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Atlanta Beat Joins Women's Professional Soccer
Thursday the Atlanta Beat became the ninth team in WPS. Slated to begin play in 2010, the Beat unveiled their name, logo,
Jun 19, 2009 7:56:36 PM
Women’s Professional Soccer welcomed the Atlanta Beat on Thursday as the league’s ninth franchise and second expansion team set to begin play in 2010.
The new Atlanta team is hoping to regenerate the same fan support as its namesake predecessor from the now dissolved Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) and will use the same logo with the some bold new colors to revamp the familiar franchise.
This time around, the Beat’s new owner/CEO Fitz Johnson noted, “We know the Beat, so let’s shake it up a bit.” By shake it up, Johnson selected Ferrari red, champion gold, and black as the team’s new colors.
As for a new tradition, “We really need to look no further than the history of the Atlanta Beat in the WUSA,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “It was just really a jewel in WUSA in terms of fan support and quality play and WUSA was so amazing in so many ways to, like we endeavor to do, put the best product on the field in terms of women’s soccer globally.”
The former Atlanta WUSA franchise was that league club to make the playoffs from three consecutive seasons from 2001-2003 and was also one of the few clubs to carry its weight in attendance on a consistent basis.
With the new Atlanta team joining the new professional league, “We want you to know that we’re going to work very hard to put a good product on the field and compete for championships each and every year,” said Beat General Manager Shawn McGee who comes from Southern Methodist Universivty after a spent a combined 10 years spent with FC Dallas in roles as senior director of business development and the director of Pizza Hut Park.
McGee promises that the Beat organization will “work hard each and every day to be the best women’s soccer team both on and off the field as well as to be of great entertainment value for the people of this (Atlanta) great city.”
“As we take on this journey, “said Johnson, “our standard is very simple: best in the world.”
“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth being the best; and if it’s worth being the best, it’s worth being the best in the world. We want to, with everything we touch and everything we do, keep in mind that we're working to be the best in the world: the best team, the best staff, and most of all, the best fans in the world."
The Atlanta Beat is excited to seek out some international and domestic talent as it strives be the number one Franchise in the 2010 season of the WPS.
“With Fitz leadership and vision, and Shawn’s as well,” said Commissioner Antonucci, “we are very confident in the team and excited about the future.”
After 18-19 months in the making with six of those in negotiations for the rights to the Atlanta Beat name from U.S. Women’s Soccer, “This is a wow moment for me,” said Johnson. “This is a wow moment for the community and for everything we have going.”
Christa Mann, Goal.com
For more on Women's Professional Soccer, go to Goal.com's women's soccer page.
The new Atlanta team is hoping to regenerate the same fan support as its namesake predecessor from the now dissolved Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) and will use the same logo with the some bold new colors to revamp the familiar franchise.
This time around, the Beat’s new owner/CEO Fitz Johnson noted, “We know the Beat, so let’s shake it up a bit.” By shake it up, Johnson selected Ferrari red, champion gold, and black as the team’s new colors.
As for a new tradition, “We really need to look no further than the history of the Atlanta Beat in the WUSA,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “It was just really a jewel in WUSA in terms of fan support and quality play and WUSA was so amazing in so many ways to, like we endeavor to do, put the best product on the field in terms of women’s soccer globally.”
The former Atlanta WUSA franchise was that league club to make the playoffs from three consecutive seasons from 2001-2003 and was also one of the few clubs to carry its weight in attendance on a consistent basis.
With the new Atlanta team joining the new professional league, “We want you to know that we’re going to work very hard to put a good product on the field and compete for championships each and every year,” said Beat General Manager Shawn McGee who comes from Southern Methodist Universivty after a spent a combined 10 years spent with FC Dallas in roles as senior director of business development and the director of Pizza Hut Park.
McGee promises that the Beat organization will “work hard each and every day to be the best women’s soccer team both on and off the field as well as to be of great entertainment value for the people of this (Atlanta) great city.”
“As we take on this journey, “said Johnson, “our standard is very simple: best in the world.”
“If it’s worth doing, it’s worth being the best; and if it’s worth being the best, it’s worth being the best in the world. We want to, with everything we touch and everything we do, keep in mind that we're working to be the best in the world: the best team, the best staff, and most of all, the best fans in the world."
The Atlanta Beat is excited to seek out some international and domestic talent as it strives be the number one Franchise in the 2010 season of the WPS.
“With Fitz leadership and vision, and Shawn’s as well,” said Commissioner Antonucci, “we are very confident in the team and excited about the future.”
After 18-19 months in the making with six of those in negotiations for the rights to the Atlanta Beat name from U.S. Women’s Soccer, “This is a wow moment for me,” said Johnson. “This is a wow moment for the community and for everything we have going.”
Christa Mann, Goal.com
For more on Women's Professional Soccer, go to Goal.com's women's soccer page.
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