MONKEYS launch grass roots WPS(L) 'Movement'

The Monkeys kicked off their spring season and with it, unfounded dreams are being rekindled.  For Bay Area soccer players in the Monkey's age group, Women's Pro Soccer (WPS) doesn't exist.

The details of the FC Gold Pride season ticket holder events and on pitch action are fading into fond memory.  As the WPS season itself kicked off with Sky Blue FC facing Philadelphia, the arm chair venue in front of Fox Soccer Channel has far less appeal for a nine year old Soccer Monkey that just wants to play.  There simply is no substitute at this age, for being present, at the pitch in the environment that was Women's Professional Soccer in the Bay Area. The Soccer Monkeys have had to find their inspiration elsewhere.

As an optimist, I would like to believe that the collapse of WPS on the west coast of the United States represents more of a changing of the guard than the end of an era.  As my daughters icons like Ali Riley and former Cal star Alex Morgan take to the pitch in Western New York with the WPS Flash, there is a whole new group of young ladies in that market that are about to be inspired.  In the big picture, even though we are now without a WPS team here in the West, it is vital to us that the league succeed in this it's third year of competition.

Also as an optimist, we Bay Area WPS fans can and should be looking forward to the plans of Terry Foley and company as he sets to launch two west coast teams professional in the WPSL.  Sure, the WPSL has been around over here, and in fact proclaims itself to be the largest women's soccer league but I am hopeful that as rumors would suggest, this is a cautiously wise stepping stone effort to establish a solid foundation for the rebuilding of high caliber professional Women's Soccer on the west coast.  In a recent chat on twitter about the WPSL, Foley hinted that the aim of the Bay Area Breeze and sister team Orange County Waves is to build a west coast foundation for women's soccer which could perhaps lead to a west coast league of it's own.  If true, this strategy is historically sound as was the case when both the Dodgers and Giants of Major League baseball moved out west from New York.

Title IX is More than a Token Gesture

As the father of a soccer playing daughter, equal playing opportunities for girls has a personal importance for me.

While Title IX ensures that in principal, I think there are indeed some differences between a club having a program that invites both girls and boys to play and a club that actively takes developmental differences of boys and girls in account to provide the best programs for each.

There are of course exceptions as there are some girls that don't mind playing with boys, but anyone who has coached both boys and girls at the younger age groups has spotted some of the differences.  Girls develop teamwork and tactical skills earlier than boys, generally speaking, while boys seem to have the early edge on aggressive physical play and individual skill.

For this reason, an interesting thing happens when you take your 8 or 9 year old daughter out to a co-ed event such as a camp, clinic or scrimmage.   With a few noted exceptions, from my experience most girls prefer not to play with a rowdy group of boys at that age, most certainly not if they are the only girl in the group.

Play With the Boys or Don't Play - Is Separate Really not Equal?

Recently, I was elected to my local youth soccer club's board of directors and one of my primary goals has been to improve the club's offerings for girls.

A few seasons ago, the club added to it's offerings an off season scrimmage.  It has been a huge plus conceptually and I the club puts a lot of emphasis on the context of these scrimmages to be a 'show up and play' format with a low degree of adult interaction.  

As one of my first actions as a board member, I set out to attend a few of these scrimmages and brought my daughter and some of her team mates to get a girl's perspective.

FC Gold Pride Matters to 9 year old Soccer Monkey

There is no sense in me trying to improve upon what my daughter had to say about the possibility of 'her team' FC Gold Pride folding this November 15. Her words say it all:

Why FC Gold Pride is Important to Me.

FC Gold Pride is important to me because it is fun and because I spend time with my dad. We go to the games together.

STOP the Demise of WPS Team FC Gold Pride

Yesterday, the U9 Soccer Monkeys had a guest coach, Kim Yokers, midfielder for FC Gold Pride, our Bay Area Women's Pro Soccer team. I'm sure they have fun when their regular coach (me) is conducting practice but this session was something completely different. I know they enjoyed it as their smiles were not fake, but I also know they have no idea how special it was.

I arranged for the midfielder to come conduct a practice session because I wanted all of the other team members and their parents to experience the inspiration my daughter has gained from WPS. I had no idea the timing would be so critical.

No Flat Feet! or how to be Champions just like FC Gold Pride

It's official. FC Gold Pride have earned the title of WPS Champions. After a memorable regular season campaign with a 16-3-5 record, they sealed the deal against the Philly Cheesesteaks at Pioneer Stadium on September 26.

With a near sell out crowd on hand (I think they sold all but 175 seats or so), fans witnessed some great possession soccer, quality footwork and some great finishing.

WPS, Our Turn to Thank You on Sep 26!

As FC Gold Pride played it's last regular game for the 2010 season, I have never felt so appreciated as a fan. I've been to numerous so called fan appreciation events and this wasn't even billed as such.

In years of following Major League Baseball as a child, I've never once caught a foul ball, never once met a player or secured an autograph, never once felt half as important as a fan as I do now for FC Gold Pride.

Perhaps I feel appreciated because I've actually had the players thank me for supporting the team. Perhaps it's because they stretched out a huge banner to thank the fans for coming out. No the real reason lies in what these professional women have done to inspire my daughter.