I still vividly remember the day back in 2003 when my college coach called and told me WUSA had folded. He knew that all during my playing days at Santa Clara I had dreamed about playing in WUSA.

After that disappointment, you can only imagine how excited I became as talk of a revival and the formation of WPS progressed. Being personally involved in the launch, promotion, and start-up is something I will never forget. Having PUMA be the primary sponsor was huge for me because I have been a PUMA athlete since 2005.

Then to top it all off I was allocated to FC Gold Pride and our home field was Santa Clara University’s Buck Shaw Stadium where I played for four years during college. The first game at Buck Shaw was special. We beat the Boston Breakers, I was captain and my jersey was auctioned off.

Even though Gold Pride got off to that great start, a combination of injuries and bad breaks contributed to a losing season.  It was my first losing season ever and as a captain you feel a certain responsibility.  Towards the end of the season we made some obvious progress and were probably just about equal to any of the teams in the league.

The Nesmiths were tremendous owners and were exceptional to the players. Albertin Montoya is a true “soccer nut” and very passionate about the game. There can be little doubt that this combination will soon result in a competitive and winning soccer team.

To be involved in the launch, play with and against the greatest players in the world, and hopefully inspire and motivate younger female players resulted in an extremely rewarding experience. I am eagerly looking forward to next year.

Take care and I hope to see all you WPS fans at the FC Gold Pride games next season!

Leslie