My Cicy

When he first contacted former league president Bill Conroy to express interest in owning a team, the plan was for the Glory to debut in 2008. But circumstances changed when the Connecticut Brakettes chose to focus on ASA travel softball after reaching the NPF championship game last summer.

So as he prepared for a three-week family vacation to the Caribbean, Wilson attended the league’s winter meetings in December and eventually agreed in mid-January to transform the Brakettes into a Washington expansion team.

“Five of us came from the Brakettes and we had no idea what was going on when we found out our team folded. We were pretty much just waiting and once I heard from Paul and heard what he had in store and what he wanted to offer us I said yes,” Pauly said. “I didn’t need any more explanations because I knew he wanted to make this team big.”

There are things that Wilson undoubtedly believes could have run smoother. Season tickets were distributed to many fans after the first game had already been played and the team’s yearbook won’t be ready until the final home series.

But, overall, things worked out rather well considering he had a few months to work with. Sleep was virtually an afterthought. He transformed his dining room into a “home office” and would often wake up in the middle of the night and write ideas on sheets of notebook paper to make sure he didn’t forget them.

Perhaps most importantly, Wilson surrounded himself with the best softball minds he could find — George Mason coach Joe Verbanic, U.S. National team assistant coach Karen Johns, Dever-Boaz and Hall of Fame coach Cindy Bristow — to serve as advisors.

“I don’t have all the answers. I don’t have most of the answers to be honest,” he said. “What I have is the passion to make it happen and the ability to put together a team to make it happen. I’ve completely surrounded myself with people who are better than I am.”

And together, they put a franchise together in 120 days.

After discussing stadium options with representatives from Fairfax County, Loudoun County, George Mason and the University of Maryland, Wilson joined forces with Verbanic — signing a lease that will allow the Glory to play its home games at the Patriots softball complex, where they average about 650 fans on weekends, through 2011.

The university installed lights that allowed for 7:05 p.m. starts and more changes are on the way. The stadium site will undergo a $2.5-million upgrade next spring, but in the interim Wilson rented a 1,400-seat grandstand and had the Lower Loudoun Girls Little League operate a concession stand.

By May 26, after he’d signed Dever-Boaz as head coach, whittled a field of 220 possible nicknames down to one and drafted two star players, the Glory took the field for the first time for an exhibition game against Philadelphia.

Wilson’s vision unfolded before him that evening like a dream come true. He’d started with random thoughts of notebook paper and the idea of creating a franchise the community would embrace.

What Wilson got was something much grander than even he expected.

“People knew when they saw our lineup exactly what we were going to be about. There was no secret,” Keohohou said. “We’re not left over players. We’re not players who didn’t have a team to go to.

“If anything it’s made us want to be a part of it even more because we know we’re hand-picked. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? ”

It certainly helps that the Glory is a first-place team. They’ve led the league since Opening Day and, with eight games remaining in the regular season, are assured of a spot in the four-team playoffs.

“This is a first for me in everything, but it’s exciting to be part of a team where it’s everybody’s first,” Moore said. “Paul’s really done a great job with this team. I’m just excited about the future if this is the beginning.”

By Dave Utnik