PRESS RELEASE

 

ADDITION OF COMMUNITY-CENTERED LOVE CITY FC WILL MAKE FOR HEATED PHILADELPHIA DERBYS IN 2026 WPSL SEASON

 

OKLAHOMA CITY (1/19/2026) — The Women’s Premier Soccer League welcomes the latest addition for the 2026 season, Love City FC. With the announcement, Love City FC becomes the second Philadelphia-based expansion club to join the league this year, further rooting the league’s position in the Mid-Atlantic Region. 

 

“By joining the WPSL, we are able to add a competitive pre-professional option for players in the city of Philadelphia, strengthening the player pathway for local talent,” Katie Van Aken, Love City FC co-owner and founder, said. “This is the first step on Love City FC’s mission to become the leading club in Philadelphia for women looking to compete at all levels, and to give the famous Philly sports fans a women’s team to cheer for.” 

 

The club was Founded in 2025 with the mission of providing opportunities for girls and women to play soccer at all levels, while preparing them for success on and off the field. Committed to providing a nurturing environment for youth players to grow and excel in the sport, Love City FC is investing in overlooked areas of the game which will be the new standard in player development, talent identification, and sports science. 

 

In its short existence, the club has made considerable inroads in the Philadelphia soccer community both on and off the field including the donation of a scoreboard to Safe-Hub Philly for its inaugural girl’s league, free clinics in partnership with Safe-Hub Philly for girls in underserved neighborhoods, and U.S. Soccer ahead of last summer’s USWNT game in Chester, Pa. Since fielding its first team in the summer of 2025, the club has claimed multiple local league and tournament titles in U-23, Open, and Over-30 age divisions.

 

The club enters its inaugural WPSL season under the leadership of Van Aken, Jami Dansingburg, and, and Co-Owner and Principal Advisor, Mick Weeks.  

 

Van Aken is a Philadelphia-area native and lifelong Philly sports fan. After playing, Van Aken went on to coach for Haverford College (NCAA III) while completing her doctorate in Engineering. She became involved in helping grow local women’s soccer leagues, and shares her knowledge of the game as a coach for Safe-Hub Philadelphia, a nonprofit dedicated to community programs for kids in some of Philadelphia’s most underserved neighborhoods. With the launch of Love City FC, Van Aken is refocusing her dedication to advancing the profile of women’s soccer in Philadelphia. 

 

Dansingburg was an All-American goalkeeper at William Smith College (NCAA III) before becoming head coach at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. where she also served as Assistant Director of the National Soccer Hall of Fame before its move to Frisco, Texas, guiding the rebranding and relaunch of the museum and raising $7.2 million for the surrounding facilities that hosted U.S. Men’s and Women’s international competitions and WUSA exhibition matches. Since moving to Philadelphia, she continues to coach at the youth level, with a focus on urban soccer program development while building a career in sports marketing and merchandising, serving as COO of Icarus Football, a custom uniform design company based in Philadelphia. 

 

Weeks, a co-owner and principal in the club and a lifelong advocate for soccer, is a founding member of the U.S. Soccer Federation At-Large Development Council, where he serves as an ambassador for the game, provides leadership, and supports impact investing initiatives. With strong ties at both the local and national soccer communities, Weeks is focused on leveraging his professional experience working in the nonprofit sector focusing on youth development and community service, and leadership background to expand opportunities for women’s soccer in the Philadelphia region.

 

“Katie [Van Aken] and I had the experience of watching the U.S. Women’s National Team exit the 2023 Women’s World Cup much earlier than expected,” Weeks said. “I had conversations with the U.S. Soccer Federation leadership about what the U.S. needed to do next to ensure such an outcome did not occur again. I resolved then to work to find ways to contribute to helping move the women’s game forward in the U.S. This endeavor with WPSL in an underserved market like Philadelphia is a first step in that direction.” 

 

Conference and division alignment will be announced at the WPSL Annual General Meeting January 30-31. The 28th WPSL season kicks off in mid-May, culminating with the WPSL Championships in July. The 2026 WPSL schedule will be announced in March. 

 

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For more information on Love City FC, visit its official website, or follow on Instagram. 

 

For more information on the WPSL, visit www.wpslsoccer.com.

 

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About the Women’s Premier Soccer League

The WPSL completed its 27th season in 2025 remaining  the most tenured women’s league in North America. The WPSL continues to operate as the largest women’s soccer league in the world. An all-time high of 150 teams competed in the 2025 WPSL Season. Team rosters feature elite collegiate, post-collegiate, international, and standout prep student-athletes. Many of the United States’ most accomplished women’s national team players have played in the WPSL since its inception in 1998, including household names such as Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Abby Wambach, and Brandi Chastain.