Change is the name of the game and the league is no different than its teams. The SISL acronym remains, but it stands for Southwest Independent Soccer League. The name change was necessitated because you can't call yourself an indoor soccer player when you venture outdoors. Less than three years after its founding and only a half a decade since the demise of the NASL, the SISL prepares for the giant step back into the great outdoors, embracing the game as it is played throughout the rest of the world.

 

The league expanded to nine indoor teams for the 1988-89 season with the Wichita Tornado, Houston Express and San Antonio Heat. The Arrows (Genesis-Spurs) continue to search for a home, moving to Addison, their third city in the league's three years of existence.

 

With the league's 1988-89 top goal-scorer and Most Valuable Player Brian Monaghan, the Austin Sockadillos reach the championship series for the second straight year after finishing first in the regular season.

 

After falling behind two games to none to the Lubbock Lazers, SISL's 1988-89 Coach of the Year Tony Simoes rallied his team in the next two games to tie the series at two apiece to force the tiebreaker mini-game.

 

Lubbock, behind the league's top goalkeeper David Swissler and Rookie of the Year Todd Hoodenpyle, nearly captured the title in game three, coming up short in the shootout. Austin handily won game four, 7-4, to even up the series. Lubbock, however, was too much as they raised the trophy with a 2-1 win in the mini-game.

 

Uwe Balzis finished at the top in assists for the second-year Albuquerque Gunners.