Sara Whalen Hess helped the United States win a World Cup. Now, the Greenlawn native is helping build a professional soccer club back home.

The Harborfields High School graduate is co-founder and president of USL Long Island, a new men’s team targeting a March 2028 debut at Hofstra University’s James M. Shuart Stadium in Hempstead.

The club, announced in August, plans to compete in USL League One, the third division of professional soccer in the United States, pending final league and federation sanctioning approval.

For Whalen Hess, a clinical psychologist and member of the celebrated 1999 U.S. Women’s World Cup championship team, it’s an unexpected opportunity to give back to the place where her soccer career began.

The idea took shape during the 2025 season, when she worked as head of player development for Westchester Soccer Club in USL League One.

“I was able to see what these leagues can do for the communities around them,” she said. “It’s seamless for me having grown up on Long Island and having gained so much from all of the people there and the support that I had to sort of bring this community hub back home and give back in a way that feels really meaningful.”