Skydiving is all about taking the plunge — having the gumption to take that deep breath and allow yourself to dive out of a functioning airplane and freefall before ripping the cord on your parachute to take in the scenic views on the way down.

To some degree, women’s lacrosse players who spent five weeks in the D.C. metro area for the inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse took a similar plunge. This first season was potentially one of trial and error. Players took a chance on a third professional women’s lacrosse league and one unlike any that’s ever come before.

Athletes Unlimited, a network of women’s professional sports leagues that’s built for the athletes and by the athletes, had already pulled off two successful endeavors before lacrosse debuted July 23. AU’s softball and volleyball leagues featured Olympians, gold medalists and national champions, a showcase of each sport’s elite.

Lacrosse is no different. When the talent-rich 56-player roster descended upon Maureen Hendricks Field, there was more than a glimmer of hope that the best women’s lacrosse athletes in the world would finally have a league befitting their skills.

“From a visibility standpoint, getting the game on television and getting it in places people can watch, it’s so important,” said Taylor Cummings, the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse champion. “We need eyes on our game in order for it to grow. This is providing that. That’s the thing we’ve lacked in the other leagues.”

Indeed, Athletes Unlimited has put forth a polished product. From mic’d up players and live in-game interviews to savvy social media and crisp photography, Athletes Unlimited is capitalizing on every opportunity to market its stars.

“What Athletes Unlimited has done, I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Kylie Ohlmiller said. “We’ve never seen this many cameras in our faces, this many players mic’d up. Just the attention to detail, it’s something we haven’t seen before in professional women’s lacrosse.”

The opening ceremony set the stage. Players marched onto the field in their team’s colors — gold, orange, blue and purple. Co-founders Jon Patricof and Jonathan Soros addressed the athletes, family and friends in attendance, as did player executive committee members Amber McKenzie and Mira Shane. Amber Hill honored the sport’s Native American roots with a portion of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving address. There was spoken word poetry.

And then literal skydiving.

The Highlight Pros Skydiving Team, a group comprised of all women, came soaring out of the sky and into the center circle as fans and players standing on the sideline pointed upward in amazement.

“What Athletes Unlimited stands for is so in line with what we believe in and want to promote, including gender equality, equal pay and amplifying causes that elevate and empower all women to be bold and brave in their ideas and choices,” said Melanie Curtis, a co-founder of the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team.

If the purpose of Athletes Unlimited is to empower women and provide a first-class experience, then the players wasted little time showing their might.

Kayla Wood shot off the circle like she was released from a slingshot, zeroing in on the ball and corralling the first draw in Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse history. She then pushed the ball up field and found Halle Majorana, who kickstarted this new era for the sport with a behind-the-back goal reminiscent of her days at Syracuse.

The excitement only built from there. Team Ohlmiller’s Kayla Treanor, Nicole Levy, Majorana and Ohlmiller produced jaw-dropping numbers and highlight-worthy plays during opening weekend, going 3-0 and producing Week 2’s next set of four captains — Wood, Treanor, Dempsey Arsenault and Haley Warden.

The draft element of Athletes Unlimited adds a fantasy-like aspect to the league. There’s a good chance that any fan’s dream combination of superstars could materialize any given week.

Winning is important, too. Players get 25 points for every quarter their team wins and 100 points for a game win. “I think the key, which makes it really exciting and why it’s fun, is that the team win means so much more than anything else,” Treanor said. “So really, it’s all about winning.”

The smaller field allows for more transition opportunities, and with fewer players on the field at once, there’s more space to operate. Plus, with shooting space violations eliminated, players can truly tap into their creativity near the crease.

“We’re just trying to figure out the product people want to watch and what’s going to showcase our athleticism and our speed and our creativity in the best format,” Cummings said.

Every player interviewed for this story expressed gratitude for Athletes Unlimited’s willingness to listen to its athletes’ input. Call it the league’s mission. Athletes Unlimited is all about accommodating players’ needs, and that extends far beyond the lacrosse field, softball diamond or volleyball court.

“There’s a lot of investment in growing the sport and giving the athletes a voice,” Emily Garrity Parros said. “That’s important to propel a league forward.”

Lauded for its policies surrounding its support of mothers — Amber McKenzie’s young sons, Storm and Bolt, stole the show opening weekend as they cheered for their mom from the stands — Athletes Unlimited wants to ensure that its players are comfortable.

Athletes Unlimited also supports dog moms. Ohlmiller said there were 15 dogs staying in the hotel where the players lodged for the duration of the season. Oakley, Ohlmiller’s mini Australian shepherd, has quickly become best friends with Katie O’Donnell’s golden retriever, Brewer.

During the five-week season, players were constantly on the move. They practiced every morning, played three games per weekend and had other obligations almost daily. But each player had space to unwind in her own hotel room complete with a kitchenette and other amenities that help make being “in market” for a prolonged period more comfortable.

“I definitely see a lot of potential in this,” Caylee Waters said.

That seemed to be a common sentiment among players. With key investors, a fast-paced game and a framework that keeps things fresh, Athletes Unlimited could be here to stay. Said Ohlmiller: “I think we’ve really got something special here.”

This article appears in the September/October edition of USA Lacrosse Magazine. Join our momentum.