The landscape of women’s sports has evolved dramatically in recent years, and the Fort Lauderdale United FC is at the forefront of this transformation.
Fort Lauderdale United FC is part of the USL Super League, a professional women’s soccer league.
“The league came about based upon the need for additional opportunities in women’s sports, especially soccer,” said Tommy Smith, co-founder and chairman of Fort Lauderdale United FC.
Established in partnership with NSU, the team is a direct response to the growing demand for more opportunities in women’s athletics. The staff is united by a common goal: to foster the growth of women’s sports.
“I’m super passionate about coaching within this league, because it’s just giving so many more opportunities to young girls that rightfully deserve it,” said Ali Rogers, associate head coach.
Rogers brings six years of coaching experience at the NCAA Division 1 level with an extensive playing background. She has a successful record of leading teams to championships and developing top-tier talent, both in the club space at Dartmouth and at Florida Gulf Coast University. Rogers’ coaching journey led her to Fort Lauderdale United, where her passion for developing female athletes aligns with the team’s goals.
“My passion’s always just been coaching females,” Rogers said. “Fort Lauderdale United reached out to me to see if I was interested and it was a no-brainer at the end of the day since our visions just aligned.”
Fort Lauderdale United FC’s commitment to fostering the next generation of women’s soccer is a key component of their vision. With a strong emphasis on youth development, Smith believes that the recent growth in women’s sports is a direct result of investing in young athletes.
“There’s been a big investment in women’s sports,” Smith said. “I think it’s been a long time coming and I think youth sports has a big thing to do with that whether it’s youth soccer or youth volleyball on the women’s side.”
Smith also recognizes the importance of equality in women’s sports and strives to provide Fort Lauderdale United FC athletes with the highest level of support and resources.
“[Women face challenges of] equal pay and just really mainly being treated at the highest standards,” said Smith. “I think that’s one thing that we pride ourselves on as Fort Lauderdale United is giving the proper player experience.”
Echoing Smith’s ideals, Rogers emphasizes the significance of player experience and instilling a culture within the girls that is more important than winning a game.
“We all want to win and obviously we plan on putting a really good product on the field, but it’s far much more than that,” Rogers said. “We make sure to do a lot of workshops within our culture, making sure that the girls are spending time together. We’re instilling character traits within these girls and when talking to our girls and talking to our owners, it all aligns within their mission.”
John Sung, NSU’s interim athletic director, believes that Fort Lauderdale United FC is a mutually beneficial partnership.
“That’s going to mean better game day operation for our student athletes and then for the fans, they’re going to be able to come and see soccer games and hopefully other events,” Sung said.
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