About a month ago, Spokane got the news its pro women’s soccer team, the Zephyr, was shutting down.
The announcement came right after the women’s last game of the season, when the Zephyr won 4-nil but came just shy of a playoff run. The team was two years old.
Most players left the city and the aftermath pretty quickly. But now that some of the dust has settled, SPR chatted with Hope Hisey— Spokane’s star goalie and the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year two years in a row—to hear more about why the shutdown happened, and what it means for women’s soccer across the U.S.
ELIZA BILLINGHAM: Did the shutdown of the Zephyr surprise you at all?
HOPE HISEY: Unfortunately, where there's smoke, there's usually fire when it comes to professional athletics. And there were certain signs kind of throughout the latter half of the spring section of the season that made us kind of tilt our heads, I think.
But given kind of the newness of the league, of the team, I think there was a certain element of surprise. But unfortunately, given kind of what was going on behind the scenes, it unfortunately wasn't as surprising as maybe it was to the outer community.
EB: Can you explain what any of that smoke was?
HH: I think there was personnel changes that went on within the organization, not player wise, but just from a staffing perspective, that kind of made us turn our heads.
And also, there was a bit of difficulty with those who were out of contract, whether or not the club wanted to give them contract extensions or exercise their options. And there was a lot of, not just like little, but a true lack of communication in that respect, which was uncharacteristic and unusual for a club during that time of year. So I think that made us wary about the future of the club and the direction in which it was going.
EB: Do you see the shutdown as a Spokane-specific issue or an indication of something broader?
HH: I think that's a good question. And I think it can be fair to answer that in either way. Watching the final of the Super League and even, like, the semi-final, I actually am really optimistic and positive about the health and the future of the league.
I think that other markets that are, you know, doing a great job with their marketing, getting fans to games, getting butts in seats and investing in the squads that they have—I think that gives me good hope that this was maybe a more of a singular issue.
I think that it was difficult, given the resources available to our club in particular, the distance from our competitors, those logistical things made it pretty difficult for Spokane.
And I also think there maybe was not as sustainable or as much of an emphasis on the community outreach that’s needed for a new club to thrive. But see other clubs in our league doing a really good job at trying to do that, and so that gives me hope that hopefully it was a singular issue.
EB: Do you think the shutdown mainly came from people not coming to games?
HH: I think that that's used kind of as the narrative of why the team didn't “succeed.” I think that people always point to the attendance numbers—which I'm also very skeptical where they get these attendance numbers.
But let's take it on face value and say that is the reason I think again, like I said, you have to create an environment and that's not just the match the experience, but an overall club culture, that gets people in the seats.
And it's going to be expensive to do so. And it's going to take time and it's going to take energy. But if you want to do this properly, that is what it's going to have to take.
I don't think you can just put something out there and then be like, ‘Oh, well, people didn't come.’ Well, what did you do to sustain an environment to make it so that they had no choice but want to come, you know?
EB: Well, I know that you meant a lot to fans. And I know that Spokane is really going to miss you. Do you know what your next steps are?
HH: I do. But I'm not allowed to disclose at this time.
EB: Well, it's good to hear that there's more on the horizon for you. Do you think that's true for most of the players leaving Zephyr?
HH: I do. I think that this club had the privilege and opportunity of the players that it had are some of the best—not only players, but people that the league and the sport has right now. I don't think it's a coincidence that a lot of them have been snatched up after this whole thing went down. I think it's a testament to what great people and players they are.
I do think, though, that unfortunately, a lot of players were behind the eight ball in terms of being able to talk to teams and find a new home because of the timing and the nature of how it went down. But I think because we have such a great group, you know, people are going to be delighted that they're now free to come join them.
EB: Well, Hope, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for all that you've met for Spokane and best luck on your next adventure.
HH: Thank you so much.
