Not sure if it's a crisis or not, but it's not optimal. I don't think it's wise to judge by arbitrary numbers when a player is done. people were calling for Carly to be dropped before the last WC. And Rampone was past her theoretical 'use by" date three tournaments before she actually was, and the reason she was on the last team had more to do with team chemistry.
Well, for one, it's not arbitrary. As I was trying to say earlier, when your league/team has X total contracts and Y players trying to join each year, you're going to have an average turnover rate that's easily determined without needing to aggregate the careers of all individuals. And again, it's an average turnover rate. Of course you're going to have some players dropping out sooner and others sticking around longer, whatever the reasons may be. My point, though, remains that players who retire before age 30 shouldn't be viewed as retiring "early", especially if they already have many years behind them, since that is (on average) the typical career. Hence why I said multiple time that, yes, it is a problem. Ideally, the numbers should work out so that players can expect ten-year careers or so, since that seems to be typical among most psychically-intensive team sports. NWSL just isn't there yet. It looks like it'll get there eventually, but we're still shaking off the shackles WPS left us with, both on the business side and on the players side. So it'll be a while still. I look forward to the day NWSL has 25-player rosters and salary caps north of $1mil.
Too bad about Keelin Winters. I always thought she'd be valuable on the USWNT. She probably figures this cycle (the one just ending now) was her cycle to make an impression, in her mid-20s; she doesn't want to forgo other career/life opportunities for another 3-4 years just on the outside chance of getting a call up. Ellis hasn't shown any interest thus far. She's the heart of the Seattle team also. Harvey will have to rethink her system or make a signing; no other player on the Reign brings the same qualities as Winters at this time.
Tangent, but I think Harvey would have been rethinking her system anyway. The dominant team that won two Shields has failed to reproduce this year, so I'm betting there were/are many people in the organization saying it's time for something new. Heck, it's a stretch, but Winters' retirement might even be a symptom of that change-to-come.
It's harder to compare WNBA as most top players can make a lot more playing in Europe and can do that while still playing in the WNBA. And you certainly saw it happen in MLS with players leaving to go to med school, law school, even the priesthood. You won't see it quite as much in the other leagues because it takes players a couple of years to give up. Even soccer gives male players lots of options to play at some level before calling it quits. To give some comparisons, the average career is: NFL - 3.5 years NBA - 4.8 years MLB - 5.6 years NHL - 5.5 years
I think, if we were going to try making a comparison, the NWHL would be the most similar league. Maybe the NPF, too. But I think both of those have very minimal web presence or news coverage.
MLS used to have a lot of unusual midseason or mid-career retirements. Dental school. Real estate. The priesthood. (Seriously.) As the money improved, those got less frequent. But here's a question: Some people seem to think the money is better in Europe. Is that only true for a full-fledged international? Not for someone like Winters, who is bound by the MOU to make less money now than she made when she was in the WNT pool?
AFAIK monthly pay seem to be roughly equal for more "normal" players, but they got more paid months/year over here and a bit better job security too it seems.
I'm surprised people are characterizing this as early retirement. Winters play a couple of seasons in WPS and 4 years now in NWSL. For a player that's not getting USWNT level income, I think that's an above average length career. Good luck to her post-soccer career. We reign fans will miss her on the team.
But you have to take into account the league they are playing in. If this was the NBA where players make a lot of money and the overall risk to their health is low, retiring after 6-7 years raises a few eyebrows. But in women's soccer where this is the first time the league have made it to year four and players are chronically underpaid, that length of time is pretty long.
Add Edwards to the retirement list: http://www.orlandocitysc.com/post/2...midfielder-becky-edwards-announces-retirement
Just adds to the very strange deal between Orlando and WNY. Orlando brought in Edwards to be a key piece of their midfield which for whatever reason didnt work out. To get her they gave up the 2016 #11 which turned into McKenzy Doniak and what is looking the second pick in the 2017 draft. The silver lining is Kristen Edmonds was a throw in player in that deal who Sermanni admits he knew nothing about and she turned out to be the Prides best player. Strange indeed.
Edwards wasn't quite the same player after her ACL tear in 2013. She had bad luck with the timing of that injury. Rumor was that Sermanni was going to call her up for fall 2013 friendlies.
Thorns FC defender @KatWilliamson7 announces retirement."I couldn’t have asked for a better experience."https://t.co/LJYEvnH29Q #BAONPDX pic.twitter.com/9zmYg5DA66— Portland Thorns FC (@ThornsFC) October 17, 2016
Only four pro years, and no significant reasons for retiring given in the press release... Yeah I'd categorize that as a bit surprising too.
Unless, they truly love soccer so much to the point of playing through poverty and second off-season jobs, most players will play until they realize there is little or no more chance of making it to the USWNT (Where the good paying jobs are), they then say, Oh well, I better use my degree now and go out and get a real job so that I can eat regularly and stop living with roommates or boarding families. Once good and experienced players who have been skipped by the Heinrichs/Ellis regime for so long so to play the contracted, entitlement prima donnas so that the screaming little girls and their soccer dads who pay good seat tickets money can get autographs, these skipped for so long players just figure it's too late for me and they retire. We'll see more, in my opinions.
It appears Williamson will stay in Portland, at least for while, from what she said in her parting note. I don't know if her knee ever fully recovered. She got very little playing time for the Thorns this season, maybe got into one or two games very briefly at game's end.
Well, she had injuries two of those years, is looking at not playing much with Sonnet and Menges in front of her, isn't going to get a pay increase under the cap, and isn't going to get called up to the Nats, which had to have been her goal. Playing elsewhere is probably not sounding all that attractive and she probably would like a living wage. So, not so surprising. The reality is that unless you make a mark at the nat level in three or four years it ain't going your happen, and there isn't enough money in it to make a living otherwise.
Kat Williamson was one of the Top 10 center backs in the history of the college game. At the time she was drafted, several were considering her to be the next great one starting for the USWNT (which Johnston eventually took that torch instead). Williamson never fully developed in the professional ranks. Certainly not like she was originally projected. But she was still a solid defender after college. But oh, what could have been.
She was hurt three of her years at Florida. She sat out 2008 with a meniscus tear, had a right ankle injury in 2009, and played only five games in 2012 before being sidelined. However talented she was, durability was not a strong point. What I remember during a discussion of her draft selection was whether she could play a whole season on Turf.
Additionally, Sky Blue FC defender CoCo Goodson and midfielder Shawna Gordon have indicated to the club that they will be retiring. http://www.skybluefc.com/sky-blue-fc-exercises-2017-player-options/