Michele Kang, CEO of Kynisca and owner of professional women’s soccer team Washington Spirit, has made a $30 million pledge to the U.S. Soccer organization — specifically the girls and women’s programs.
The U.S. Soccer organization announced on social media on Tuesday and is the largest-ever donation made to American soccer by a woman, and the largest to its women’s programs. The donation will be distributed over the next five years and aims to “expand opportunities” for female athletes, coaches, and referees in the U.S. President of the organization Cindy Parlow Cone described the donation as “transformative,” and emphasized the impact it will have on future generations. “Kang’s gift will revolutionize soccer for women and girls in the United States,” Cone said.’
The contribution will effectively double the number of national team camps for all age groups and offer more high-quality training and facilities for younger female athletes. It will also enhance talent identification programs, which will increase recruitment “twelvefold”. Kang and U.S. Soccer’s goal is to add 70,000 new female coaches and referees.
Kang also owns French team Olympique Lyonnais and England’s London City Lionesses. She has made it her personal mission to elevate the women’s game globally. She first got involved in 2022 becoming the first Asian-American woman to own a National Women’s Soccer League team (NWSL) team. Earlier this year, she donated $50 million to global investment for the health and performance of elite female athletes.
“Women’s sports have been undervalued and overlooked for too long,” Kang stated. “I am committed to raising the standard in women’s soccer — both on and off the pitch — by delivering the resources female athletes need to reach their potential.“
Kang acknowledges that change must occur at the systemic level for women’s soccer to grow in the United States, and hopes these donations will help spur the next generation of elite players such as Alex Morgan.
