July 1, 2021
WUL community,
I know you all have been anxiously awaiting the announcement of our return to play plans. After considering the extensive player and team feedback we solicited in March, and after consulting with epidemiologists regarding the evolving status of COVID restrictions, we have decided to hold our full inaugural season in 2022, from March to May.
The full season will feature six games per team, consistent with the originally planned 2020 season. Teams are permitted to begin holding tryouts as early as October 1, 2021, and rosters will be set no later than January 31, 2022. At the end of the regular season, a championship event between the teams with the top two records will be hosted at a location to be determined.
In the interim, our plan is to hold a pre-season kickoff event featuring all six teams in one location, the WUL Winter Cup. We are working to secure dates and venues and for now we anticipate the weekend-long event taking place in Southern California in Winter 2021. This event will feature showcase-style games in a format to be determined and high quality video coverage that our players deserve. Please look out for additional announcements and updates soon.
While our return to the field is a few months away, I do hope you all got a chance to watch our Open Side interview series hosted by Megan Tormey. In line with the WUL’s mission to increase visibility and access to women and nonbinary athletes in sports, we launched this series in May to help introduce our players to our fans and to allow our athletes to tell their stories about their jobs, their introductions to the sport, and other aspects of their life stories.
Finally, I wanted to share the progress we’ve made with our equity consultant, Lunaria. In the month of April we sent out to current and former players a team and league leadership survey so that we could assess our current practices and determine what changes need to be made. After reviewing the results, which included feedback from almost 100 athletes and nearly 30 team staff or owners, we are in the process of crafting an equity plan and policy that will become an addendum to our Bylaws.
It has certainly been a long year away from the field, and our goal is to spend the next few months ensuring that our organization, and the teams that comprise the WUL, are primed and ready to bring a quality season to our fans, sponsors and supporters. I’m so excited about what’s to come, and I want to thank our board, and our teams’ leadership, for all the hard work they are putting in to make this league possible.
Felicia Yang
WUL Executive Director
