JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In just one week, Jacksonville’s first professional women’s soccer team will make its debut.
To celebrate ahead of the team’s debut in the Gainbridge Super League, Sporting JAX is putting on a kickoff party Friday night in Downtown Jacksonville, where players and coaches will take photos with fans and sign autographs.
Twenty-four players are on the roster, including at least 10 who are from the Jacksonville area. They’ll play 16 home matches at UNF’s Hodges Stadium.
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Team captain and midfielder, Sophie Jones, said she wants Sporting JAX to make a difference on and off the field.
“Inspiring young girls in Jacksonville to play soccer. I think that is a total win for us,” Jones said. “We value being hard-working, competitiveness. We want you to watch our games and you be like ‘Hey that is a fun team to watch.’”
There’s been some interest and enthusiasm to see these players in action.
A UNF poll conducted in May revealed:
- 42% of women and 37% of men said they’ll likely attend Sporting JAX matches.
- Those surveyed said factors that would influence their decision to attend a match include ticket price, game times, parking and accessibility
- 59% of women and 48% of men feel it’s very or moderately important for Jacksonville to have a professional soccer team
Sporting JAX President Steve Livingstone said he wants to put a quality product on the field and create a pathway for the next generation of local athletes to pursue pro soccer at home.
“We are really focused on making our community a better place through soccer and through sport. We are particularly focused on women’s sports, we are particularly focused on the special-needs community and we are also focused on communities that are underserved,” Livingstone said.
Sporting JAX is hosting 2 preseason friendlies.
- The first one is Aug. 2, when the team plays the Hibernian FC Women
- Then Sporting JAX takes on Wrexham AFC Women on Aug. 10.
- Both of those matches start at 7 p.m. at UNF
Sporting JAX’s regular season in the Gainbridge Super League kicks off on Aug. 23 with a home match against DC Power FC at 7 p.m.
