Optimism from the WPS Owners Meetings

During these days of economic crisis when every television, newspaper and Twitter report is of certain doom and gloom*, it was refreshing to participate in two days of WPS owners meetings this week that included a number of positive indicators for the League's launch and future.

Individual teams and the League both had good reports on ticket sales, sponsor direction and expansion. While some teams are further ahead than others on ticket sales, the League overall is averaging around 1,000 season tickets per team with more than a month to launch and the teams that started the slowest are making the greatest gains recently.

i'm encouraged by the willingness and ability of teams that started slowly to react quickly and address their business needs. i think that's an indicator of the level of engagement the ownership in WPS has, which is greater than the WUSA's ownership.

While sponsorship sales are down throughout the sports industry, WPS is making good progress with a dozen or so companies whose customers fit our targeted audience. Several teams are also in serious discussions for jersey front presenting sponsorships. While some of these talks will close and some will not, it is apparent that the League's message and audience is resonating with corporate America even during these difficult times.

And finally, the positive talk on the expansion front continues to strengthen our belief as owners that we are on the right business path. The League has taken a focused approach to expansion that is resulting in identification of quality leadership that will grow WPS and assure the League's long term sustainability.

*That doom and gloom article was written in 2005 as a spoof...kinda eerie how accurate the "spoof" turned out to be.

The Week That Will Be

A hellacious schedule this week:

Sunday - FC Indiana at Chicago Gaels, 4:00 pm at Nazareth Academy, 1209 W. Ogden LaGrange Park.

Monday - Chicago WPS moves into new administrative offices at Toyota Park

Tuesday - Chicago WPS team name, logo and colors unveiled

Wednesday - Chicago WPS season tickets go sale

Thursday - WPS Board of Governors arrive in Chicago

Friday - WPS BOG Meetings and BOG and WPS staff attend Dave Matthews Band Concert at Toyota Park

Saturday - WPS BOG Meetings and BOG and WPS staff attend Chicago Fire vs. DC United match at Toyota Park

Hang on. It's going to be a busy week!

Countdown 366 Days...

Tomorrow is the negative one year anniversary of Women's Professional Soccer's (WPS) inaugural season*.

There is so much left to do and it seems like there's not much time. Compared to the lead up of the Chicago Fire's inaugural season, however, we are well ahead of schedule.

I started as Chicago MLS' first employee July 1, 1997, which was about nine months before the team's first game. I started as Chicago WPS' first employee September 1, 2007, which was about 19 months before the team's first game.

Chicago MLS became the Chicago Fire, hired Bob Bradley as Head Coach, started staffing up and selling season tickets in October, 1997 and Piotr Nowak was signed as the team's first star player in December, 1997. Chicago WPS will certainly beat the Fire's timeline on team name, staffing, start of ticket sales, head coach and star player signing. i feel good right now that the quality of the Chicago WPS selections will stack up pretty well to the quality achieved a decade ago. If that bears out, we'll all have something special to look forward to beginning one year from tomorrow!


*exact date may vary