Surrounded by framed photos of sporting moments and business articles about herself, Amanda Vandervort seemed genuinely puzzled that anyone would want to know about her. Not Amanda the soccer executive, but Amanda the person.
“You’re asking my ‘why,’ not my ‘how’?” she asked.
Vandervort was sitting in her office in Tampa, Fla. at United Soccer Leagues (USL) headquarters, where she is president of USL’s freshly-minted Division One entry into the professional women’s soccer landscape, the Super League. Vandervort now is tasked with charting a course forward amidst questions about using a wholly different model than their fellow top-flight entity and the United States’ current premier league circuit, the National Women’s Soccer League, while avoiding the pitfalls of shuttered predecessor leagues.
GO DEEPER
Our writers discuss their initial thoughts on the USL Super League
Vandervort has experienced soccer through plenty of lenses: first as a player, then head women’s coach at New York University, in the Chicago Red Stars front office during the team’s stint playing in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), then WPS’s media manager, women’s development consultant for FIFA, consultant and then vice president of fan engagement at MLS, chief women’s football…
