USL Super League Tampa Bay coach on USF, Women’s World Cup, soccer’s growth
TAMPA — USF women’s soccer coach Denise Schilte-Brown always felt her next step would be coaching professionally.
She had entertained job offers in the National Women’s Soccer League but wanted to wait until she felt the timing was right. The establishment of the USL Super League for women’s teams and a team being set in the Tampa Bay area was more exciting than she could have hoped for.
“It’s an incredible opportunity,” Schilte-Brown, 49, said Wednesday at a Women’s World Cup watch party at Riveters in West Tampa. “I love the city of Tampa Bay. I love the community. For them to be starting a USL pro team here in Tampa where I live, that’s amazing.”
Schilte-Brown will coach Tampa Bay’s team in the USL Super League, which is set to begin play in August 2024, following her 17th and final season at USF this year.
Schilte-Brown talked about a range of topics, from USF to the U.S. team in the Women’s World Cup.
How soccer has changed in Tampa Bay
Schilte-Brown began her coaching career in the bay area, serving as an assistant at Eckerd College in 1997 and the University of Tampa in 1998. Things have changed considerably since then, she said.
“Before, there was this big gap,” said Schilte-Brown, whose first season at USF was 2007. “There (were) a few players at the top, and they all went to (North Carolina) and played on the national team. But now, if you look at college soccer, you don’t know who’s going to win the NCAA tournament. There’s so many teams that can vie for it.”
North Carolina won 21 NCAA championships from 1982-2012 (it lost the 1998 title game to Florida). Over the past 10 years, six schools have won the national title, including Florida State three times.
Schilte-Brown said talent has evolved at the youth level, too. Players in the Elite Clubs National League, a youth developmental league that features some of the nation’s top high school players, compete like older, more experienced players, she said.
What’s unique about USF’s approach to women’s sports
The Bulls’ women’s programs are among USF’s most successful teams. Schilte-Brown’s teams have made regular appearances in the NCAA tournament. Women’s basketball has been a perennial postseason tournament contender under coach Jose Fernandez. Track and field athletes frequently qualify for the NCAA championships.
Schilte-Brown said USF pays close attention to Title IX requirements and supports mentorship for women in sports. She cited the fundraising initiative Stampede for Women, which raises money for women’s sports, as an example of the university’s dedication to female athletes.
USF’s culture of supporting women’s athletics comes from the top down, Schilte-Brown said.
“It’s a women’s university,” she said. “They care about us. They have put emphasis on success there. Win or lose, I feel like my boss (athletic director Michael Kelly) has been there to support me.”
How coaching, playing opportunities have changed for women
The U.S. women’s 1999 World Cup title, fueled by star players including Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain, put women’s soccer on the map in the United States. But it didn’t lead to immediate professional opportunities for women.
A variety of pro leagues sprung up in the early 2000s, but none stuck until the National Women’s Soccer League was founded in 2012.
Schilte-Brown played professionally in Germany and in the W-League in the United States in the late 1990s.
“Growing up, if I decided to play professional soccer and I put everything into it — I mean, if I sacrificed everything — my efforts were not going to be honored with access,” she said. “Now, they are.”
The addition of the USL Super League team in the bay area will greatly improve opportunities for USF players, Schilte-Brown said, because players have eyes on them whenever a professional team plays nearby.
What’s most exciting about this Women’s World Cup
This year’s Women’s World Cup has brought plenty of change. The U.S. team has many young first-time competitors. Players will receive more prize money, though it still will fall short of what men’s players receive at their World Cup.
The tournament field has expanded as well, increasing from 24 teams in 2019 to 32. Schilte-Brown finds this change especially exciting, comparing it to when the NCAA tournament expanded its field to 64 teams.
“(Small countries) have the opportunity to knock off giants,” Schilte-Brown said. “(It’s like) David and Goliath. I love that there’s David’s in this tournament and they have the opportunity to win.”
Contact Charlotte Varnes at cvarnes@tampabay.com.
