Healthy competition breeds innovation. There is no better place for innovation and to shake things up than in women’s professional soccer. Positive change occurs as leagues and teams compete to attract the best players in the world. It places the player at the core of the team. It becomes the responsibility of the leagues to deliver excellent player engagement and services. The idea is similar to the college recruitment process where teams woo players to sign with them over their rivals upon graduation. Innovation for player benefits and recruitment are all on the table to develop the best experience at the professional level.

President of Tampa Bay Sun, Christina Unkel, shared in Protagonist earlier this year that “our league is open to competition. We’re already competing for players…We talk to players and before there was no option. You had to accept what you got. Now, Super League may be a better fit for players.”

Dismantling the American Draft System

The college draft is a major recruitment source for most professional American sports, an unknown concept to the rest of the world. The anticipation and hype of a draft is exciting. Mock drafts are created with speculation on who teams pick to shore up weak spots. We love a surprise unexpected selection throwing us all off, that team that throws logic to the wind to get a hot pick. Who can forget the fanfare over 18-year-old Alyssa Thompson’s number-one draft to Angel City FC in 2023? Or trades of players for picks during the 2023 draft, Diana Ordonez from NC Courage to Houston Dash?

The USL Super League has chosen to go in a different direction with the recruitment process. There is no USL SL draft, they have chosen to align with the rest of the world by signing free agents. The choice is in the players’ hands as they sign their contract, a clear desire of most to determine where they land. We’ve seen many NWSL players express frustration as they are traded to another team without their foreknowledge or approval. NWSL players have to accept a move that feels more akin to fantasy team selection than major life changes for a real human. Free agency allows more flexibility for players and teams as they move forward with roster builds. Players can also negotiate for better contracts, salary, and bonuses in their best interest. The power dynamics are turned upside down, placed into the players hands to control their own destiny.

Many talented players never get drafted and end their careers upon graduation. Other players will go to the other side of the world to play in various European leagues. According to the NCAA 6,658 women’s players were eligible for the NWSL draft in 2023, but there were only 48 draft spots. “47 of the spots went to players from Division I institutions (the other draftee was a high school athlete). Percentage NCAA to Major Pro calculated using the 47 NCAA selections (calculated as 47 / 6,658 = 0.7%).” A vast amount of talent never gets drafted to professional women’s soccer in the US. The talent is there to create a full-scale tiered league structure similar to the European system.

Not all student-athletes are at the place of maturity and preparation for an adult professional top-level job. At a professional level, there are a variety of aspects that compose a professional player: technical, tactical, conditioning, nutrition, travel days, living on your own, support network, motivation, confidence, visibility, and connections to name a few. It is a transition from college to professional that not everyone is ready to take in one leap. More teams at a variety of levels will give more players the chance to develop these additional off-the-field skills in an environment best suited to them.

Bethany Balcer is the most well-known example of an NAIA undrafted non-roster invitee who won Rookie of the Year in 2020 with Seattle Regin. She never played at a D1 university the primary recruiting avenue for the NWSL. She was brave and walked on as a trialist. What other diamonds are out there waiting for the opportunity to be discovered?

Innovating the Player Experience

The USL Super League will force a more mindful NWSL draft. Undrafted players often get invited to NWSL pre-season practice as a trialist. There is a safety net when drafting in NWSL that you still have a large pool of players you can sign later, after all, there are (were) very few places to play. The law of supply and demand, typically an economic principle, can be applied to competition for players between USL SL and NWSL. With the USL Super League, those undrafted players could then sign professional contracts and no longer be gettable. Each draft pick must be thoughtful that a player may not be available after with other options in place if they don’t sign a contract. Or they might skip the draft altogether and opt to sign directly with a USL SL club.

In Steph Yang’s article in the Athletic outlining the league’s rational, she highlighted the similarity between the USL Super League’s approach and the trend in the NWSL. “The lack of a draft is in keeping with the overall USL ethos around developing youth pathways; in earlier announcements about its girls’ academy, the USL said it will not use age banding in its academy teams as part of an ‘if you’re good enough you’re old enough’ mindset. The NWSL has also started to move more toward a similar mindset with recent signings like 15-year-old Melanie Barcenas for the San Diego Wave and 15-year-old Chloe Ricketts for the Washington Spirit.”

The current NWSL schedule limits the number of international players willing to join the league. The fall-to-spring calendar is a unique aspect of the Super League that might make it more attractive for international players. Unkel also shared, “If you play for your country, the Super League doesn’t stress as much between club and country, as we’re on the FIFA international calendar. We’re the only domestic professional league on the international calendar. So we might be a great opportunity for someone who plays international football.” It contributes to balancing load management and taxing travel days with a full season of games. USL SLS teams are already signing internationals to their rosters.

Step Up

In 2023 the USL released Step Up, its plan to build a comprehensive pathway for the women’s game. USL estimated in it's strategy document, “Over the next ﬁve years this will translate to more than 25,000 playing opportunities” Age groups range from youth to adult and fill a void of a coordinated youth system with direct professional opportunities. The USL has an Academy contract that has been in use for several years. The academy contract gives youth players the experience of a senior team while maintaining their college eligibility. Quality of play and skill is increased in these players as they train and compete in senior team matches. Players then have the choice to play in college or go pro when they are ready. Teams can evaluate the top talent more frequently.

“Step Up provides a blueprint for the USL to build, operate, and grow the most comprehensive and powerful ecosystem in women’s soccer. It lays out a clear pathway from youth to professional, including the launch of the professional USL Super League, continued expansion of the pre-professional USL W League, and the establishment and growth of the USL Academy for girls…“The foundation of the pathway is just as vital as the top of the pyramid,” Vandervort said. "We believe we can help fill existing voids in the development of talented players. The W League is giving more players a chance to play for a longer duration in competitive environments, and the Academy will develop young elite players not only for college, but also for a potential pro career if they choose to pursue that. ”

Imagine with me, a USA that gives opportunities to more than just .07% of players. There would be a country where the USWNT would have a depth to select youth and senior national teams for an expanded pool. CONCACAF grows to be the soccer powerhouse of the world as more international players have the opportunity to play competitive first division soccer close to home. Younger players get professional-level competitive experience for longer playing careers. Players get the opportunity to play in their home states or even better home cities. Players choice is the the heartbeat of the league. This vision is possible with the addition of the USL Super League. It has the potential to accelerate a climate of innovation and growth in professional women’s soccer.

- Danielle Gawronski