May snags job with professional soccer league

In his five years as Penn's director of athletic communications, Shaun May never served as the media contact for women's soccer. From now on, though, that will be the only sport with which he will concern himself. May, who resigned from his post at Penn in June, is the first director of public relations for the recently established Women's United Soccer Association, the professional soccer league that will begin play in mid-April. "I think it is the perfect combination," May said of his new position. "It's a start-up, but it's in sports. It has all the makings of a success." Next spring, the league will launch in eight cities -- Philadelphia, Atlanta, Boston, New York, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. -- and will feature nearly every member of the World Cup-winning U.S. national team. May will coordinate all public relations for the new league. He is currently planning the unveiling of the franchises' names and logos on October 5 and an indoor tour that will kick off at the First Union Spectrum on October 20. May is also working on a model for the league's game-day programs, which he will pattern after Palestra Illustrated, the Penn men's basketball program he produced for five years. While May has yet to personally meet Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain or any of the other big names in the world of women's soccer, he has exchanged e-mails with many of the U.S. stars who are currently at the Olympics in Sydney. "It's very exciting, because you are dealing with arguably some of the best athletes in the world," May said. But dealing with world-class athletes is nothing new for May, who served as the main media contact for the Penn Relay Carnival each spring. In addition to the Relays and overseeing the athletic communications office, May served as the primary media contact for the Penn football, men's basketball and men's lacrosse teams. And while he is excited to move on to his new position in New York, May continues to live in Philadelphia -- and still feels a connection to the Red and Blue. He plans to attend several men's basketball games at the Palestra this season and says that he will miss Quakers hoops more than anything. "It's a very special group of people, both those who are there now and people in the past," May said. "Once you're a part of it, you're a part of it for life."

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