

Check back at Soccer Science for updates as I receive them. I’ll also post them to http://www.NSCAA.com/wc.php. Go USA!

An amateur Dutch ladies soccer team, FC de Rakt, has opted to play in skirts. Check out the comments below the video on YouTube – you’ll find a much different perspective than the American blogosphere offered following the PUMA/WPS kit launch on Feb. 24. (see below)

1. One of the best things about being a woman today is that we have so many options. Whether we are in the boardroom, on the home front, or on the starting line, we can bring it on like a man, but it doesn’t mean we have to look like one. Source: The Rise of Skirt Culture (Runner’s World)

2. The miniskirt can be seen as a celebration of the female form, asserting your right to be proud of your figure and your right to display it. Source: The Miniskirt and Women’s Lib (Icons.org)

3. Shunning skirts altogether is a perverted version of radical feminism that just doesn’t make sense. It’s certainly not the battle I would choose to fight. So I say “Let them wear skirts!” (or shorts or catsuits, or full-length white body suits.) Source: Chasing Skirts, why to Women Tennis Players Choose to Wear Them?

4. The flapper (of the 1940’s) would have laughed at the ideal, chaste, Victorian maiden who considered a kiss tantamount to a proposal. But the flapper didn’t want to be a man. She wanted to be a woman, a New Woman, the woman of her own creation. Source: Flapper Skirts as Feminist Symbols (FFWDMag)

5. We think they’re far more elegant than the traditional shorts, and furthermore they are more comfortable. Source: Rinske Temming, 21-year-old captain of FC de Rakt (video above).

More about the optional PUMA WPS wrap here: http://womensprosoccer.com/newsitem_ektid9342.aspx

From womensprosoccer.com:

One of the more unique elements of the WPS collection put on display are “ wraps” that were made as an additional piece for the Los Angeles Sol, Boston Breakers, FC Gold Pride and Sky Blue FC. It’s a complement to the shorts and definitely something different.

They are completely optional and will not be worn in games. The wraps are removable and can be detached from the shorts with easy to remove buttons.

PUMA’s wrap takes cues from the trends in female sports gear today, as well as fashion, such as the popularity of technical running skirts. The wraps were designed with the female player in mind.

It uses the same technical performance elements as the rest of the uniforms, so it could be worn to and from the field, after practice — and if a player really wants to, they can wear it on the field, too, in training or warm-up.

WPS and PUMA Uniform Unveiling

Other Opinions

Not everybody thinks the optional PUMA wrap is a good idea, but I’m still looking for a reasonable justification. Most dissension that I’ve found in the past two days has been on the Big Soccer Forums, Text Messages, Tweets and Blog Comments.

Women’s Professional Soccer unveils PUMA uniforms: A skort?!? (Because I Played Sports)
http://becauseiplayedsports.com/2009/02/25/womens-professional-soccer-unveils-puma-uniforms/

WPS Fashion Show (Women’s Sports Nation)
http://www.womenssportsnation.com/2009/02/wps-fashion-show.html

Terrible team names and beauties in short skirts: Women’s ’soccer’ gets the American treatment (Daily Mail)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1155029/Beauties-short-skirts-Womens-soccer-gets-American-treatment.html

Underwhelmed by the skort (goldpride.theoffside.com)
http://goldpride.theoffside.com/gold-pride-team-news/underwhelmed-by-the-skort.html

What do you think?

So I spent the better part of my weekend sorting out all my bookmarks and RSS feeds. Then, I posted all the WPS team Social Media links on my Big Soccer blog at http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/blog.php?b=3803 so if you have any inclination to friend, find, follow, tweet, tube, flick, yelp, or otherwise gossip about the Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride, Los Angeles Sol, Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC, or Washington Freedom, now’s your chance.

What is it?

The Guardian Interactive Chalkboards lets any Joe Soccer or football hooligan “analyze player performances the way top managers do”. Among the cool functions:

- Create your own chalkboard and send to your friends.
- Track all events within every Premier League match – shots, passes, tackles, and fouls plus much more.
- Compare two players or teams side-by-side.
- All premier league matches available within 30 minutes of final whistle.

What’s the buzz?

Very cool! SEOmoz writes an article about this “amazing internet marketing” as “it re-emphasis just how powerful data and original content is.”

As the SMM/Web Coordinator/New Media Manager for Women’s Pro Soccer, you can bet this little tidbit from Tom C at SEOmoz went right to my heart… He says:

I mean, most of the US doesn’t even know what soccer is, let alone care about individual boards. I think this could be vastly improved by targeting the media people ARE likely to share them on, such as email (there’s no easy way of emailing multiple people about your chalkboard and there’s no tracking of how many emails are sent), Facebook, etc. Since forums are big business in the football industry [SO TRUE], I think it would be great to offer a ‘lite’ embed code which is pre-formatted for forums and just shows an image of the chalkboard and links through so that people can embed them all over the place.

Social Media is where soccer is at in America, and believe me those of us here at Women’s Pro Soccer (A brand new professional soccer league in America — by the way the first and only full female professional sports league in the world!) get it. Hopefully by implementing SMM strategies like this, we’ll be able to carve our place in the American professional sports landscape, even up against the giants of NFL and MLB.

Where’d They Get All That Data?

Onto the actual technology behind what SEOmoz terms “an incredible amount of data”. I’m speculating here, but I’d say the data capturing and integrating technology behind this interesting little piece of viral innovation is ProZone, a UK-based company that has been trying to establish a stronghold in America for the past couple years, notably through XL Travel (a soccer-tour company with strong family ties to a couple Premiership clubs). ProZone also recently pitched the WPS coaches at the NSCAA Convention.

ProZone has recorded all the Premiership matches using multiple video cameras, and created live “coding” of all events on-site. So, every time Van Persie touches the ball, it’s recorded as a pass, shot, etc. When you go back into the event log, you can select all Van Persie events, and sort them as you’d like. You could also select all shots, and get a listing of anybody who managed to take a shot in a particular match. And on and on. Coaches have had this technology for a couple years now…. but offering it to the public offers one of those, “Why didn’t we think of that before?” moments for me.

What’s next?

Having worked closely with ProZone in the past, and learned about it from Emma Hayes during her time at Arsenal, I feel Pro Zone really excels in their ability to provide on-demand video footage of all the events tagged in a given match. Basically, any event you see tagged in a Guardian Chalkboard also has corresponding video that a Premiership coaching staff can access immediately after any game. It’s pretty amazing – you can make whatever chalkboard you choose, and can then click on any one of the lines that illustrates an action, and the video of that action actually pops up to view.

As video streaming technology becomes more efficient, is this what’s next for Joe Soccer and the Guardian.co.uk? Closer to my heart: How about MLS or WPS?

Fans are the only ones who really care. There are no free-agent fans. ~Dick Young

Up Next: Planning for South Africa 2010 has officially begun… Jen, Enyo & all those on board with the helicopter plan (Franz Beckenbauer flies a chopper to get from game to game, why shouldn’t we?), here are some quotes I tracked down to get us fired up.

Bruce Arena (25 June 2006) : “I have no doubts in (my) mind I can qualify a team (for the 2010 World Cup). But that to me is not the whole job.” Team USA coach Bruce Arena

Sepp Blatter: (26 June 2006) : “They will do well. They will do well and they have all the population behind them, like here in Germany but even more I would say because it will be the competition, the World Cup in 2010, that will finally bring the total integration of the people of South Africa.” Sepp Blatter’s reply on being asked whether he thought South Africa would put on a good show in 2010.

Patrick Manning (26 June 2006) : “We must be among the favourites in the next World Cup,” he told the festive crowd. Prime Minister Patrick Manning of Trinidad and Tobago explaining that qualifying for Soccer World Cup 2010 was a national imperative.

Sepp Blatter (28 Oct 2006) : “They will be ready, no problem. If you ask me what the alternatives to play World Cup 2010, if South Africa is not ready, it is still South Africa. Plan B and C is still South Africa”

Franz Beckenbauer (June 2006) : “England, please no!” Franz Beckenbauer hoping that Germany are not paired with England in the last 16 of the Soccer World Cup.

Abedi Pele (June 2006) : “There’s no lack of good players in Ghana. In terms of technique and pace we’re without doubt the best in Africa. Lately, we’ve made a lot of progress in the finer points of tactics as well, which was our weak point before.” Abedi Pele (67 caps for Ghana, three-time African Player of the Year)

Follow this link to see a video of Tonya Antonucci after the 2009 WPS Inaugural Draft: http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/component/option,com_topdrawer/Itemid,293/videoId,387/

When I was in college, I spent my summers in the beautiful North Woods in Eagle River, Wisconsin, at a little summer camp for girls called Chippewa Ranch Camp. It wasn’t an accident that I landed here, since my best friend from High School’s (Abby Adler) father owned and operated this magical little place.

Everybody that reads Thomas C.’s memoire, Campingly Yours, will certainly connect with something different.

As I chomped through this insightful story, I remember reading that Thomas C. never spent time in corporate America, and was only a teacher for a brief stint, but year after year he made his way back to North Star camp in the far northern reaches of Wisconsin for a summer of growth, fun, friends and adventure. He says that camp is “in his blood”. His life has in fact been dedicated to camp – from camper, to counselor, director, owner… and now that he’s left Chippewa, Thomas has now begun charity-work to send kids to camp.

Never could I hope to be as amazing as Thomas C., but I certainly connect with his life as it evolved around one thing he held so dear. All I’d have to do is replace the word “camp” with “soccer” and I may have been reading a story about my own life in 30 years. Like Thomas C., I haven’t spent time in corporate America, and I thought about teaching for a brief stint. But in the end, I couldn’t get soccer out of my blood. I thought after I was done playing in college, I would surely be done with the sport I had developed a love/hate relationship with. But alas, here I am, happy and devoted to Women’s Professional Soccer.

I share this with you because, out of love, friendship, and respect, I’ve created a site for Thomas C.’s book tour called, Where Is Thomas C? at http://www.whereisthomasc.com. If you visit the site, you can expect to see updates, photos, videos, etc. as he tours the states and raises money for his amazing charities.

We’re also working on his Fan Pages at and Facebook, My Space, Twitter, Amazon, Flickr, YouTube. More details to follow on this.

Rob Penner, the Director of PR here at WPS, just sent this article out to all our teams about the change in media coverage for professional sports. The most interesting line to me was: [...] the L.A. Times “doesn’t cover the Clippers and Kings on the road,” as “basically, any team other than the Lakers that plays at Staples Center is viewed as a fringe team and is covered as such.” As a result, bloggers who cover the Clippers, Kings, Ducks and other L.A.-area sports teams are “becoming the only coverage out there for their teams.”

So… Where are the L.A. Sol bloggers? If you’re in LA and you’ve ever thought about blogging, now’s the time to step up! You can email me and I can help you set up your very own blog… or go to wps.theoffside.com and tell Melissa you’re interested.

In the meanwhile, here are a few quotes Rob pulled out to share:

FANNATION.com, 1/22

Media Cutbacks Leading To Decreased L.A. Sports Coverage

L.A. sports media coverage is “shrinking by the day,” a “microcosm, no doubt, of what’s happening in many other sports cities across America,” according to Arash Markazi of SI.com. KLAC-AM, the radio home of the Lakers since the ‘76-77 season, this week “merged with Fox Sports Radio in a move that saw eight on-air personalities lose their jobs,” and those that remained “will now be hosting nationally syndicated shows that will no longer focus on L.A. teams.”

ESPN Radio 710 L.A., meanwhile, “already airs plenty of national programming and will likely increase its national presence” when ESPN opens its L.A. HQs at L.A. Live. FSN West and FSN Prime Ticket “ditched its only local news show ‘The Southern California Sports Report’ years ago and primarily airs national programming and infomercials outside of local games.” Area newspapers have “significantly cut their coverage of local teams as editorial staffs are being trimmed due to the economy.”

The result is “little to no coverage on teams outside the Lakers, Dodgers, Angels, USC football and UCLA basketball.” Markazi noted the L.A. Times “doesn’t cover the Clippers and Kings on the road,” as “basically, any team other than the Lakers that plays at Staples Center is viewed as a fringe team and is covered as such.” As a result, bloggers who cover the Clippers, Kings, Ducks and other L.A.-area sports teams are “becoming the only coverage out there for their teams”

CLIPSNATION.com, 1/20

Will Any Papers Be Covering The Clippers By The End Of The Season?

Clippers coverage, “partly driven by the dire economics in the newspaper business,” has been “declining steadily in recent years.” The “re-assignment of Clipper beat reporters to supplement the teams of reporters covering the Lakers for the same paper is particularly distressing.”

For instance, L.A. Daily News Clippers beat reporter Ramona Shelburne, who has been “doing a terrific job covering the Clippers, particularly on her blog,” covered Monday’s Cavaliers-Lakers game though the Clippers hosted the T’Wolves that day. It is “clear that newspapers need to put their resources on the topics that interest their readership,” but “access to information about the Clippers just got more difficult to come by” ().

Alas, it’s true! But not to worry…

Soccer Science will still be alive and extremely active, but I do think it’s important to spread WPS news, info & insight within the Big Soccer community. We’ll see how this sorts itself out in the coming months… http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/blog.php?b=3210 :-)

Happy reading!