FC Dallas WPSL jersey sponsorship

If you know me, you know that it was my love of the USWNT that let me to start coming out to support FC Dallas.

You may or may not know that FC Dallas fielded a team in the WPSL this season for the first time. So of course, I was all over going out to support the team when they played their home games on Dr. Pink.

WPSL team website: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

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WPSL is a high level amateur league that basically serves as a summer league for many players from the ranks of college teams around the country.

Coach Darrin put together a talented roster of former and current players from regional college teams. Anyone else that made it out to the games with me will attest to the entertaining soccer the team played.

They finished the season placed second in the Big Sky South division. Unfortunately, they didn't advance to the playoffs but many of the players want to come back and take things up a notch next season.

The jerseys they wore were hand me down jerseys from several of the FC Dallas youth teams. I made it my mission to make sure this team got their own jerseys, with their names on the backs. It's a small detail but as a fan of women's soccer it's a huge deal to me personally.

I continued to pester Kevin about how much it would cost to sponsor jerseys for the team. Once he figured out I was serious about it, he came back to me with a number of $2000 for 3 seasons. I responded by asking who needed my credit card information. I've committed to all $2000 myself.

After that commitment, I got to spend my birthday pressing names on the backs of the existing set of jerseys for this years team.

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The memory of being in the locker room as the team walked in to see them hanging up in the lockers is one that still brings tears to my eyes (I'm literally crying as I type this because of those memories).

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Before the game that day they posed for this pic:

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Coach Darrin and several of the players even came out to one of our tailgates a few days later. They've all got Inferno keychain/bottle openers now.

But then a thought occurred to me, what if The Inferno word mark were on these jerseys. So I hatched this idea:

If Inferno members will make donations for half of the sponsorship amount, I'll make sure that happens. I'd mentioned it to a few people before the AGM and collected a bit of money. Then at the AGM I brought it up for those in attendance at the end of the meeting. I walked out of the AGM with a total of $265 collected, a firm commitment for another $200 and people wanting to give some but not having the funds just then.

Found out the last couple days that the new kits will be coming in February and that's when the money will need to be kerplunked down.

If anyone else would like to chip in on this, get a hold of me here via PM, via email dmcrane74 @ gmail.com (remove the spaces of course), or on facebook.

I think this would be a fantastic way for The Inferno to show that it supports FC Dallas completely. And how cool would it be to go to a game and see our word mark on jerseys out on the field? Also wants to try to get The Inferno to lead the team out to the field from the locker room for a game or two next season.

I think this is a wonderful thing you've done Dana. I hope Inferno members will join in with Dana, me, and some of the others in donating so we can sponsor our local team.

Thanks. This sport we all love is wonderful in all it's forms.

While we may not have a WPS team to call our own, I'm happy to support the team we do have! It's all about the passion for and of the game.

Thank you for your generous donation, Brenda! I was expecting donations of like $10 - $20 per person. So that's why I stammered a bit when you made your commitment and gave me the check.

I've socked the money away in my savings account for Feb when the jerseys come in.

I encourage everyone to support this team. Not just by contributing to Dana's fund but by buying season tickets (Only $30 last year) and coming to the games. They had large enough crowds last year to end up in the black for the season. Lets keep it that way! I'll be there.

Things are getting closer to the next WPSL season!

Just wanted to put this in people's memory banks. I'll be making payment for the jerseys today.

Still a chance to get donations in to hit the $1000. I'm just a little over $325 way from getting the total. I still have a few people that said they'd be donating so if you have already donated, hold off on handing me more money. Unless, you really want to give me money.

Update:

I'm now down to $220 needed for the matching $1000 from Inferno members (once Thomas gets me the funds he had me put him down for).

Also got word from Chris Ring (Director of Coaching for FCD Youth), whom I've been working with on this.

Due to WPSL regulations sponsors and names are not allowed on the jerseys.

So instead they've put our logo up as a sponsor on the team page of the WPSL site:

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They'll also be printing out a banner to hang up at all home matches behind the player benches.

They're going to have the training/game warm-up shirts printed with our logos on them.

We also get mentioned over the PA as a team sponsor at games (whenever Tom does the sponsor shoutouts).

"Due to WPSL regulations sponsors and names are not allowed on the jerseys. "

that seems very odd! any idea why?

as the dad of two FCD loving daughters, we will donate - might not be much, but every little counts, right?

Jersey names sort of makes sense due to the players not getting paid, day of game rosters are always subject to player availability.

I'm guessing the sponsorship thing is a set rule across the board for the non-Elite level teams.

Any yes, every little bit helps.

I committed to me doing all $2000 up front but came up with the $1000 from other Inferno members to have the Inferno listed as the sponsor. Since most of that was donated, I went ahead with the plan.

Find me at the tailgate to pass off money or message me privately to make other arrangements (paypal or mailing me a check).