Forever Buffs Star Lomnicki Lands Spot In Red Stars Front Office
February 08, 2022 | Soccer, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Michelle Wenino Lomnicki has never been able to shake her passion for soccer.
The game has been an integral part of her life since her days as a youth player in Aurora, her high school days at Smoky Hill, her four-year career as a Colorado Buffaloes star and her seven-year stint as a professional.
Now, after a relatively brief stretch in the corporate finance world, she is back in the game on a full-time basis again as the Associate General Manager of the Chicago Red Stars, an original member of the National Women's Soccer League.
"It's been great," said Lomnicki, who was named to the position in late January after spending a year with the Red Stars as the franchise's Director of Camps and Clinics. "It's been a perfect fit. As a former player, I understand the needs of players and my finance background is a big help for my front office responsibilities. It's the perfect combination for me and a great opportunity to help the Red Stars and the overall sport of women's soccer move forward."
Moving forward has always been a part of Lomnicki's game.
As a four-year starting defender at Colorado, she enjoyed an ultra-successful run that included four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths from 2005 to 2008 and three Big 12 title game appearances for Bill Hempen's Buffaloes.
Along the way, she also collected her fair share of individual accolades, earning two first-team All-Big 12 selections, an All-Big 12 Tournament team selection and the league's Co-Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2008.
"When I look back and reflect, I realize what a great stretch it was for us," Lomnicki said. "When you are in the middle of it, you kind of take it for granted. That was the standard, the expectation. You don't fully appreciate it while it's happening."
Lominicki also now has a great appreciation for a senior class that ushered her and her fellow freshmen into the program in 2005, a group that included CU Athletics Hall of Famer Fran Munnelly.
"They really took us under their wing and helped us grow," Lomnicki said. "They provided great leadership and taught us about the program. It was really a close-knit group and they helped us carry on the tradition they had built."
After her collegiate career, Lomnicki embarked on a professional journey that saw her play for the Red Stars in Women's Professional Soccer (a precursor to the NWSL), as well as stints overseas and with a pro franchise in New Jersey.
She then returned to the Red Stars in 2012 — the first year of the NWSL — and played four more seasons in Chicago, where she appeared in 48 games (39 starts) and logged 3,462 minutes on the pitch.
Then, following her retirement as a player, she was off to the corporate finance world while still keeping a toe in the game as a youth coach and clinician.
"I didn't love the corporate world," she said. "I liked the finance end, but the corporate part wasn't a great fit. I kept missing the sports side."
Finally, she jumped back into the game, returning to the Red Stars as the Director of Camps and Clinics in 2020.
Then came the opportunity to step into the Associate GM's role.
She didn't have to be prodded.
"Now, the challenge is how can you collectively work together to build success?" she said of her new position. "We want to work with players and help them build their careers while also building a great brand with the Red Stars and the sport in general."
While she didn't think about it at the time, Lomnicki played a role as a pioneer in the women's pro game. She played during the struggles of the WPSL and also in the fledgling years of the NWSL.
The money was by no means good. The benefits were few.
But it meant a chance to play the game she loved while also helping women's soccer establish a foothold in the U.S. sports landscape.
"The first five years of the league, I think players were sometimes a little hesitant," she said. "You were always wondering in the back of your mind if it would last. But after another five years, the NWSL has really established itself for the long term."
Indeed, a recent collective bargaining agreement reached between the players association and the league established some significant gains. The contract raises the players' minimum salary by 60 percent to $35,000 with four percent annual increases. Players will also receive increased free housing, transportation, health benefits and matching retirement plan contributions.
It is a far cry from the compensation Lomnicki received in the early years of her pro career.
"It shows the growth we've had in a relatively short period of time," Lomnicki said. "It's an important step for the sport and for the league. It really puts a solid foundation in place. When players come in, there is a future."
As a former player, Lomnicki has a critical understanding of what players need. As a front office exec, she also has a passion for building the sport and helping women's soccer continue to establish a strong base of support across the nation — from youth leagues to the pros.
"As a player, I looked at myself as someone who stepped in and helped the sport grow," she said. "I've always been passionate about women's soccer and while it wasn't easy in those first years, it was important."
Now Lomnicki has the opportunity to help push women's soccer to the next level. Already one of the most popular youth sports in the nation and a rapidly growing sport in the college ranks, she sees the chance to help build an opportunity for players to pursue a viable opportunity at the professional level.
"Soccer is a tight-knit community," she said. "You have to collaborate, work together. You want to help the players build their brand, which will in turn help build and establish the sport."
As a youth coach and clinician — something for which she still finds time — Lomnicki took joy in helping young players advance their skills.
"I've also always had a passion about nurturing young athletes and helping them understand what they are capable of achieving," she said.
Now, she can utilize that passion to help professional players — and a professional league — broaden its base and strengthen its foundation.
"I have the opportunity to play a role in helping the sport reach another level," she said. "We're building a sport and helping build a brand for the Red Stars and our league. Women's soccer is growing and I'm very excited to be a part of that in this role."