Tampa, Florida – A wave of excitement is sweeping through Tampa Bay as the region eagerly anticipates the debut of its new professional women’s soccer team, the Tampa Bay Sun Football Club (Sun FC).
The team is set to launch in August 2024. Joining the USL Super League, this team will become the second professional women’s soccer team in the state. Currently, the Orlando Pride is the state’s only other professional female soccer team.
New Name Revealed
In a celebratory event on November 4th in Ybor City,the team revealed its name, logo, and colors in front of over 500 soccer fans. “Creating a community-centered club has been our unwavering focus since day one,” Shaw remarked during the event, highlighting the extensive community engagement that shaped the team’s identity.
The USL Super League
As part of the USL Super Laegue, Tampa Bay Sun FC will compete at the pinnacle of women’s soccer. “USL Super League will be the highest level of professional women’s sports to ever field a team with Tampa Bay on its jerseys,” noted a spokesperson for the league. This move puts Tampa Bay in the spotlight, with the league poised to feature internationally recognized players. the USL Super League’s inaugural season will launch with eight markets, with additional markets joining in subsequent seasons.
Once U.S. Soccer sanctions it as a Division One league, it will rank on par with other top professional sports leagues and feature players who represent their countries in international competitions such as the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Olympic Games. Because the USL Super League will play from fall through spring, players can balance their commitments to their club and their community.
Behind the Team
Darryl Shaw, David Laxer, and Jeff Fox, the local entrepreneurs behind Tampa Bay Sun FC, are committed to creating a team that transcends the boundaries of the soccer field. “This is about inspiring, energizing, and uniting our Tampa Bay community. We’re ready to build a team that not only wins on the field, but also makes a positive difference off the field. To us, success comes when you become part of the fabric of your community,” said Darryl Shaw, who, along with his childhood friends David Laxer, co-owner of Bern’s Steak House, and Jeff Fox, former Chief Information Officer of BluePearl Pet Hospital, as own the new team.
Darryl Shaw, the team’s co-owner, added, “Creating a community-centered club has been our unwavering focus since day one. We invested months in engaging with and heeding the voices of our community members across our region. In those conversations, this message stood out loud and clear.”
Tampa Mayor Welcomes The Sun
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, reflecting on her past as a female athlete, underscored the significance of the new team. “Today, women’s sports are exploding in popularity, and our new team will put Tampa Bay at the forefront,” she said.
The Mayor emphasized the team’s potential to inspire and provide role models for young athletes in Tampa Bay. “When I stepped onto the court in high school as a female athlete, there weren’t a lot of role models out there for me to look up to,” said Castor, a star basketball and volleyball player at Chamberlain High School and the University of Tampa. This announcement is the start of something special—for our city, our region, and so many girls and boys who’ll get to see amazing new role models right here in their hometown.”
Home Ground and Community Impact
The team’s first home games will be held at a refurbished waterfront stadium in Downtown Tampa that it will share with Howard W. Blake High School. “The club will invest more than $4 million to enhance the facility,” Shaw added, highlighting the team’s commitment to the community.
The club has started accepting $24 dollar deposits for season tickets via their website www.tampabaysunfc.com .
Gearing up to play, head coach named
The process of formally announcing Tampa Bay Sun FC’s inaugural team roster will start early next year, with the entire team reporting for training early next summer. The team’s training facility will be located in Ybor City.
The Tampa Bay Sun FC has its head coach—longtime USF women’s soccer coach Denise Schilte-Brown—and she will now begin building a roster of players.
