3 Ways Fans Can Build off US Women's Olympic Success to Grow Sport in the States

The United States Women's National Team came away with gold in London, and once again showed how exciting women's soccer can be.

The legacy of the team is dramatic finishes on the biggest stages. The 1999 World Cup, 2004 Athens Games, 2008 Beijing Games, 2011 World Cup, and now the 2012 London Games are added to the list.

Now, the attention turns to the post-Olympic future for women's soccer in the United States. Following the 1999 World Cup the WUSA was formed and quickly folded. Women's Professional Soccer began in 2009, but is now defunct after three seasons.

Can women's soccer grow and be sustainable in the U.S.?

Here are three big ways fans can help continue to grow the sport in the states.

Keeping Talking About the Sport

It sounds simple, but we have a tendency to quickly move on to the next big thing in America.

If the sport is to continue to grow, it cannot fade in to the background.

Take to social media and tweet about the players, of all the nations, to fans, writers, networks, and anyone else that will listen. Keep their names and performances fresh in people's minds. There were certainly plenty of performances to talk about.

Women's soccer has shown that it is consistently one of the most exciting sports out there. It is time we keep talking about it in non-Olympic and World Cup years. Keep the conversation going and do not let it fade away until 2015.

Watch the USWNT Matches

The USWNT will return to action next month as part of their "Victory Tour".

The two matches, on September 1st and 16th, will be broadcast live on NBC. Watch.

Please.

Showing the networks that there is a market for women's soccer will only ensure that they continue to air it live. The gold-medal match against Japan was the most watched program in NBC Sports Network history and the most streamed event of the Olympics.

"

4.35 million watch Team USA-Japan gold medal soccer match on @nbcsn. Most-watched event in the history of NBC Sports Network #Olympics

— NBCSportsPR (@NBCSportsPR) August 10, 2012"

Those numbers are why NBC will continue to show the USWNT on their airwaves. Fans will need to continue to tune in to keep this remarkable team on future broadcast schedules.

The two biggest ways to support the game is to vote with your eyes and wallets. If the ratings dip then they will look for something else to air instead, and that cannot be an option. Tune in and show the network that it was not just an Olympic blip on the ratings.

Support the New Pro League

"

“All these teams are committed to playing with and against each other starting in 2013 and to working out the final details to allow a sustainable professional league for women’s soccer in the U.S.,” said Michael Stoller, Managing Partner of the Boston Breakers.

"

The quote comes from the press release from the Boston Breakers' communication department.

I already said you should vote with your eyes, and now it is time to pony up with the paper. There is no better way to grow the sport than by voting for it with your hard earned dollars. It is the single biggest thing you can do as a consumer.

Yes, there are a lot of details still unknown about the new league coming next year but that should not deter you from supporting it in some fashion. The biggest thing you can do to help is buy a ticket. Even if you cannot attend.

I know that sounds absurd, and truthfully it is, but it may be needed. The price points of women's soccer matches are low. If you can stay in from the movies one weekend and purchase a $20 ticket then do so. It helps support the teams and shows there is a market for the women's game.

However, understandably, many cannot afford to do that.

Supporting the league with your money is the best thing you can do when the new league forms. Vote with your wallet, purse, or what have you. Show the potential advertisers and marketing departments that there is a market out there ready for women's soccer.

For the vocal fans out there that have continuously complained about having a league, it is time to put up or shut up. Support the new league in whatever way you can.