And now we wait...

By Cori Alexander

Players have been waiting since 2003 for the return of women's professional soccer in the United States. That reality seems so very close, April 2009 in fact. However, there will still be quite a bit of waiting to find out if players’ dreams are indeed going to become a reality.

There will be 7 teams, 3 allocated U.S. National Team players, as many as 5 drafted international players, with a roster totaling 18, which amounts to 126 players in all of WPS. The rosters will be unveiled over the course of the next few months in mid-September (U.S. WNT Allocation), late September (International Player Draft), October 6th (WPS General Draft) and January 14th (WPS Post-Combine Draft).

This past Saturday, players were fortunate enough to sit in on a meeting held by WPS general managers, coaches, and staff. We gained a lot of insight into the logistics of the new league as well as the hard work that has been put in by WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. There is an enormous thank you owed to her by all. She has worked diligently since the suspension of the WUSA to ensure that women's professional soccer returned to the United States with a sustainable and successful business model.

With that being said, I wholeheartedly believe the WPS mission statement of; being the premier women's soccer league in the world, and the global standard by which women's professional sports are measured, is definitely an attainable mission.

I walked away from this weekend’s W-League Combine with a handful of emotions. Clarity, in that we were given the timeline of how the next few months will progress as far as allocations, drafts, combines, etc. Respect and admiration, to compete against 131 other players this weekend, who laid it all out on the line and gave every last bit of themselves in 90-degree heat and ridiculous humidity, all for a dream. Pride, for where I have come from, the coaches and programs that I have played for and how that has shaped me into the player that I am today. Lastly, filled with absolute excitement and anticipation of what the next few months will tell...

From all the players, we would like to thank the W-League and Melanie Fitzgerald for putting on this weekend’s combine. We would also like to thank the WPS coaches, owners, and GMs for helping to put on and attend this event. This experience was priceless for many of us. Thanks again!

Cori Alexander starred collegiately at the University of Portland and now plays for the W-League’s Seattle Sounders. She is also a member of the U.S. U-23 Women's National Team.