The Fairfax Women’s Soccer Association celebrates its 50th anniversary

In 1976, a group of mothers founded a soccer league for themselves. Fifty years later, that league, the Fairfax Women’s Soccer Association, serves more than 550 women playing on teams this fall alone, spanning age divisions from 19 to 60-plus.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution on Oct. 27 congratulating FWSA on its 50th anniversary and commending it for promoting women’s soccer, health, wellness, and community engagement.

FWSA will mark its anniversary on Nov. 7 with a private celebration honoring the players, alumni, and leaders who have shaped the organization over the past five decades.

The league operates across nine Fairfax County parks and schools, including Pine Ridge and Wakefield parks in Annandale and Woodson High School.

Over the past five years, more than 2,500 women have participated in FWSA’s teams, its academy, or its annual Pine Ridge tournament.

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“FWSA’s history is not just longevity. It is a story of building, adapting, preserving, teaching, and making room for women to keep playing,” said Wanda Rixon, long-time FWSA board member.

Two of the fields at Pine Ridge Park are named for Rixon and another longtime FWSA leader, Ruth Walton.

FWSA has contributed more than $600,000 and countless volunteer hours toward field improvements, including the installation of artificial turf at Wakefield Park and Woodson High School.

Beyond athletics, FWSA has built a legacy of giving back, supporting local food banks and women’s shelters, and forging partnerships with youth soccer clubs, public schools, and the Fairfax County Park Authority.

FWSA calls its anniversary celebration “a testament to the women who built the league, the community that continues to sustain it, and the enduring belief that there should always be room for women to keep playing.”