How good do you need to be to go pro (womens)?

[Anonymous]

DD is in college, plays in the Ivy League. Wants to play pro for a few years for fun before going to grad school. We'll be supporting her so money isn't really the issue. She is open to living abroad since this is for fun. Leaving aside visas, how difficult is it (as in what is the level of play) in e.g. the Scottish women's league, Irish women's league, Swiss league, etc. How do they compare with NWSL teams? Not looking at Chelsea or Barcelona or that level.

[Anonymous]

You can find videos of those leagues on Youtube. I'd have her watch some games to see what she thinks of it.

[Anonymous]

If you were in the youth national team player pool at u17-u19 you probably have at least a shot at attending a tryout. That means you were invited to a camp or on the invitee list not necessarily on a youth national team.

If you are a graduating senior at a top 30 division 1 school and are a starter you may have a shot at trying out for a pro team.

If you played division 2 or division 3 college I'd say if you were a starter on a top 10 team or an all-american you may have a shot.


All of that just gets you good enough to be worth a look at a tryout.
The very top players will have options. If you are in that group, you already know it because you've been recruited to a top school already and you're already on the u19, u20 or u23 national team and you'll be picked up in the NWSL draft.

Otherwise you can certainly go to Europe and tryout for lower division women's teams along with a side job or play Pro-Am (highest level of women's soccer that is not NWSL). Many NWSL players don't make a living, they're paid 25-40k a year to play so they need side jobs.

[Anonymous]

Her current coach should be helping her by making introductions and giving her that kind of assessment about where she could realistically play.

[Anonymous]

Did she play for her state, regional or national team? I do t think ivy teams are good enough in and of themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is in college, plays in the Ivy League. Wants to play pro for a few years for fun before going to grad school. We'll be supporting her so money isn't really the issue. She is open to living abroad since this is for fun. Leaving aside visas, how difficult is it (as in what is the level of play) in e.g. the Scottish women's league, Irish women's league, Swiss league, etc. How do they compare with NWSL teams? Not looking at Chelsea or Barcelona or that level.

Highly recommend https://eliteleadershipgroup.org

Connections in Portugal and Denmark I believe.

[Anonymous]

Lots of female Ivy players head to Europe and play on lower level teams. Based on the players I know who have done it, anyone that wants to can (but may not earn enough to live).

[Anonymous]

OP here, thank you all for the responses. DD will get input from her coaches and alums but just wanted to get some other inputs from people here.

[Anonymous]

I know two women who played in Europe post-college. Both played in the Big10. Both were starters. One in Sweden and one in Switzerland. The pay was basically not enough to live. $1500 a month kind of thing.

[Anonymous]

I had a coworker who was a MLS pro soccer player in the US but she only made something like 20k a year so she had to have another job. In the US, at least, it can be brutal. The big stars make all their money in endorsements.

[Anonymous]

THanks! Along these same lines, does anyone know how NWSL recruits? We have a current HS aged player, will play D1 in college and has just started asking how the pro path works. She has a good support system in club but always good to hear other perspectives.

[Anonymous]

Apply for the nwsl draft. Actually anybody can apply to it there's like $100 fee but people who have no shot realistically don't bother because you won't get picked.

[Anonymous]

Washington Spirit has tryouts once in a while. Start by your trying at your local team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Apply for the nwsl draft. Actually anybody can apply to it there's like $100 fee but people who have no shot realistically don't bother because you won't get picked.

Too bad about the fee, I guess they learned from the NBA. http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-easy-is-it-to-declare-for-nba-draft.html?m=1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a coworker who was a MLS pro soccer player in the US but she only made something like 20k a year so she had to have another job. In the US, at least, it can be brutal. The big stars make all their money in endorsements.

A woman playing in MLS?