Ana Campa was skeptical, even though she understood the reasoning behind getting up on those spring and summer mornings in 2017 to hand out doughnuts to customers at a popular chain store.

Campa, a former MacArthur High School standout playing then for Athenians SC, the city’s first semi-professional women’s soccer team, wasn’t quite sure if the gesture would produce the desired results.

“At the time, we were like, ‘No one’s going to come and get doughnuts from us,’” said Campa, who played this season with Sporti FC and will be a senior midfielder this fall at the University Incarnate Word. “But we packed the place, and people came and got doughnuts and learned about our program. It looks like little things, but they really do make a big impact.”

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How impactful? Two years ago, Athenians SC was a fledgling team. The club’s ambition now is to earn a spot in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the highest level in the United States. The NWSL has franchises in Portland, North Carolina, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Seattle, Houston, Orlando, Utah and New Jersey. NWSL president Amanda Duffy has stated in media reports that the league hoped to expand by as early as 2020.

Efforts to reach Duffy were unsuccessful.

“NWSL has nine teams,” said Pete Veras, Athenians SC owner and president. “We want to be the 10th. That’s our goal.”

Veras said Athenians SC has contacted the NWSL to begin preliminary feasibility discussions on the process of joining the league. He said the feedback was “informative and gave us a good idea on the infrastructure and work needed to make this happen.”

The desire to land professional women’s soccer comes two years after the city was under consideration for expansion into Major League Soccer (MLS) and at a time when it has blossomed into a hot bed for semi-pro clubs. SA Runners SC and Corinthians FC compete in the men’s United Premier Soccer League, and both advanced to the postseason this season.

The biggest influx, though, has come on the women’s side. The city had six teams in three leagues. Athenians SC competed in the United Women’s Soccer (UWS), Sporti FC and Samba FC were in United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) and the Blossoms participated in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL). Alamo City SC had teams in WPSL and UPSL. Sporti FC defeated Samba FC last week to claim the UPSL Central Conference title.

“The recent proliferation of adult amateur teams competing in regional and national circuits for women and men is a positive development in terms of providing additional opportunities to aspiring local players,” said San Antonio FC managing director Tim Holt, who as a former president of the United Soccer League (USL) and a key figure in Orlando City SC’s forays into Major League Soccer and NWSL has seen expansion in different lenses. “San Antonio is viewed as a rapidly emerging American soccer market in terms of player talent, and it is essential that highest level competitive platforms exist locally for elite prospects … These new teams for 17-23-year-old players of both genders, which offer regular out-of-market competition, serves to expand the pool of local players within more challenging game environments and increases the likelihood of players ascending into professional soccer at the USL, MLS or NWSL levels.”

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A month ago, on a sweltering-hot day at Austin’s Bold Stadium, that possibility was foremost in Veras’ mind. Athenians SC played FC Austin Elite in the teams’ UWS finale at the 5,000-seat facility of Austin’s United Soccer League (USL) club. It was the kind of atmosphere the club visualized.

“When I’m playing in the game, I don’t really notice the people that much, (but) it’s just great to hear all the people cheering for you, having that atmosphere, the intensity,” Athenians SC defender Treena Ferguson said. “It does make you want to play to a higher level. We’re trying to continue to raise the level. Soccer’s exploding in San Antonio.”

Athenians SC is hoping to lead the charge. Based in Cibolo, which is experiencing population and business growth, the club feels the parts could be in place to make a jump to the professional ranks. The recent announcement that Aisin, a Fortune Global 500 Japanese company, plans to build a $400 million plant in Cibolo could be crucial.

“The recent growth in Cibolo is nothing short of amazing for the community today and for years to come,” Veras said. “Our financial partnerships are vital for NWSL consideration and expansion. The support of a company of Aisin’s stature would lend financial credibility and stability to a franchise. We will explore any and all opportunities as they present themselves in achieving our goal of an NWSL franchise.”

In its seventh season, NWSL rosters consist of a minimum of 20 players and a maximum of 22. Teams had four supplemental spots and those players make the league minimum and don’t count against the salary cap. Each team’s salary cap for the 2019 season was $421,500, with player salary ranging from a minimum of $16,538 to a maximum of $46,200. The league also has a Permitted Team Assistance Cap, which allows teams to provide its players assistance with housing and automobiles.

“Last summer I played (for TTI of WPSL) in Houston and my team was really good,” said Athenians SC forward Briana Woodall, a redshirt junior midfielder at Sam Houston State. “When I came here, I was like, ‘Whoa, we never had these many fans. We’ve never done this much marketing.’ It was cool. It made me think like it was going to go somewhere. I think we have a good chance going into that (NWSL).”

It was an opportunity that seemed farfetched only two years ago.

“I never thought it would get this big,” said Becca Mays, a former Madison High School standout who played for Athenians SC in 2017 and the past two seasons with the Blossoms. “It’s awesome. We went from one team (in 2017) to five teams this year. Hopefully, the strength of it will carry on in the next couple years.”

tthomas@express-news.net

Twitter: @en_terrence