LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Tropics Soccer Club is not done growing; in fact they are just getting started. Florida Tropics SC has come to an agreement with Pinellas County United SC to partner with and rebrand the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) team to the Lady Tropics SC.

The WPSL is considered the second tier, or Division II of the women’s professional soccer landscape. While being the second tier, the players are considered amateur and consist mainly of top collegiate and pre-professional (amateur) athletes. The WPSL is a proven path to the professional game for female soccer players.

The agreement comes after several meetings between Tropics General Manager Andrew Ross, Technical Director Eoghan Conlon, PCU Director of Operations Kai Velmer and Don Tobin, who is the PCU Director of Coaching.

“We couldn’t be more proud to partner with the Tropics organization. Their commitment to grow the women's game and inspire young girls to one day be collegiate and professional soccer players is something we truly value”, said Velmer, “When a partner like the Tropics shares your passion and commitment to the women’s game great things will happen"

Pinellas County United Soccer Club was originally awarded a WPSL team in June 2013. Throughout the team’s first five years- colleges such as the University of South Florida, the University of North Carolina, Florida Atlantic University, Vanderbilt, and the University of Central Florida have been represented on the roster. The team has also had a minimum of three WPSL National All Stars every year, while having eight in 2015.

Andrew Ross commented saying; “The WPSL team has a rich history already. As we develop this partnership, we hope to build on the club’s previous success. Our goal is to provide our Club and local female athletes an opportunity to develop at the highest level of pre-professional women’s soccer in the country.”

Both the Tropics and Pinellas County are very passionate about the enrichment of women’s soccer across the region and the rest of Florida. Dr. Panos Iakovidis, owner of the Florida Tropics, stated that the club is “very excited to partner with PCU’s WPSL franchise and widen the opportunity for the growth of female soccer in the Lakeland, Tampa, and St. Petersburg area.”

“We are excited to offer a pathway for our female players to play at the second highest level of sanctioned women’s soccer in this country,” said Tropics Technical Director Eoghan Conlon.

The Lady Tropics SC have plans to play one game in Lakeland this season and will hope to play the majority of their 2019 games in Lakeland, pending WPSL approval. More details will be released in the coming weeks, including kits, and date of the game. All current matches will take place in St. Petersburg Florida. More information can be found at wpslsoccer.com.

About the WPSL: The Women’s Premiere Soccer League strives to provide the highest level of developmental opportunities for amateur players in the United States. Entering its 21st season, the WPSL has grown to more than 100 clubs and is the largest women’s soccer league in the world. Team rosters consist of highly skilled players from collegiate, post-collegiate, international and standout prep athletes. The WPSL is sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), which is an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the ruling body of soccer in the United States.