Manitou FC’s player pathway provides for female athletes who are looking to compete on a senior amateur level within the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL). Competing within the Northern Conference, players age U17-U19 and older (college age) are eligible for team selection. Home games are played at the athletic complex at White Bear Lake High School North Campus.
Since its establishment in 1998, the Women’s Premier Soccer League has been the pinnacle platform for advancing player development in the United States at the amateur level. Through its 25-year history, the WPSL has grown into a leading advocate for women’s soccer by creating multiple avenues for developmental opportunities, including the WPSL International Combine and the WPSL U21 league.
As of 2023, the WPSL is still the longest-active women’s soccer league in the United States and with a membership of 130 teams, it’s also the largest women’s soccer league in the world. Its national footprint stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific and down to the Gulf with teams in 31 of the 50 U.S. states. The WPSL holds a 15.7% annual growth rate and has averaged 31 expansion teams each season since 2016.
Adhering to its mission of providing the highest level of development opportunities, WPSL team rosters consist of elite female players from collegiate, post-collegiate, international, and standout prep athletes. The average age of a WPSL player is 20.7 years old. Sixty-nine percent of WPSL players are rostered on teams from their hometown’s metro area and 92% of the WPSL’s collegiate athletes play for NCAA member institutions.
Notable alumnae who’ve honed their talents in the WPSL include NCAA All-Americans, MAC Hermann Trophy recipients, Hall of Fame Inductees, Olympic Medalists, World Cup Winners, NWSL Champions, and Ballon d’Or recipients.
The WPSL is sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) – an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the ruling body of soccer in the United States.
