Inside the plan to build a destination for women’s soccer — Waterbury Roundabout

The Green has a solid foundation on which to rest ambitions for a second team. Vermont led the nation in youth sports participation in the most recent measure by the federally funded and directed National Survey of Children’s Health: 69% of kids ages 6-17 played on a sports team or took lessons in 2022, well above the national average of 54%. 

Vermont families have 46 competitive clubs and 51 recreational programs to choose from under the Vermont Soccer Association, the state’s arm of U.S. Youth Soccer. When Andrew Minnis joined the state org as executive director last December, he looked to collaborate with the Green’s founders right away. 

“A big push of mine since I came in has been really trying to bridge the gap of southern Vermont,” Minnis said. 

Clubs under the association are more abundant in and around Chittenden County, with less access to youth soccer south of Montpelier, he said. 

The association’s partnership with U.S. Youth Soccer’s Europe branch, announced last month, holds promise for an exchange of knowledge overseas that could help coaches add teams to Vermont’s inventory, Minnis said.  

At the moment, when teens surpass the challenge of local clubs, their paths upward become more sparse. Players can be selected for Vermont’s Olympic Development Program with the chance to represent their state, region or country but have few options outside those rosters. 

In high school, the Green’s Liv White commuted three hours from her hometown of Pittsford to play with New England Mutiny, a Massachusetts club, she said on “The Women’s Game.” When coaching local clubs, White’s teammate Lauren DeGroot sees that routes to elite teams lead kids out of Vermont. 

“These girls are super talented, and we’re able to see that from such a young age, and it’s unfortunate that you see those girls and you feel like you’re doing them a disservice cause there aren’t those opportunities,” she said. “You think, ‘Can we send them down to Massachusetts, Jersey, so they can get that? Cause they aren’t getting it here.’” 

Female footballers of the Green’s caliber are still looking elsewhere for off-season training.

“I have to drive an hour and 15 minutes to Quebec to play soccer over the summer,” said Sydney Remington, a UVM player, of her training without the Green. 

Green forward Erin Flurey closed shop that night, poking in a loose ball to slash Blainville’s 1–0 lead and chipping the keeper in a bold signoff for a 2–1 win. The women’s exhibition team concluded year two undefeated.