May 12, 2008 6:54 PM

Five questions (more or less) with Amy Snider

The Fort Collins Force of the W-League will be taking on the Washington Freedom at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

Thursday's game is being played as part of a doubleheader (the Rapids host Real Salt Lake at 7:30 p.m.), and it's a big chance for the Force to attract the attention of Rapids fans.

The Force plays its home games at the Loveland Sports Park. Take I-25 North to U.S. 34 and head west for about a mile. Turn left on Boyd Lake Road, and travel south about half a mile. The complex, which has lights and a scoreboard, is on the left.

The team opens its home schedule at 7 p.m. May 30 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and kids 5-18 and free for children 4 and under.

So to give local soccer fans the lowdown on the Force, FC Rocky caught up with owner Amy Snider (and when I say "caught up with," I mean it; matching my schedule and hers was a nearly impossible task). But we made it happen.

Let's start with a particularly blunt question from me ...

FC ROCKY: For a Force player, what's the goal? Why play for the Force?

SNIDER: The Force players play in the W-League to develop into better players. Some are developing for their college teams, and our post-college players are just keeping the game in their life after college: A few go on to play oversees, and next year some will go on to play professionally.

We attract players to the Force that are really committed to being athletes who also serve the community. We give great training and devlopment opportunities, and in return our players are devoted to enriching younger players.

Also, the Force is headed into its 12th season, so we have been very successful in establishing a great organization to play for. We're always looking to give more opportunities and promote the game at a higher level, thus the Women's Soccer Celebration (details here and here). We plan ahead and have a vision for grander things. We're also very realistic in the business sense. We're careful not to move too fast if we feel it may jeopardize our long-term stability as a franchise.

FC ROCKY: What about you? What's the point of all this? Is it a money-making proposition? Are you making money?

SNIDER: Money. No that would not be why I've devoted my career to promoting women's soccer. I do it for the impact it has on our society. Women athletes are so important to our community. We need to project the image of the female athlete as much as possible to both young girls and boys. As a mother and an athlete it feels really good when I overhear my 4 1/2-year-old son say to his friends, "You should see how high MY mom can kick the ball!" It's the little things, but they make a big difference in how our youth will grow and dream.

Do we make money? Well, proud to say we did make a little money in 2007, first time in 12 years. But things take time. We have been breaking even for the past five years. I am very devoted to creating women's soccer opportunities that are financially viable. I belive this is essential to longevity. It may have taken us a long time to get to where we are, but we're here. And we have over 12,000 fans and participants that we touched in 2007. The model for a women's sports team is not just entertainment (as it is for most men's franchises). There has to be a heavy component of revenue that is derived from participation. This could be in the form of camps, clinics, leagues, etc. This has been the key to our financial success and, thus, our stability as a women's soccer franchise.

Having said that, the Force has not been able to really be all that we want to be for our athletes. Our season is very short, and we really have to rely on college players. This is a nice combination. But for women who really want to be soccer players, the playing season is just very short. I am very excited about the launch of the new professional league (Women's Professional Soccer) in 2009. Women's soccer needs a top tier, and the athletes must have a place to aspire to. This will keep more players in the game.

FC ROCKY: How do you find the players? How do they find you?

SNIDER: Our coaching staff does all the recruiting. They usually build off a core group and then recruit via college coaches and networking with the players. Players find us via the Web site and word of mouth through other players. We have many many more players who contact us than what our roster can accomodate.

FC ROCKY: Tell me an interesting story about a player on the roster.

SNIDER: Interesting story ... maybe Katie Eriksson. She just moved to Greeley with her husband this past fall, played for Atlanta Silverbacks in 2007 and was one of the final cuts for the American Gladiators (this past spring). Very impressive quads. And, she was the youngest player to ever play in the W-League at age 13. She played for the Rockford Illinois 'Dactlys back in 1998, way back when I was still playing. So I played against her when she was 13, and now, about a decade later, she's playing for our Force team.

Also, Marci Miller Jobson, who is guest-playing with the Force for the Women's Soccer Celebration, used to play for the Chicago Cobras, who the Force played for many years (in 1998-2002) and then played (in the) WUSA for the Atlanta Beat then back to W-League for the Atlanta Silverbacks and just played in the 2007 World Cup! We're so excited to have her join us for preseason and get the players ready for the Freedom match.

FC ROCKY: What has this partnership with the Rapids done for your team?

SNIDER: The Rapids are really extraordinary. They have done anything and everything to partner with the Force and support the women's game. From top to bottom staffing, they are really a genuine group of soccer promoters, supporters and collaborators. I feel very fortunate to have such a progressive MLS franchise in our Colorado market.

Posted by George Tanner at 6:54 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack