Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) announced the official final list of participants who have accepted invitations to the WPS West Coast and East Coast Combines held Dec. 11-14 (San Diego, CA) and Dec. 18-21 (Ft. Lauderdale, FL). Among the 144 players announced were 88 current and former W-League players, including eight from the Northern Virginia Majestics.
Invites to the invitation-only combines were made through a careful selection process done by the WPS Coaches Committee. In total, 144 players will participate in the WPS Combines; no more than 72 at each location.
Among the additional players recently announced were recent Northern Virginia and W-League veterans Kelly Hammond and Tara Kidwell. Both members of last season’s 2008 Majestics, Hammond’s USL career includes stints with the Washington Freedom and New Jersey Wildcats. Kidwell has played in the W-League since 2003, seeing action for five different clubs.
Joining Kidwell and Hammond from the 2008 squad are Nataly Arias and Majestic mainstay Amy Smerdzinski. Arias, a University of Maryland product, helped anchor a solid Northern Virginia midfield throughout last summer. Smerdzinski (Wake Forest University) joined the Majestics in 2005 and has been a prominent figure in the Northern Virginia line-up ever since.
Also included on the WPS Combine list are former Majestic and current Freedom player Anabel Jimenez, who spent several years in Northern Virginia before going to Washington. WPS candidates Kim Bonilla, Paula Flaherty, and Claire Zimmeck all played brief periods for the Majestics over the last several years.
“The WPS Combines will be a tremendous platform for players to showcase their best in front of team officials and coaching staffs,” said Mary Harvey, Chief Operating Officer, Women’s Professional Soccer. “It is important that there are ample opportunities for teams to evaluate talent as they look to put together the strongest possible team on the field for the inaugural WPS season.”
During the combines, players will undergo general training and physical testing and will be assigned to specific teams with the opportunity to play in three games over the course of three days. Players’ rights will be drafted by teams at the 2009 WPS Draft on January 16 in St. Louis at the NSCAA Convention. Beginning in February, teams will also hold local try-outs in their respective markets.
Participating in the WPS East or West Coast Combine is not mandatory for a player to be eligible for the 2009 WPS Draft or a future roster spot on a WPS team. The full list of WPS Combine attendees will be released prior to the events.
