Issue date: 4/7/09 Section: Sports

Former assistant coach Jenny Anderson-Hammond works with the goal keepers during practice on Sept. 3. She is a member of the inaugural season of the Women's Professional Soccer league. (Karolina Strack/The Daily Eastern News)

Former Eastern assistant women's soccer coach Jenny Anderson-Hammond will be a part of history.

Anderson-Hammond is a member of the New Jersey/New York Sky Blue FC. The team is a member of the Women's Professional Soccer league, which is a newly formed professional soccer league looking to replace the Women's United Soccer Association that ceased operations in 2003.

New Jersey/New York Sky Blue FC began its inaugural season Sunday against the Los Angeles Sol. Although Sky Blue FC lost 2-0 at the TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, N.J., Anderson-Hammond is helping promote women's professional soccer in America.

"It's an opportunity to see the best players in the world at a high level," Anderson-Hammond said. "We're going to get try to get younger kids."

Anderson-Hammond was an assistant coach for the Panthers this past season.

Previously, she was an assistant coach at Kansas and played four seasons at Clemson.

Anderson-Hammond was the director of soccer operations for Kansas women's soccer for two years from August 2005 to July 2007.

Anderson-Hammond played four years at Clemson from 2001-04 and helped the Tigers reach the NCAA Tournament all four years. Clemson reached the Sweet 16 during Anderson-Hammond's freshman year. She was a four-year starter as a defender and a two-year captain.

She was a member of the 2001 All-Atlantic Coast Conference team and made the 2001 soccerbuzz.com Freshman All-American team.

Anderson-Hammond has played with various clubs in the W-League, which was the highest level of women's soccer in the United States at the time.

Now, Anderson-Hammond has a chance to play at the highest stage, and it's something she's been trying to attain since graduating from Clemson.

"It's all coming together," Anderson-Hammond said. "It's here. You can see it. We're excited to show everyone what we have."

Anderson-Hammond said she said the league represents a place where females can play soccer, but also serve as a role model for children.

SkyBlue FC head coach Ian Sawyers knows the first year is important.

"It's important for us to have to have an attainable business model," Sawyers said.

He said the WPS want the fans to be a part of the experience and show off the world-class players.

Sawyers said Anderson-Hammond will be a part of that presence.

"We've been very impressed," Sawyers said.

Anderson-Hammond relinquishes the opportunity to be on top,

"It feels great to be a part of SkyBlue FC," she said. "I've trained hard to get to this point. There's still a lot work to be done."


Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or at kjmurphy@eiu.edu.

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