Discovering Super League Carolina with Ashley | S1 Ep22
Bridget
0:13
Welcome to a special edition of the Queen's Pitch Podcast. My name is Bridget. And
Kara
0:17
my name is Kara. And today we have Ashley with the Super League Carolina and the Charlotte Independence with us here today. Welcome, Ashley.
Ashley
0:27
Hey, there. Thanks for having me on.
Bridget
0:29
Thank you for being here. We're so excited to talk to you
Kara
0:32
and learn more about this amazing team and opportunity that's coming to Charlotte. First, we understand that the new USL Super League is a first division of women's professional soccer to rival NWSL. While the new Uslw League is preprofessional. Can you frame that in what it looks like in Charlotte? Particularly for the pathway to professional soccer,
Ashley
0:52
the USL in general, as a league, the United Soccer League has a really great path to pro, where young soccer players can stay in their city from the time they're young up to the professional level, and they can play for the same club throughout their career. So on the men's side, they have USL Academy. Like, they have Academy teams for younger kids, and then they have USL League Two, which would be a step above that. And then they have the USL League One team, which is what the Charlotte Independents are in currently on the men's side. And then they have USL championship. The Charlotte Independents were in the USL Championship a couple of years ago and then dropped down to USL League One. And then on the women's side, the league has just kind of started building out that pathway to pro, but they have hundreds of young. Like, they're starting their USL Academy. 1s Last year, we were just part of the W League, which is pre professional women's soccer. And now, 1s as you know, they have launched the USL Super League, which will be that professional level of women's soccer. So you can kind of see how that flow goes from starting young and playing up to that professional
Kara
2:16
level. That's an amazing opportunity, especially for both genders in this area, to come up and then have those opportunities and pathway to get into the first team. Yeah,
Bridget
2:26
absolutely. We've seen it, and we've seen the young kids get behind it, too. They can see themselves when they come to our games. They can identify with, like, oh, this could be me one day. If I really want to stick to soccer and if this is what I want to do, I can go to the Charlotte Independence men's professional games, and I can see a forward like me or a defender like me playing on Adam Legion Memorial Stadium. This. 1s Amazing facility, and I can do it all right here in Charlotte, where I grew up. So we are definitely starting to see some of that resonate with our youth club and all that.
Kara
3:08
That sounds amazing.
Bridget
3:10
I love that stadium, by the way. It's beautiful. It is. The view of the skyline is just awesome, and it's really intimate. You feel like you're close to what's going on on the field. It's not like being at bank of America where you have the barriers. Obviously, you have boundaries, but you feel like you're a little bit more into the game because you can see that. You can pretty much see what everything's going on, and you feel like you're right there cheering them on from the sideline, like if you were a soccer mom or a fan on a Saturday.
Ashley
3:40
Yeah, absolutely. They did an amazing renovation with American Legion Memorial Stadium. We just started playing there in 2021, and we are so proud to call it home. It's an amazing soccer specific stadium, and really, once you're there, there's just not a bad seat in the stadium. Whether you're front row, whether you're a couple of roads up, whether you're up on the overlook watching with the skyline view in the back. Um, it's it's an amazing facility. One of the best I've ever. 2s Seen and been fortunate enough to work at. So we are very lucky and we love it there. So,
Kara
4:22
Ashley, I was wondering, I guess, what's the process looking like for you for the path to bringing this league to Charlotte?
Ashley
4:31
Yeah, absolutely. So we officially launched Super League Carolina May 16, whenever that was my date. I'm so confused on what day it is. It was a crazy week, but yes, we officially announced that we'll be bringing women's professional soccer to the Western Carolinas. We had a little event at American Legion Memorial Stadium over the weekend where we threw out some t shirts and just had some speakers just kind of talk about what to expect from the league and that we're going to be playing there at American Legion Memorial Stadium. So that was an exciting moment to start engaging and interacting with some fans. And the next steps for us are really kind of we're going to start engaging with communities from Rock Hill, South Carolina, Fort Mill, Tika Kay area all the way up to Lake Norman Mooresville Huntersville and try and just listen to the community and see what they want this team to be. We have a really unique opportunity. This will be the only professional women's team in the Western Carolinas, in Charlotte particularly. And we just want to hear from the community and see what they want it to be. We're building this brand from the ground up. 1s Everything from logos to color schemes to vision and values, everything is going to be built from scratch. And so it's important for us to hear from the community and take their opinions into consideration and build a club that 1s has purpose for them.
Bridget
6:19
That sounds really exciting. I like the fact that you're going to engage in the community
Ashley
6:23
yeah. Thank you. With
Kara
6:25
outside people, kind of like before the Charlotte FC. Came, we got to do that a little bit, but you all are doing it from the ground up, so it's kind of neat. I really like that. I like that aspect and 1s I think it'll make people be more involved in the game, a little bit more invested in it. So I think that's awesome. Especially like
Bridget
6:42
my daughter and Kara's daughter, they're going to feel like, hey, they'll have pride in it, so maybe one day they'll play for you all. So it's
Kara
6:49
great. Now, Ashley, but I was going to ask, did you play soccer and is this kind of one of your personal dreams sort of working on this project?
Ashley
7:00
Yeah. So my soccer story goes all the way back to as young as I can remember. Ever since I was little, I was on a soccer field. I traveled to tournaments and games all the time, and so it's always been part of my life and it's always been a sport that I really enjoyed. I have a twin sister and we both played soccer, so doing it together was just the funnest thing for us growing up. And I was fortunate enough to receive a scholarship and play at Queen's University of Charlotte here in the city. And I was a right back and played four years there and loved every minute of it. Queens was a great spot for me to grow as a player and also find my path 1s into sports and figure out what I wanted to do after soccer was was done. And so after school, I knew I wanted to stay in sports and wasn't sure what that was going to look like, but I knew I wanted to do something grassroots and local. So I started with a small sports marketing company called national Amateur Sports. 1s And they work with high schools and at their athletic programs to fund them through sponsorship. So I really learned a lot there and after that wanted to dig in a little bit into social media. So I went and worked for a social media agency as well and eventually was just kind of decided I wanted to get back into soccer and soccer specifically. And I had interned I'd actually interned with the Charlotte Independence when I was in college and so reached back out to 1s see what was available. Originally I was just supposed to volunteer. I was in between jobs and just wanted to help out wherever I can and get involved. And then on my first day, it turned out that a position had opened up and it was kind of just right place, right time, and I really haven't looked back ever since. It's been a really amazing opportunity to continue to be involved in soccer, just continue to grow the game. I really do see that Charlotte and beyond into the suburbs. People here really do embrace the game, and they really love it, and so I'm just proud to be a part of it.
Bridget
9:41
So I have a question. So is your sister jealous that you're in the soccer, or does she do it as well?
Ashley
9:46
She does not work in soccer. She actually works in golf. Okay. And she lives down at the beach in St. Simon's Island, Georgia.
Bridget
9:55
Okay. So she's not doing too bad. She's not doing too bad down there.
Ashley
9:59
She loves the beach life, and so we take advantage of that and go visit her every now and
Kara
10:04
then. That's awesome. So when you were looking for opportunities, I guess after school, was it your dream ever to, I guess, play after college and so bringing this to life here, you can help realize that dream for other women in this area? Yeah,
Ashley
10:19
absolutely. Honestly, when I was in school, in college, I really either wasn't aware of other opportunities to play beyond college or there just weren't as many opportunities as there are now. 1s And so playing after college wasn't really something that I thought was something that was in the cards for me just because I didn't know what that looked like outside of college. So being now involved in an organization that's going to provide more opportunities to work in soccer, to play soccer, to be involved even as fans, too, and just corralling a community around women's sports is really something special, and it's something that I think is definitely something I wish that I had when I was in school. But I'm super excited that I get to help build a program and that provides opportunities for young girls.
Bridget
11:25
I think it is great because my daughter, when I ask her what she wants to do when she grows up and she says she wants to coach a men's soccer team, like a men's professional soccer team, but I think it's because she doesn't see that there's that many women's soccer professional soccer teams out there. And so this is going to give her that platform to see. And you're providing another women's team, so that's going to give her and then all the people that age and that are a little older around her age, that platform that, hey, we don't have to go be in the men's soccer world. We have a women's soccer world, and we can be a part of that. We can build it and grow it. And I think that it's awesome that you're on the forefront of that because it just makes me excited. So I know it's going to make her and other kids and other little girls see like, hey, we can do it too.
Ashley
12:08
Yeah, for sure. And it's honestly something that I didn't even realize until we started about bringing this women's team to the Western Carolinas is you look at the sports space, specifically here in Charlotte, and you look around and 1s all the teams are men's teams, and there's not a space for women's sports here at the moment. And. 1s You know, the the men's teams are great, and we love like, I go I've been to checkers games, I've been to nights games. They're they're super fun, and it's a great environment. But I think bringing a woman's team is going to have be such a unique opportunity to bring something completely new to the market,
Bridget
12:53
and it'll bring all the dads out, because, you know, the daddy's girls, you know, they like to come out and support their little girls. So I think it's gonna be just bring a better variety to Charlotte, so we don't always have to go. Like you said, always go to the night's game or hornets or the Charlotte FC. We can go to the women's games. Let's go. Definitely.
Kara
13:07
Yeah, I agree. When I was little, I don't remember ever being taken to any women's sport in my knowledge, except I think I went to the 1996 olympics, so I got to watch gymnastics, and that was the first time I ever saw professional women. Of course, they were young teens doing a very dane, dangerous job and olympic medal winners after that year. But that was the only time I ever got to see professional women playing something. And so for us, opportunities really seemed, like, impossible or something. You had to I don't know. 2s Win the lottery. And so the more that we have more opportunities here in Charlotte and more visible, more reachable attainable opportunities for women, the more we see better equality. And I do think that you're absolutely right. There's no other women's sports here, and especially for professional. And we know we have North Carolina courage on the east side, which is great and wonderful and totally jealous that that didn't come here first because I didn't know about it for a number of years, being that the access to even watch women's sports is also hard. Yeah,
Ashley
14:14
absolutely. And that's one of the goals of the USL Super League, is to bring soccer closer to home across the United States. 1s In 2024, the Super League, they're planning to launch with ten to twelve teams, and NWSL, now currently with twelve teams, that opportunity automatically doubles with having the Super League involved, and by 2026, they plan to have 20 teams. And so USL has a proven track record with being able to grow and expand quickly and reach markets that aren't always the biggest cities in the states. They go into the grassroots communities and they bring soccer there. I think it's amazing what they're doing, and I think it's just only going to help continue to grow the game for the future. Now, I have a question. So in 2024, 1s I guess, what, do you already have it lined up as to how we can watch
Kara
15:22
this new team play?
Ashley
15:23
So not at the moment. So the streaming packages and all of that is still something that's being ironed out at a league level. So those discussions are still currently going on, and those announcements will come further down the line as we get closer to first kick. Will the season line up with, like, the men's soccer season or 1s what will the season be like as far as the month?
Bridget
15:54
Do we know that yet? Yes,
Ashley
15:56
we do. So it's really unique in that the Super League is aligning with the international soccer calendar and they'll be running on a fall to summer schedule to allow 3s it's unique in the way that it allows players to compete as much as they can both with their local clubs and also on the international scale as well. So it'll run from August to June 2s with a winter break and a summer break 1s because a lot of the international events are typically in the summers. And so that just gives players and fans and the competition in general just a better experience. When you're able to have the best players with your club year round, I
Bridget
16:52
think it's great because it'll give us something to do in the winter seasons because my kid doesn't usually play in the winter season. So now we have something to go do. We have a sport to go watch. We don't go watch the basketball as a lot or the Hurricanes as much, but now we'll get to go watch women's soccer.
Ashley
17:07
Yeah, it'll be super interesting. It's different, for sure. Working with the independents now for three seasons and them running on March to October schedule, there will be some overlap in the seasons, which I think is great, and just more soccer year round. And yeah, like you mentioned, stuff to do in the offseason now, right?
Bridget
17:32
It's tough when you have kids and you have everything else going on in the summer. So you're like running from soccer to soccer to soccer to soccer. So it'd be nice to when I get to slow down and my kids not playing soccer, to be able to go watch some soccer and enjoy it. So that's great. That'll give us something to do in this offseason. Now I'm with this unique timeline, and it being here in Charlotte in various places in the United States, I imagine that there'll be some extra consideration into the kits for the women, especially as far as temperature and things like that. Because to me, as women, we're definitely not I mean, I wouldn't think we're used to playing in extreme weather.
Kara
18:11
Sometimes we're a little more sensitive. And I know the NWSL, they've already combated this, but there's extra level of thoughtfulness that goes into offering something for women as opposed to men. And I just wondered, what are your thoughts on those?
Ashley
18:26
Yeah, absolutely. And this is really where, like we mentioned earlier, where the fans involvement is so crucial, 1s we can think about it all we want in the front office, we can talk about it all we want in the front office, but having a limited number of minds circling around the club is so limiting. 2s And we will get out into the community and hear those concerns from fans and take those and note those and figure out how we can build the best women's soccer club here in the Western Carolinas. And that comes down to every detail. So absolutely everything from uniforms to game day experience to training sessions, everything will be taken into consideration. And it's with a big help from the fans that will be able to
Bridget
19:24
do that. It's a more women friendly merchandise. I would love that. That's what's lacking, too, in a lot of the sports. You know what I'm saying? It's all made for men. It's like or one size fits all, but that's women. We like our own thing. And even the women's designs aren't made for us, I don't feel like. So I'm excited about that part, too.
Ashley
19:44
Yeah, for
Bridget
19:44
sure. It's a little things for me.
Ashley
19:46
Yeah. Taking notes, everything that is just so important, just hearing from other people, so. 2s Absolutely. And some things that we just don't think about all the time. So I love conversations like this where ideas get brought up and we get to go execute them. Yeah.
Kara
20:08
One of the things we've really noticed in our experience with Charlotte FC and Crown legacy, both of which are very new. And we know that independence has been around quite a long time, but we've also really liked how in this sport families are welcomed and celebrated a lot like this can be a family outing, whereas I feel like they are welcoming, as welcoming in other sports almost to families and women and children. And I feel like soccer is something that kind of brings a little bit of the whole family together in a different way. So some of the family events have been really mean. So that's something I think would be great to also see in these areas as well. Because at least for women, we do think a lot about our families, and especially with watching the NWSL women, we've seen a lot of them go on to be moms and come back, and now we keep breaking records. There's a lot of wonderful, talented players out there breaking records as moms, and we're like, man, these should have been broken before that, should have been friendly to that before too. But we think about that and we see that, and I'm sure you all do as well. Yeah,
Ashley
21:12
for sure. And part of our planning and our strategizing is figuring out how we can create the best game day experience for every type of fan, from families and parents with kids to the passionate die hard soccer fans. How can we create an environment at American Legion Memorial Stadium that brings everybody in, whether that's doing fun things on the concourse, whether do we want to do concerts, how do we get people in and make it more than just a soccer game? The soccer aspect is great, and that's what we ultimately come for and what we love to watch, but it can also be more than that. And that's how you get the community behind it is. 1s Let's make this a community event. Let's make it a day. You know, bring your family out, have a have a day of it. Make memories at the stadium like you'll make memories watching the soccer, too, but but real memories. Oh,
Bridget
22:13
I'm big about that. I love being just with my daughter. I'm a single mom. So just going out and being able to be there at the soccer game outside, you know, in Charlotte, you know, just having those memories you like you said, being able to watch soccer is great, but just being able to spend that one on one time outside with your family or your friends just to relax and enjoy life because there's so much stress out there in the world already. So to be able to sit back, watch a soccer game, not be stressed out about it, hopefully not too stressed, hopefully you are going to kick butt and win all the time so I don't have to be stressed out like I am a lot for the Charlotte Sea games, 1s but just that ambience the atmosphere. I think that's great. I think that's what you're trying to say. Anyway, that's what I like to do. I like to just go make memories of my kids. I know.
Kara
22:58
Bridget when you and I have been to like a Crown Legacy game and we've had our kids and they've met a player and gotten to talk to them or gotten a high five from one of them, oh, my gosh, their night is made 1s even. It can be small, it can be big. Just getting to do something special that just really cements in there and they're
Bridget
23:17
like, oh, my gosh, I can't believe I got to do this really
Kara
23:19
cool thing. 1s It's about those little moments. Even a picture with Sir Manti would make my kids excited.
Bridget
23:29
Just a mascot. You get you a good mascot out there. Have the kids around. They love a good mascot. What? I
Kara
23:34
love the horse races you guys had. There was the kids on the little blow up horses that were going. I loved those.
Ashley
23:41
Oh, yeah. Those have become a super crazy fan favorite. We started doing them last year and it's just been a hit. The kids, they get going. They get going, and then it's inevitable that one of them takes a little tumble and then one catches up and takes the lead and it's super fun. But we really do love to see the kids get involved. And like you said, having those key moments where the kids can take something away from it and say, I really had fun at the Charlotte Independence game tonight. I really had fun at the Super League Carolina game. I want to go back and do it again and meet more players and do more fun things. 1s So that's always our goal. It's crazy how impactful, even just a player giving a kid a high five, how much that makes their day. And we love to see it and we see it all the time with our stadium being so intimate and right up against the pitch. Our players are super good about going over to the fans after the game and interacting and giving signatures. 2s I think it's one of the fans favorite parts of the game, is just afterwards where they get to talk with them and take selfies. And that's something we definitely hope and will strive to replicate for the women's team as
Bridget
25:08
well. Yeah, my daughter loved that. The Independence Games we went to, we haven't went this year. No, we did go one time this year. We went. Sorry about that, I forgot. But I went one Saturday that she likes to go down there and get into high fives to the players after the game. She loves the fact that all of the players come by. It seems like at least every single one of them will at least come by, give them the high fives, take selfies with them. She loves that. That's one of her favorite aspects of it. It just makes them feel special. It makes them feel like they appreciate them. So I do love that, definitely. So when you say you're going to reach out to the community, how will we find out about that? How are we going to find out? When you do these community meetings in the different areas so that way we can make sure that everybody gets out there and gets their feedback out if they would like to.
Ashley
25:48
Yes. And so that is something we're currently working on. We're finalizing a schedule, so once we have that schedule finalized and we'll kind of put out a list of places we'll be, dates will be there and give you some information about bring your ideas is kind of what we'll be talking about. And so that schedule is still in the works, but we will be releasing it soon. Our goal is to. 2s Finalize our fan feedback outreach and finalize that by early July.
Bridget
26:25
Great. And where can we find you and keep up with everything that's going on? Where can our listeners find you on the inner I like to call it the interwebs on the Twitterverse and all that. Where can they find you so that they can keep up with what's going on? Yeah. So
Ashley
26:37
we're Super League Carolina on Instagram and Facebook and USLS underscore Carolina on Twitter. Okay, go follow everybody. Go follow it so you can keep up with it, so you can be a part of it. We want this to be a great adventure for Charlotte. We've been waiting on it, so let's make it happen and let's help you all out as much as we can. We so appreciate. Is
Kara
26:57
there anything else you'd like to share with us before we wrap
Ashley
26:59
up? We want this to be a club for the community. We want this club to have purpose, and for us to do that, 1s we need the fans and we need the community to come out and give us your ideas, give us your feedback, and we really want this club to be something special. We think it certainly deserves a space here in Charlotte and the Western Carolinas and beyond. And so we are excited to build this brand for the community and we just really can't wait to get started.
Kara
27:38
Well, we are really looking forward to it. I can't wait. Wish you every success as you continue to build this. And we're really excited about this coming to Charlotte in the area.
Ashley
27:49
Yeah. Thank you so much for taking the time and we look forward to seeing you guys out at games, in the community, at our listening sessions coming up here soon. So 1s it's been great to talk with you guys and looking forward to the future. Thank
Bridget
28:04
you so much. We've had fun. I've had fun. Anyway, I'm excited. You've got me excited. Is it 2024 yet? Well, wait, I don't want to rush time, but you know what
Kara
28:11
I mean. I know we want some hardware in some other areas of soccer this year, too, and I'm sure the independence does as well,
Bridget
28:18
right? 1s We're ready for the women, too,
Kara
28:22
but thank you so much for joining us. Ashley, we were really glad to have you on and it was really great to meet you and hear all about this amazing team and opportunity.
Ashley
28:32
Thank you guys so much.
Kara
28:34
To learn more about Super League Carolina, you can go to superleaguecarolina.com. And recently, Steph Yang of the Athletic put out a fantastic article explaining the new USL Super League, where the markets are and all of the smaller details if you're interested. So thank you for listening. We'll be back with you on Monday.