NWSL Players Association launches charity fund for players in crisis

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Dec 16, 2021

The NWSL Players Association has launched the SupportThePlayers.NET emergency fund to aid women’s professional soccer players in crisis.

The Support the Players National Emergency Trust  will provide emergency financial assistance to NWSL players who cannot afford basic living expenses or the additional costs that become barriers to accessing critical mental health services.

“SupportThePlayers.NET is one more resource that we can provide our players as we continue to fight to end systemic inequities in our league and around the world,” said NWSLPA president Tori Huster.

Any player who signed a contract to play professionally in WUSA (2001-03), WPS (2009-11) or NWSL is eligible to join the NWSL Players Association, making them eligible to apply for funds.

The fund is independently administered by four trustees:

-- Tracy Deforge, founder of The Players Impact;
-- Donna Cohen, an lawyer and advocate for women;
-- Stacey Enos, who played on North Carolina's first three NCAA championship teams and earned her first cap with the USWNT in its first game in 1985; and
-- Kelsey Davis, a former WPS player with Chicago and Boston and trained chaplain.