Backwards Pyramids

In the past two blog posts, I dove into the controversy that is equal pay between the men’s and women’s national team players here in the United States. While I know this topic has almost been over discussed, it still needs to be discussed until this situation is resolved. Now on top of the pay disparity, I hinted in the past couple of posts about the inequities in between the men’s and women’s leagues here in the United States. I fully believe that part of US Soccer’s overarching problem is that they are not committed to the women’s leagues here in the United States like they are the men’s leagues.

If we take a look at the theoretical “pyramid” of soccer that is in the United States, the men’s is vastly different than the women’s. To start, Major League Soccer is on pace to have 30 teams by 2020 if not 2021. In comparison, the National Women’s Soccer League has only 9 teams with not even a rumor of expansion. Those are the tips of the pyramids for each. What gets really interesting, is when you start to look at the “second-tiers” of the pyramids. On the men’s game, you have the established USL Championship which has 36 teams with many of them partnered with an MLS team and underneath that you have the USL League Two, formerly PDL, that has 72 teams again with many of them sponsored or at least partnered with MLS sides. Over 100 men’s teams structured in a legitimate hierarchy of soccer, albeit without promotion and relegation. This does not even take into account the NPSL considered to be the fourth tier of men’s soccer and hosts 94 teams. 200 men’s teams structured and with significant support from sponsors and professional teams.

Let’s now take a look at the pyramid of women’s soccer here in the United States. Currently, recognized leagues are the NWSL, WPSL, and UWS, if there are any more please comment and let me know. The NWSL alone is underserved with only 9 teams and very little support from US Soccer. The USWNT is conducting their Victory Tour today, August 3rd, 2019 while the NWSL has two games scheduled. For a country supposedly trying to contribute to the women’s game it seems like the are not invested in one of the best women’s leagues in the world. But back to my discussion on soccer “pyramids”. Underneath the NWSL, again with just 9 teams, exists the WPSL and UWS. For all intensive purposes, these leagues are a combination of former professionals, current college players, current high school students, and females who love the game. In the WPSL, there are 20 divisions hosting 119 teams. The UWS has 23 teams. Are we seeing the disparity? There are more than enough teams in the United States to create the same structure on the women’s side as there are on the men’s side. The men’s side continuously develops and sends players throughout the leagues as the grow and develop. Yes, the women’s side does that as well but there can be even more promotion of the game through a similar structure as the men’s.

I look at media rights between the leagues. You can find MLS games on Fox Sports 1, ESPN, and local tv stations every weekend. It is a rarity to find an NWSL game on ESPN. Instead, you have to look on Yahoo Sports to watch your local team, if there is one. If we look the “second tiers” of each side, we can find USL Championship games on ESPN+ while the WPSL is streamed on MyCujoo, if the hosting team has the capabilities. We have the reigning two time World Cup Champion women’s team but our female youth have to go to extreme lengths to watch these same players play when not on the National Team. In the words, and tone of Taylor Twellman, “what are we doing?”. How are we allowing our women’s leagues to be this underserved when our men’s leagues to continue to develop? Now, I understand and am fully pleased with how the MLS, USL Championship, USL League Two, and others are developing but I want to see the parallels in the Women’s game.

I saw the passion and commitment leagues like the NWSL, WPSL, and UWS have to the women’s game. It is time for the United States Soccer to commit to these players and clubs like they have on the men’s side. The women’s game needs to grow and for it to be able to US Soccer has to commit its resources. Not only this, but teams in the NWSL need to have concrete sponsors to give their players appropriate facilities, not just for playing but for training and living. It is time now to pay equal, and to pay equal it needs to be equal. Across the board.

I had the opportunity this year to travel to a Washington Sprit, of the NWSL, match after coaching for a WPSL team earlier in the day. What I saw at the Maryland SoccerPlex, was a class organization wanting the best for their players and the youth in the area. I met with the owner, the head coach, and even got to meet their goalkeeper. All of these people were classy individuals seeking to advance the women’s game. This is just one team in the NWSL but all I have seen is positive things relating to the teams trying to build the women’s game. They cannot do it on their own though. We all need to help promote the women’s game here in the United States. Go to a NWSL game, support your local WPSL or UWS team, and give back to the sport that has developed a four time champion in the World Cup. It’s time!