INDIANAPOLIS — The Circle City is investing in women's soccer. In May of last year, the Indy Eleven announcedthey'd be one of the locations for the new USL Super League.
"When you invest in women I think they’re going to show out," said Samantha Dewey, a member of the Indy Eleven USL W League team.
Dewey is from Indianapolis, she played college soccer at Xavier, professionally overseas and now is back home where she helped her team win its first USL League Championship last summer.
"Being able to bring a championship back to where I grew up is awesome. It encapsulated what our season was about," said Dewey.
With the teams success came more interest, which Dewey says she noticed. Women's soccer is one of the fastest growing games in the country, and more opportunities are popping up for young players.
Emma Johnson is one of those players.
"It was really cool to get to do that and meet new people," said Johnson.
Johnson is 15 years old and is part of the Academy and W League team. The USL has a created a youth-to-pro pathway for players for players starting with Academy teams and the preprofessional W League.
"The older people have helped me get to where I am and provide experience for me as well," said Johnson.
"EJ is really lucky and I think a lot of the academy girls that get to train with the W league team, those kids have a unique and really great opportunity," said Dewey.
Now that pathway is expanding with the Super League. In February, it was announced the league received division one approval, meaning it will compete at the highest level for women professional soccer players.
"Being able to grow and allow more and more kids to have an opportunity to play at the professional level and be payed for it just goes to show you how much the games growing and the interest level," said Dewey.
The Inaugural season is on track to start this August with eight teams across the country. Brooklyn was recently added.
Indianapolis will join after the completion of Eleven Park. Indy Eleven say that will now be finished in 2026, after originally scheduled for summer of 2025.
Eleven Park will be home to Super League team and USL Championship men's team.
"To see how my city is investing not only in the team and stuff like that but you feel it on a personal level especially when you've grown up here. I feel like the city and team is almost investing in me," said Dewey.
Indy Eleven hasn't started the process of forming a team yet, but the USL Super League will not hold a draft. Clubs control the recruitment of players, holding combines, etc.
On the Super League website there is a place for prospective players to reach out to individual clubs: https://www.uslsuperleague.com/club-sporting-contacts/ [uslsuperleague.com]
Currently, the eight teams kicking off in 2024 are hiring coaches.
