Womens Premier Soccer League Coming to South Jersey

Tuesday, March 7, 2006

By Anthony Hudson
Atlantic City Diablos Correspondent

In May of 2006, Atlantic County will begin to play host to some of the nations best female soccer players. The AC Diablos soccer club was recently formed by a group of business men and soccer enthusiasts led by Matt Driver. He is a former USL franchise owner and a nationally respected professional soccer coach, more recently with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer.

The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) is an independent league whose main focus is on the development of highly competitive women's soccer teams. Women's football ranking service places the WPSL as the second ranked women's league in the world and the number one women's league in the United States.

The Diablos desire is to bring a high level of professionalism to the Atlantic County's youth, with a determined focus on developing our minority educational and gender equality programs. We can achieve this by assisting the communities youth in challenging themselves in our "Skills for Life" programs, citing education and responsibility as a way to encourage the youth to strive for a higher standard of achievement.

The great variety of highly skilled players is what makes the WPSL truly successful. WPSL teams roster college, post college, foreign players and high school players every year. These players gain a tremendous amount of experience playing along side other dedicated players such as former and current national team players like Shannon Boxx, Abby Wambach, Sissi, Brandi Chastain, and Shannon MacMillian to name a few. College programs and the WPSL maintain a mutually beneficial relationship, as many college coaches encourage their players to play in the WPSL. It improves the players fitness and skill development, which aids in enhancing their own college programs.

The WPSL season runs from May 1st to July 29th, giving the Diablos the opportunity to bring back some of Atlantic counties leading female collegiate players, who can become reacquainted with their friends and families, and more importantly the regions youth soccer players.

This summer every young girl dreaming of playing at the next level will have the chance not only to come out and watch these players but will have the opportunity to interact with some of the best female players in the country. This will provide these young girls with both the inspiration they need and the positive role models that we want them to have.

TRY-OUT DATES:

Sunday 12th March - 6 - 8pm

Sunday 19th Marchh - 6 - 8pm

Venue: St Augustines Prep,Richland. (directions can be found at www.ehermits.net)

Please confirm attendance by e-mail at - acdiablos@yahoo.com

THE LEAGUE

The Women's Premier Soccer League is an independent national league whose main focus is on the development of highly competitive amateur women's soccer teams. The WPSL also makes every effort to bring quality soccer to all levels of the community and to promote the stature of female athletes as role models for our youth.

The WPSL was formed in 1998. It is sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) as an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the ruling body of soccer in the United States and FIFA the world's ruling body for soccer.

The WPSL season runs from May 1st to August 1st. There is a league championship tournament held the last weekend of July. The location of which is determined each year. Teams can expect to play 14-18 games during the season.

You have a chance to participate in an exciting, growing league whose focus is strictly upon the development and promotion of WOMEN soccer players. We have a foundation of committed and well-regarded teams located throughout the nation. You can make it happen!!

The WPSL mission statement:

Promotion and development of independent women's soccer at the highest level.
Provide a playing opportunity for the elite women soccer players to play at the highest level.
All are dedicated to the success of the league as a whole as well as to their own success, recognizing that they cannot long succeed individually without the league succeeding.
Make every effort to bring quality soccer to all levels of the community and to youth programs.
Promotion of stature of female athlete as role models for the youth.

THE PLAYERS

The great variety of highly skilled players is what makes the WPSL truly successful. WPSL teams roster college, post-college, foreign players and talented high school players every year. Many college programs encourage their players to play in our summer league because they believe it helps them prepare for the upcoming season. These players gain tremendous experience playing alongside other dedicated, competitive players, some of whom are former professional soccer players and others whom are aspiring to become professionals on or off the field.

During the last eight years, hundreds of players have spent their summer breaks playing on WPSL teams. Most come from highly regarded collegiate programs such as: Santa Clara, Portland, Notre Dame, North Carolina, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UCONN, Penn State, Princeton, Harvard, CSU, UMASS, USF, UOP, BYU, San Jose State, Stanford, San Diego State, Arizona State, Texas A&M, Denver University, UC Davis, U of New Hampshire, St. Mary's and North Carolina State.

Collegiate programs have utilized our league to improve their player's development and sustain their fitness over the summer months. Highly competitive youth clubs have also used our league to expose their players to teams that carry players from every level - national, collegiate, post-collegiate and youth - and they then carry the experience they've gained, individually and as a team, into their local league competition in the fall and spring.

THE TEAMS

The teams in the WPSL have won numerous tournaments and titles including Regional and National Championships. National Open and Amateur Open winners for the WPSL include: Ajax America Women, California Storm and San Diego WFC. The teams are coached by top-notch professionals and are well respected in their communities. WPSL teams are located throughout the United States.

THE PAST AND THE FUTURE

The United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) sanctioned the WPSL eight years ago as a Regional league. USASA is an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the ruling body of soccer in the United States and FIFA the world's ruling body for soccer.

The WPSL began with only four Californian teams, and because of the high level of play and the ideology of the league, it has grown into the only stand alone national women's soccer league in the country. The league's mission is to provide a playing opportunity for elite women soccer players, to promote and develop independent women's soccer at the highest level and to bring quality soccer to the community and youth programs, while promoting the stature of female athletes as role models.

"When all was said and done, the WPSL succeeded in its endeavors as it has done throughout its existence."

The WPSL is unique in that it is an open league that is run by the teams. Each team gets one vote and decides all issues for the entire league. Anyone can access information about our league such as: current teams, rosters, statistics, schedules, results, constitution and by-laws, forms, meeting minutes and the latest league news at our website www.wpsl.info.

Two years ago, the WPSL was given National status and has been busy expanding ever since. The league has added ten more teams from across the United States: Bay State Select, Boston-North Aztecs, Everton FC America, FC Indiana, Houston Stars, Las Vegas Tabagators, Maryland Pride, Massachusetts Stingers, New England Mutiny, New Mexico Thunder, Philadelphia Pirates, Rhode Island Rays, St. Louis Archers and Steel City Sparks.

The WPSL now has over 20 teams and is expected to expand even more this coming season. Teams in Florida, Seattle, Oklahoma, Georgia, Ohio, Illinois and Canada have expressed interest in joining the league.

"That's the way they're built inside. They want to compete and play, and look good, and feel good. Whether they play in front of crowds or no crowds, they play the same," says SeaLions head coach Papo Santos.

In the year the Women's United Soccer Association suspended operations, the WPSL carried on as usual, even grabbing the attention of national teams around the world. Many of the former WUSA players now play for WPSL teams. The Women's Premier Soccer League is a league that remains dedicated to women soccer players and will continue to do so for years to come.

WPSL Rated Top Women's Soccer League in the U.S.A September 16, 2005 Women's Premier Soccer League Climbs to No. 2 in the World San Francisco, CA - The Women's World Football Ranking Service, an independent website that bases rankings on communication with coaches and players and information available on the internet, places the Women's Premier Soccer League as the second-ranked women's league in the world and the top women's league in the United States.

"The rankings confirm my position that the WPSL is one of the world's elite women's soccer leagues," states Eastern Commissioner Joseph Ferrara. "It is gratifying to be an integral part of the greatest women's soccer league in America."

Women'sWorldFootball.com also ranks the Top 20 club teams and players in the world. Three WPSL teams made the Top 20 in the world. The 2005 WPSL National Champion, FC Indiana, is ranked the highest of American teams at #2. The 2004 WPSL National Champion, California Storm is positioned at #8 and the New England Mutiny cracks the Top 20 at #19. Two WPSL players made the Top 20. Shannon Boxx and Abby Wambach of Ajax America are ranked #5 and #8 respectively. FC Indiana's, Brittany Bock, is rated as the best under-19 player in the world.

"This is exciting news for all the teams in our league, many of which have completed their eighth season of hard work and recruitment of the best female players in the world. We are happy to be recognized that we are one of the best in the world. I look forward to working on having our teams participate in a World Championship some day," commented League Commissioner Jerry Zanelli.

U.S. WNT Coach Selects WPSL Players for Training Camp December 27, 2005 WPSL players prepare for the WNT's trip to the Four Nations Tournament in China Jan. 18-22.