Sports stats

NWSL Angel City FC

Angel City FC Announces the Player 22 Future Program and Retires No. 22

October 6, 2021 - National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Angel City FC News Release


LOS ANGELES - Today, Angel City Football Club (ACFC) announced the launch of the Angel City Player 22 Future Program and the subsequent retirement of the No. 22. The number 22 was chosen as a nod to the team's Spring 2022 kickoff and celebrates the 22 players on the pitch in every match.

Today, the team debuted a special collection of 22-themed merchandise at AngelCity.com. Through the first-of-its-kind program, ACFC will allocate 10% of the revenue generated from the sale of the collection's items to the Player 22 Future Program. Once the official jersey is available for purchase, the team will also allocate 10% of the revenue generated from the sale of the No. 22 jersey that displays its three kit sponsors, DoorDash, Birdies, and Sprouts Farmers Market, to the fund. The club also plans to launch a fresh 22-themed merchandise collection annually.

The Program launches in 2022 and was designed to create pathways for former NWSL players interested in pursuing a career in the sports industry. Whether it be coaching, refereeing, media, and front office roles, the ultimate goal is to help prepare players for entry into the workforce following their professional soccer career.

ACFC has partnered with the California Community Foundation to manage the application and selection process and fulfill and oversee the fund's distributions.

"Through this program, Angel City is investing in the retirement of these players and therefore the athlete as a whole," said Angela Hucles Mangano, ACFC Vice President of Player Development and Operations and a gold medal-winning member of the US Women's National Team. "Professional soccer is so intensely focused on preparation and performance on the field that the off-field player development aspect can be an afterthought. Upon retirement, a professional athlete competes with a recent college grad for jobs, and we want to do what we can to create opportunities to equip players with the professional development skills they need to succeed in the workforce. Further, as a female-led and driven organization, this program will help continue to drive the momentum of more females entering the sports business."

In addition to The 22 Player Future Program component, the sponsor companies showcased on the jersey are actively actualizing large-scale impact in the Los Angeles community through their partnership.

From the very start of their partnership, front-of-kit sponsor DoorDash and ACFC have made great strides in fighting food insecurity and have delivered over 40,000 meals to date to those in need across LA. Back-of-kit sponsor Sprouts Farmers Market and ACFC educate youth and make healthy foods accessible and recently completed a lush community garden installation at a local Los Angeles Elementary School, with seven more to come this year. Birdies, who will appear on the jersey sleeve, and ACFC conducted a first-of-its-kind internship program over the summer that provided unique professional development, mentorship, and access to three remarkable young women, as well as scholarships towards their future college programs.

For more information about The 22 Player Future Program and the merchandise collection, visit angelcity.com.

Check out the Angel City FC Statistics



National Women's Soccer League Stories from October 6, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central