New women’s soccer franchise draws top players to Hilton Head

It was 9 a.m. and already 82 degrees and humid as nine young women practiced soccer at Hilton Head Plantation.

It’s nothing new; they practice six days a week as part of the semi-professional Beaufort County Football Club, a feeder team for the Women’s Professional Soccer League.

Michaela Gleed of Spartanburg moved to Hilton Head Island for the summer league.

“It’s a great challenge. They have tough practices,” Gleed said.

While there is no cost to join the team, players are responsible for their living expenses. Many have part-time jobs. Gleed works at the new Fish restaurant.

Player Jaimie Shutt of Charlotte said the coaching style appealed to her.

“There are more ball touches during practice. The more touches you get, the better you’ll play in games,” Shutt said.

The new club, one of 110 franchises of the WPSL, handpicked its 18-person roster using coach Mike Haughton’s extensive network.

Haughton, formerly sports development manager for Manchester City’s soccer academy, “moved across” to Hilton Head from England two years ago after hosting streams of soccer players from the States each summer.

“I could see the potential for the soccer in the area,” Haughton said. “Plus, the area is just gorgeous.”

The team, composed of players from age 15 to mid-20s, will play its first game Saturday at Hilton Head Prep, its home field.

“When the girls first came to me, they had these fitness trackers,” Haughton said. “They’d say, ‘Mike, we need to get in our 7 miles.’ They were used to running without the ball to get their fitness in.

“All of my sessions are based around what you would do in a game. They get much more than 7 miles in during those sessions. I call it hidden running.”

Haughton said American players, especially younger ones, have good technique, but the speed of the game is much faster in England, and some of that technique gets lost as Americans try to keep up.

“I’m teaching them what to do during games,” he said.

In addition to the women’s team, the franchise will be building its academy where it will be teaching coaches as well as players of all ages.

“We teach high quality at whatever level. We will make our students better players, whether it’s a better youth player, or college player or professional player,” Haughton said. “We’ll make every player fulfill their potential, no matter what it is.”

This story was originally published May 30, 2017 at 5:11 PM with the headline "New women’s soccer franchise draws top players to Hilton Head."