U.S. Coast Guard partners with Women's Professional Soccer

WASHINGTON — The United States Coast Guard announced Thursday establishment of a partnership with Women’s Professional Soccer for the remainder of the WPS 2009 inaugural season and the entire 2010 soccer season.

The new partnership aligns with the Coast Guard's recruiting efforts to attract women applicants, and the kick-off of the Coast Guard's Born Ready recruiting campaign.  The Born Ready campaign and the partnership with WPS are intended to attract applicants who are teamwork oriented, confident and embody the service’s core values of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty. 

“We see these same attributes in the athletes of the WPS and in the young women and men who play soccer across the United States,” said Capt. Lori Mathieu, the Coast Guard Recruiting Command's commanding officer.  “We are proud to be a small but integral part of the inaugural WPS season.  I look forward to an exciting full season of women’s soccer and Coast Guard sponsorship next year.”

“We are thrilled to have such a dynamic and treasured American institution as the Coast Guard as a partner in our league,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “Our WPS All-Star Game, presented by the Coast Guard, is a signature event to conclude the WPS Season and will feature the best players in the world for an exciting soccer festival.”

The Coast Guard, as a presenting sponsor of the WPS All-Star Game, will have the service's logo featured on the front of the WPS All-Star Team jersey.  During the 2010 season the Coast Guard will receive on-site recruiting assets, an integrated, online feature at www.womensprosoccer.com, WPS player appearances. Additionally, the Coast Guard will present the 2010 Coast Guard Goalkeeper of the Year Award.

The Inaugural Season of Women's Professional Soccer kicked off March 29 and runs through August 22, 2009, with WPS teams based here and in the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York and St. Louis.  The league’s eighth and ninth franchises, Philadelphia and Atlanta, will begin play in 2010.

To learn more about careers in the Coast Guard, visit http://www.gocoastguard.com. 

For more information about Women's Professional Soccer, visit www.womensprosoccer.com.