Premier soccer in Spokane strives for net gain
By Craig Howard, News EditorShare:  
June 21, 2010 — While billions of soccer fans around the planet cheer on their favorite clubs during the latest rendition of the World Cup, a pair of teams from the Inland Northwest continue to generate some serious enthusiasm of their own.
The Spokane Black Widows (left) and the Spokane Spiders play their home games at Joe Albi Stadium in north Spokane. The Black Widows compete in the Premier Women's Soccer League while the Spiders are part of the Premier Development League, a branch of the United Soccer Leagues. Contributed Photo.
Spokane's Joe Albi Stadium might fall short of the 94,000-plus seats at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, but local followers of the world's most popular sport are quickly discovering that quality soccer has arrived in the form of the Spokane Black Widows and the Spokane Spiders, two premier league squads that feature area athletes competing for the love of the game, not a paycheck.
The Black Widows compete in the Pacific Conference of the Premier Women's Soccer League with teams from cities like Sacramento, San Francisco and Portland. Currently, Spokane stands at 2-3, good for fifth place in the Pacific's North Division.
The Spiders, meanwhile are looking for their second win in the competitive Northwest Division of the Premier Development League, a branch of the United Soccer Leagues. Formed in 1986, the USL serves as the soccer equivalent of minor league baseball with teams throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico organized into separate leagues representing half-a-dozen skill levels.
The Spiders, launched in 2007 from the remnants of the area's former PDL club, the Spokane Shadow, have been a springboard for several players who have moved on to the professional ranks, including Austin Washington, a Spokane native who graduated from Ferris High School and led Gonzaga University to an NCAA tournament appearance three years ago. Washington was selected in the fourth round of the 2008 Major League Soccer draft by the Chicago Fire.
The Black Widows' roster features players from a variety of high schools and colleges throughout the Inland Northwest. Contributed Photo.
Spiders head coach Bernard Brodigan said the squad continues to give teams a run for their money as it looks to climb the division standings. The Spiders battled to within one goal of Abbotsford, B.C. on June 18, losing 4-3 to a club that had shut them out 7-0 last season.
"We're building a competitive team," said Brodigan, who played in the MLS for Dallas and has coached the Laredo Heat and Dallas/Ft. Worth Tornadoes of the PDL. "We're starting to mesh."
The Spiders feature players from local colleges like Gonzaga and Whitworth as well as schools from outside the area like Drake University and Long Island University. The majority of the Black Widows' roster is comprised of players from the Spokane area.
While Brodigan, a recent convert to the church who lives in Liberty Lake, and Black Widows head coach Jason Quintero work to build a winning product on the field, front office administrators like Linda Davis and James Javier are doing their part to ensure that both teams become household names in the community.
Davis, president and CEO of the Spiders/Black Widows, had never seen a professional soccer game when she was hired a little over a month ago. As the director of marketing and sales for Copper Basin Construction, Davis brought an impressive history of corporate success to an organization that is still hoping to gain recognition in a regional sports market dominated by Gonzaga basketball and popular teams like the Indians, Shock and Chiefs.
"We've enjoyed incredible success in four-and-a-half weeks," said Davis, a member of the Coeur d' Alene Second Ward, Coeur d'Alene Stake. "We've had a lot of miracles happen."
After opening the season in May with a paltry home crowd of around 50 fans, the Black Widows have seen a vast improvement at the ticket office. A recent game at Albi Stadium drew some 700 supporters.
Javier, a member of the Post Falls Third Ward in the Coeur d'Alene Stake, is responsible for getting the word out about both teams as the vice-president. Sponsorships have improved this season as has attendance. After working in marketing for indoor football teams like the Shock and Utah Blaze, Javier said he has gained an appreciation for the subtleties of soccer.
"They run for 45 minutes without any breaks," he said. "Their endurance is amazing."
The team has plans to get out in the community and talk about the benefits of soccer and other exercise in the battle against trends like childhood obesity and diabetes, Javier said. The Black Widows were recently introduced between quarters of a Spokane Shock game at the Spokane Arena.
Javier said the changes in the front office - the team is still owned by Al Brown LLC - will likely mean more transitions next season including the Black Widows joining a newly refurbished league and home games being moved to Friday and Saturday instead of Saturday and Sunday.
"We're starting to form a fan base," Javier said.
The Spiders play in the Northwest Division of the PDL with teams from cities like Tacoma, Yakima, Vancouver and Portland. Contributed Photo.
Reasonably priced tickets don't hurt the cause. A group of 10 or more can attend a home game for a mere $3.50 a person by ordering through TicketsWest. Regular adult seats run $10 each, while kids get in for $8.
The money side of the game is a mere footnote for participants on both teams who do not earn a salary for the season. Brodigan said the format draws a player who suits up more for the opportunity to compete than a guaranteed contract.
"They're playing through adversity and giving 110 percent, not demanding a million dollars," he said. "They have a heart for the game."
Want to find out more?
To learn more about the Spokane Black Widows and the Spokane Spiders, go to www.spokanesblackwidows.com or www.spokanespiders.com.
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