The NPSL's new announcement; What separates the NPSL and NISA?

I just found out about the fantastic news of the NPSL implementing another league. That league is a fall league. However, I have a few problems with this.

First off, when announcing the new addition to the already firmly established league, they said ‘the league will consist of college players and unpaid professionals’ what is an unpaid professional? If you’re a professional, you’re getting paid to play the game you love, and unpaid professional is better off sorted as an amateur. It doesn't add up. 

Not to mention, how will college players play in this fall season if they have college ball and school all on top of it. It’s a good move by the NPSL to expand its season, and doesn’t keep fans having to wait forever to see their team play again. But it is little things like the ‘unpaid professional’ term that I don’t understand, and many other readers and followers of the NPSL do not understand.  

The NPSL is already losing a lot of its most profitable teams to the newly formed NISA, and to the NPSL’s respect, they’ve handled it with class. When I say profitable teams, I mean teams that are attracting thousands to games. Teams like Detroit, Chattonoga, and even the Oakland Roots (Although Detroit And Chattonoga haven’t left just yet). I will also say, I don’t believe that they (the NPSL) are by any means trying to compete with the NISA with the arrival of the Members Cup. I think they are just trying to expand and reach a wider audience, which is only for the benefit of american soccer.

If you're wondering what seperates the NPSL from the NISA, it's a few things. The first being that the NISA is a sanctioned league, meaning the US Soccer Federation has declared the NISA tier three, along with the newly formed USL League One. Second fact is that the NISA is fully professional, every single player is a professional player, every single coach is a professional coach, and so on and so forth. The NPSL as a few professional teams who all compete in the Founders Cup, however a lot are leaving for the NISA. The NPSL plays its role as a fourth tier very well, and I think them trying to make a professional league shows the confidence they have in themselves. The more professional teams USA has means more opportunities for players like Jamie Vardy to work up the ranks and become an icon.

​I’m looking forward to the future of American soccer, and the possibilities are endless for the game we all love in a country that should love it back. Soccer represents the American Dream. It represents grit, getting back up when falling down, it represents miracles. It represents blood, sweat and tears. After all, if a team like Leicester City can win the prem, anybody can win anything no matter the odds,

That’s it for this article of Chris’ Editorials, catch you all next time.

Peace,
Chris Dailey