Women’s United Premier Soccer League Scheduled for 2017
The UPSL had opened up a pathway for women to compete at the next level as the league launches its own women’s league for the 2017 season. The announcement comes as the UPSL makes strides for the upcoming year with promotion/relegation makings its way onto the scene.
Soccer News: The United Premier Soccer League has kicked off its new women’s side — with the launch of the Women’s United Premier Soccer League (WUPSL).
Responding to requests from current teams and operating under the UPSL, the WUPSL is set to debut this spring with a soft launch in selected markets and a hard launch in Fall 2017.
Don Harmon, a Boulder, Colorado native, will take on the role as Director of the WUPSL. The owner of Harmon Sports Group and FC Boulder’s Adult Teams Director, Harmon concurrently serves as the UPSL’s Colorado Conference Manager.
“We’re showing that here in Colorado and the UPSL, that we’re the proving ground and the next generation of soccer stars,” said Women’s Premier Soccer League Director Don Harmon.
“Being involved with the UPSL has created an immense opportunity for the women’s game, not only here in Colorado, but nationwide. The UPSL’s innovative Promotion/Relegation Model is an amazing structure for the women’s game as well as the men’s, and we are confident the women’s soccer community is going to engage with our teams and league,” said Harmon. “I look forward to the challenge of building and growing the WUPSL into a top national league and take the challenge head on.”
UPSL Commissioner Yan Skwara said, “The launch of the WUPSL is the next logical step in fulfilling our purpose as an American Pro Development soccer league — we’re providing a professionally-operated platform for both men’s and women’s Pro Development teams.”
“Don Harmon will do a fantastic job at building the league and will have the full support of the UPSL management team and business infrastructure,” said Skwara.
“Certainly, a big catalyst in launching the WUPSL is that a good percentage of our existing men’s teams own or currently operate a women’s Pro Development team, and we have been getting good feedback that women’s teams are ready to go. This gives us a nice base of teams to set up our respective conferences and divisions. Granted, this is not an overnight process but it’s what we have done on the men’s side and today the UPSL is hitting sixty teams nationally and growing,” added Skwara.
The WUPSL will have a soft launch in selected markets in Colorado and Southern California this spring, with exhibitions, friendlies and the league officially launching in Fall 2017.
The UPSL and WUPSL is focused on what Skwara believes is the league’s membership and their needs — keeping travel local and keeping league costs at a minimum so teams can operate at break-even or with a profit margin.
“At the end of the day, that’s what keeps all our clubs in business, and keeps us Connecting American Soccer,” said Skwara.
As with the UPSL, WUPSL clubs will play a regular season with conference matches and a playoff format to crown a champion. As the league grows, conferences of a yet-to-be-determined size will split into two divisions and implement UPSL’s Promotion/Relegation Model.
“As stewards of the game, we recognize that this is an immense responsibility, and it’s one that we take with extreme seriousness. We’re looking forward to the many collaborations which will inform the growth of this important addition to the landscape,” said Skwara.
Photo Credit: United Premier Soccer League
