So let’s bring this all back around to the subject at hand. Supporters groups! So far, I’ve found three. Are there any more? Time to let yourself be known! Here’s my list:

* Local 134 – Chicago Red Stars. Our very own Tom (yes indeed, we now have an Offsides Red Stars blog) is a member.
* Riptide – Boston Breakers. I just KNOW one of you Riptide-ers would love to write a Boston Breakers Offside blog… eventually.
* Freedom Fighters – Washington Freedom. Doesn’t look like they have a website yet but I think this organization just formed recently.

Is that it? Alright other teams. You’ve still got a few more months to develop the interest and encourage the fans to help bring the atmosphere to the games. So let’s make this happen.

The WPSL combine is underway this weekend with the W-League combine starting next week. The folks over at the WPS Fanzone have Brooke O’Hanley and Katie Loomis blogging about their experiences. And if you click over there and read what they’ve written so far, I think the first thing you’ll note is the insane amount of dedication these women have for the game, that until recently, was pretty much only available to them on the amateur level. O’Hanley’s blog especially hits a nerve because she played for the Carolina Courage and writes about her time after the WUSA fell apart:

And you ask, “What did she do during this time to improve her game?” To give you just an idea, my training and dedication included the following over the past several years:

• Initially selected a job as an environmental consultant with URS Corporation in Santa Barbara, California, that allowed me the flexibility to train in the mornings and afternoons.
• Miraculously convinced the UC Santa Barbara Men’s Soccer Team Coaches, Tim Vom Steeg and Leo Chappel, to allow me to train with their team. I trained with the team getting up in the mornings for 6:00 AM runs and playing with them in the afternoons. This experience helped me to improve my speed of play and become more physical.
• Trained with two Men’s Mexican teams in Santa Barbara – Durango and Cruz Azul. This experience helped me to improve the creative aspects of my game.
• Trained with the Santa Barbara Men’s Community College Team. This experience helped me to work on my individual foot skills.
• Played the last four summers for Brian Boswell on the WPSL Ajax America team (2008 WPSL Champions!) in Los Angeles – traveling 4+ hours roundtrip for home games. This experience helped me to remember that soccer is a game to be enjoyed and loved.
• Trained with a private trainer, Dr. Marcus Elliot, in an effort to improve my strength, speed, and agility. Who knew that I could increase my vertical jump by several inches, shave-off seconds in my sprints, and lift more than my body weight?
• Moved in 2007 to New York to attend law school. Despite the academic load, I played for the New York Athletic Club under Coach Etsu Taniguchi and trained with the Columbia Women’s Soccer team under Coach Kevin McCarthy. These experiences helped me to understand the importance of being attack-oriented and the importance of winning.

Good God. Reading all that makes me feel extremely lazy and unmotivated. So O’Hanley titles her blog post, “Am I ready?” Um – does she even need to be asking that question?

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Stupid Filter results: “Text is not likely to be stupid.”

(I’m trying to install their beta software right now so I can start posting the results that rate the likeliness & non-likeliness the text is stupid. Getting compile errors at the moment.)

The league is also getting ready to finalize its eigth market. It seems we could be looking at a new team in the Bay Area or in Denver (or maybe both?). Either way, WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci had lunch with potential Bay Area investors last week and representatives will be at the Women’s Soccer Celebration at The Dick May 15th.

In other news, the WPS section at Bigsoccer is picking up. The coolest part I think is a discussion whether to form team supporters groups. Specifically, the thread revolves around just the Boston team but wouldn’t it bee cool if hardcore groups popped up for every club?