The Tampa Bay Sun FC is making history as Tamp Bay’s first professional women’s sports team. The club starts play August 18th against Dallas Trinity FC at Riverfront Stadium on the campus of Blake High School. It will be a groundbreaking moment in Tampa sports history.
The new team’s players came together as the Tampa Bay Sun for the first time on July 1st. name. Since then, they have put in long hours of practice at the team training facility in Ybor City and bonded through activities like escape rooms, pickleball tournaments and baking competitions.
“It’s a new team, but you wouldn’t be able to tell at all by how well it’s going,” says Sun player Erika Tymrak. “We all left that first practice knowing that we’re on the same page. We’re all working towards a common goal, and we all have each other's back.”
The common goal, Tymrak says, is bringing home a championship to Tampa Bay.
“I’m excited to win,” she says.
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Courtesy Tampa Bay Sun FCErika TymrakTymrak, a Bradenton native, is the center midfielder for the Sun. With 13 years of professional soccer experience, she has many achievements and multiple championships. Following an illustrious career in professional and international competition, Tymrak is proud to bring her sport back to her home.
“It really is surreal,” she says. “I’ve been to so many different places in my career, pretty much everywhere you can imagine, but I never thought it could be a reality that I could come back and play where I grew up.”
The sport has taken Tymrak across the U.S. Germany and Australia, but returning to play in Tampa Bay goes far beyond soccer.
“Women's sports in the Tampa Bay area has been missing for a while,” she says. “Sometimes we don’t realize how big of a deal it is. But being the first women professional athletes in Tampa Bay, we have such an opportunity to inspire not only the community, but also the next generation of players. High schoolers and middle schoolers will be able to go to our games and say ‘Wow, I can do that one day.’”
Women’s professional sports arrive in the Tampa Bay area thanks to the launch of the USL Super League, the new women’s league that runs from August to June. The league’s mission is to provide more domestic opportunities for women to play professional soccer. It’s received Division 1 sanctioning from the U.S. Soccer Federation, putting it on a par with the established National Women's Soccer League. The USL’s corporate offices are in Tampa’s Westshore district.
Tymrak, who has played in the NWSL since graduating college and witnessed that league’s growth, sees the USL Super League as a vital step in furthering women’s sports in the U.S.
“If players don’t have a good experience in the NWSL, it forces them to either quit soccer or play abroad,” she says. “Why not bring more opportunities to bring more women to play sports domestically and help women’s sports grow in this country?”
“The unknown is always a little scary, but that's what makes it exciting,” Tymrak adds. “You’ll never have big rewards if you don’t take risks”.
The Sun currently practices at a facility in Ybor and has long-term plans to build a new stadium in the area. For now, the club’s temporary home is the stadium at Blake High School. The Sun’s ownership funded multi-million renovations to the waterfront stadium. Its location on the west side of the Hillsborough River, a short walk from the heart of downtown Tampa, makes it ideal for a game-day experience. A “march to the match” fan parade is planned before the August 18th opener.
Tymrak is excited about the centralized location.
“I think it’ll be really good for the fans,” she says. “Since it’s right across from Armature Works, you can go across the street and grab a bite to eat with your friends, you can grab a beer. It’ll be a whole fan experience”
As the Tampa Bay Sun prepares to make its mark, the team is excited to connect with the community and build a loyal fan base.
“Sports is a two-way street. They can’t exist without a fanbase,” says Tymrak. “We hope our supporters will give us the same dedication that we give to our game.”
Events leading home to the Tampa Bay Sun’s first match include a preseason match against Fort Lauderdale United at 7 p.m. Saturday, August 10th at Riverfront Stadium. There’s also a “Kickoff Soccer Clinic & SUNday Funday Fan Fest” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on August 11th at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park.
For more information, go to Tampa Bay Sun
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