Off The Pitch: Community
How abolishing the NWSL draft made it a better league for women's football enviroment
The historic Collective Bargaining Agreement signed by the league and its players association in August 2024 abolished the draft, making the NWSL the first major professional sports league in the US to get rid of this entry mechanism. How exactly did the league change since the draft was eliminated, and was it for the better?
Why investment matters: The growth of NWSL training facilities
On June 10 2026, Gotham FC announced the construction of the first ever dedicated training facility in club history, with $35 million of private funding going towards renovating the former Red Bull New York training facility into a 27,000-square-foot environment centered on high performance, recovery, and athlete well-being.
The Lauren Holiday Impact Award: How NWSL players give back
In 2021, the NWSL launched the Nationwide Community Impact Award, an annual honor given to a player for their work off the pitch. In 2024, the league announced that the award would be renamed to the Lauren Holiday Impact Award to honor former USWNT and NWSL player Lauren Holiday for her work on and off the pitch. Each year, one player from each club is nominated for their work with a community partner.
I came for a game, I found Bajen. Story of how women's football can be more than sport
Kategorie: CommunityToday’s Off the Pitch comes in a slightly different format than you might be used to on Queenballers. This time, we’re turning the spotlight on the Bajens — the fans of Stockholm-based club Hammarby. And since I am one of them, it only feels natural to tell their story from my own perspective.