What lies ahead for the U.S. women’s team, on and off the field, as it attempts to defend its world championship in Sweden and prepares for the 1996 Olympic Games? Soccer America interviewed several of the individuals involved for their observations.
Hank Steinbrecher
U.S. Soccer “In general terms of sports marketing, women’s sports is still a hard sell, and soccer is a hard sell. Probably women’s tennis is doing the best right now, and they’ve fallen on hard times lately. The LPGA has done a fairly good job as well. “We’re very close to signing a number of [sponsorship] contracts. All of them expressed some interest in the women’s team. McDonald’s has shown interest. And I think it’s fair to say a few years ago that wouldn’t have happened.
“In 1991, I tried to sell sponsorships for the women’s team. Zero. I got what was virtually a gift from Gatorade.
“There’s absolutely no line items in our budget that indicate a revenue flow from the Soccer Foundation. The monies from the World Cup are handed over to the foundation, not the federation. There is no commingling of funds. If the federation wants to get any funding for programs, we have to get in line with everybody else.”
Richard Groff
Former USSF treasurer
“The strength of the women’s national team is incredible. There’s no question in my mind that because we have 40 percent of our participants being young women and girls, they will support this team at the highest level.
“Promoting soccer games is not putting an ad in the paper and announcing the game two weeks before the date and saying, “Okay, we’re going to have 10,000 people show up.” Promoting any kind of soccer game requires long-term planning, a certain degree of risk, and the willingness to work as hard as you can.
“U.S. Soccer sells only one [sponsorship] package. They would be better off to sell just packages for the women’s team. It would be great for the team to know four or five corporations specifically want to sponsor the women’s team.
“We must bring the women’s world championship here in 1999. We have no option. I see that commitment from the federation, and I like that. And I believe when they bring that here in 1999, it will be a very profitable, successful event.”
Bob Palmero
USYSA Region I
“What I would like to see is the federation do is go forward and have U.S. Women’s Cup ’96, the same status we have for the men.
“To take the federation a little bit off the hook, the World Cup was the focus. I can understand that. I don’t think they had the manpower to do all of it, so we picked it up to do the Chiquita Cup.
“What I think is, the federation’s resources are stretched to the limit. We’re doing an awful lot; I sit on that board [of directors] as well. It’s incumbent upon the affiliates of the federation as well as the federation [itself] to promote the sport.
“With these players, they’re getting the recognition they deserve, as athletes. Certainly not what a women’s tennis player receives, or a track star, but they’re showing that there’s something out there for [younger players].
Tony DiCicco
Head coach
“This isn’t a universally popular decision, spending a lot of money on the women’s program. But it’s the right thing to do. U.S. Soccer has been outstanding. They’ve done it, and they’ve committed the dollars to us.
“Now, instead of what the team had to do in ’91, when they were trying to juggle jobs and training and camps, they don’t have to worry about that. They’re being compensated so they can zero in on their training.”
Joe Elsmore
Nike
“We plan on marketing the games through local radio and retailers. There wasn’t much done for the Denmark game in Orlando. There wasn’t even an ad in the local papers.
“The problem is, no one wants to show their hand before the [Women’s] World Cup, and no one wants to come over here and get their — kicked by the U.S.
“Soccer’s not like baseball, where a 162-game schedule is all laid out. We need the team’s schedule, to get our machine rolling. It’ll be a constant struggle back and forth to have enough lead time to do things the right way.
“The women’s team is just as important as the men’s, in our eyes. That’s why they have their own uniforms, different style, different cut.”
Mark Brickley
SportsLink
“There couldn’t have been a better group to work with, in terms of both cooperation from them and the spirit of the clinic participants. They were absolutely terrific, head and shoulders above any other group. From that standpoint, they are an unbelievably marketable team.
“The problem is: Who do they play? That’s the biggest pitfall. How many times can you play Germany, China, Sweden, whomever? That becomes the issue to market them in the U.S.
“First [the Women’s World Cup], and then the Olympics, will elevate women’s soccer, if not to the level of women’s Olympic basketball, perhaps equivalent to Olympic women’s volleyball. I fully expect it to get significant television time, but maybe not. Here’s a team that is the best in the world or among the top three, with a legitimate shot at a gold medal.”
Tisha Venturini
U.S. women’s team
“It’s easier for us to focus in this situation. We drive here, train for an hour and a half, come home and relax at a nice, new place, and then go out again and practice. When we need to be playing soccer, we’re going to concentrate on that.
“It’s good for our team; we’re all in the same mindset, and we’re all doing the same thing each day.”
Mia Hamm
U.S. women’s team
“With the financial support, we’re able to come down here and train full-time, and not have to wonder if we’re going to eat tonight or if I’m going to be late for work. Our work right now is our training.
“Having this training camp will definitely help our preparation, and we can only hope that with this preparation, the results will be the same as in China.”