US Soccer announced Tuesday that it accepted a $30 million donation from Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang, marking the largest philanthropic investment in women’s and girls’ soccer in the federation’s history.
Kang joined CBS Mornings alongside US Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone to break the news of his investment, and also stopped by CBS Sports Golazo Network’s Morning Footy to discuss the donation. Your investment will be spread over a five-year period. Funds from your donation will boost US Soccer’s efforts to recruit and develop young players, as well as increase opportunities for women pursuing careers as coaches, referees and technical staff members.
“In recent years we have made incredible progress in developing the professional level – the teams, the purpose-built women’s stadiums and the dedicated training centres,” he told Morning Footy about the NWSL. “The audience is doubling, attendance is doubling and tripling, but to maintain this momentum, we now have to invest in the initial stage of this ecosystem, which is the youth. They are the future stars and they are the ones who are going to to make This product is incredibly exciting and exciting for our fans and the talent, from a very young age, we need to identify ourselves, we need to develop ourselves, we need to be mentored and then for that to happen, we need coaches and We need well-trained coaches and referees. to supervise the games and so on, and without those resources, this sport cannot continue.
Thanks to Kang’s donation, US Soccer will be able to expand its talent identification tools at the youth levels, including doubling the number of camps from six to 12 each year per age group. US Soccer will also be able to increase the capacity of its digital talent identification platform, which will now have access to 100,000 youth players and will see 12 times as many players enter the process.
The investment will also ensure more educational and mentoring resources for 10,000 women in coaching, refereeing and technical staff roles.
Kang, founder of medical technology company Cognosante, is the first woman of color to be the majority owner of an NWSL team. She entered the women’s soccer scene when she acquired a 35% stake in the NWSL’s Washington Spirit in December 2020, her first venture as a professional sports team owner. She became majority owner of the team in March 2022 after winning a proxy battle with former controlling owner Steve Baldwin, who was forced to resign after it was revealed that he tolerated a toxic and abusive workplace.
Kang had the support of the players throughout the months-long saga and, upon becoming majority owner, committed to not only ensuring safe working conditions but also investing heavily in the team. The Spirit have reached the NWSL Championship twice since Kang joined the ownership group, winning in 2021 and playing for their second title on Saturday against Orlando Pride (8 p.m. ET, CBS, Paramount+).
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In recent years, Kang has expanded her portfolio and become one of the first moguls in women’s sports. It reached a deal in May 2023 to become the majority owner of Olympique Lyonnais Feminin, the record eight-time winner of the UEFA Women’s Champions League. In December 2023, it purchased London City Lionesses, the city’s only independently owned women’s club in the top two tiers of English football. Each club is under the umbrella of Kynisca Sports International, which also includes the Kynisca Innovation Hub (KIH) which launched in August 2024. The KIH is Kang’s $50 million investment to expand sports science resources for athletes, since only 6% of research on the topic focuses on women.
Kang’s portfolio also includes investments in media company Just Women’s Sports, women’s athletic footwear company IDA Sports, a $4 million donation to the U.S. women’s rugby team and a stake in the Baltimore Orioles of the MLB.
Recently, US Soccer has begun turning to wealthy donors to fund several projects, including the recent hiring of men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino. According to The Athletic, a US Soccer donor approached hedge fund manager and billionaire Ken Griffin to help them in their quest to hire the high-profile coach. Griffin’s gift allowed US Soccer to make Pochettino the highest-paid coach in the federation, reportedly earning $6 million a year for his services.
Kang’s investment, however, is designed to keep the women’s national team competitive for years to come. Increased investment around the world has challenged the USWNT’s former label as the gold standard of women’s soccer, although its recent Olympic gold medal under new coach Emma Hayes restored confidence in the program. . However, an injection of cash into the youth development structure could offer a competitive advantage for US Soccer as it aims to remain the best of the best in women’s soccer.
