CHICAGO (November 19, 2024) – U.S. Soccer announced a historic gift today for its women’s and girls’ soccer programs from businesswoman, team owner, and women’s sports advocate Michele Kang. Kang has pledged to give U.S. Soccer, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, $30 million dollars over the next five years which is the largest philanthropic investment in U.S. Soccer’s women’s and girls’ programs and the most generous donation ever made to U.S. Soccer by a woman.
The investment from Kang will scale competitive opportunities for youth players, expand and improve talent identification, and fuel professional development for female players, coaches, and referees.
This gift builds upon Ms. Kang’s historic investmentsin women’s sports. As the founder and CEO of Kynisca, the first multi-team global organization dedicated to women’s soccer, she owns the Washington Spirit, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, and London City Lionesses. Kang is also an investor in Just Women’s Sports and IDA Sports and has donated to the USA women’s rugby sevens team.This gift furthers the momentum created with Arthur M. Blank’s significant lead donation toward U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center, which will bear his name.
“Michele Kang’s gift will transform soccer for women and girls in the United States,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “It will impact generations of women and girls in our game, including players, coaches, and referees. I know firsthand the power soccer can have in someone’s life and thanks to Michele, we will be able to provide more support and opportunities for women and girls.”
“Women’s sports have been undervalued and overlooked for far too long,” said Kang. “I am committed to raising the standard of excellence in women’s soccer -- both on and off the pitch -- by delivering the resources female athletes need to reach their full potential and surround them with the professional support they deserve. I hope this investment serves as ‘seed capital’ and spurs other donors to follow suit.”
The gift will help U.S. Soccer scale its talent identification tools, talent, and camps, providing more opportunities to more players. Kang’s investment will help U.S. Soccer ensure everyone has an opportunity to be seen and no player slips through the cracks. It will allow U.S. Soccer to double the number of National Team camps it currently runs, equating to six camps per age group for Youth National Teams. Ms. Kang’s gift will specifically fund camps for women and girls.It will also help build out U.S. Soccer’s digital talent identification platform, bringing 12 times the number of players into the Youth National Team pipeline, giving access to 100,000 female players.
The generous gift will also provide more professional development opportunities, including education and mentorship, to an additional 70,000 female coaches and referees, doubling the number of female coaches and referees in the game.
“I believe a gift like this will change the trajectory of the sport,” said U.S. Soccer Women’s National Team head coach Emma Hayes. “We’re in a pivotal moment for soccer in the U.S. and this will help us support more female players, coaches and referees in the game.”
Please find a headshot of Ms. Kang here.
About the U.S. Soccer Federation
Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer has been the official governing body of the sport in the United States for more than 100 years. As U.S. Soccer looks toward the future amid an unprecedented moment of opportunity, it has aligned its efforts around five strategic pillars: Grow the game by increasing youth and adult participation and accessibility to the sport; Foster best playing environments through quality of referees and coaches, and commitment to participant safety; Develop winning teams through solidified pathways and success of professional leagues; Grow the soccer economy to fuel reinvestment by increasing membership, fandom and commercial success; and Create a world-class organization through revitalized structure and culture, best-in-class talent, progress in DEIB, and more. For more information, visit ussoccer.com.
About Michele Kang
Michele Kang is a pioneering business leader and investor dedicated to advancing women’s sports worldwide. As the first woman of color to own a National Women’s Soccer League team, the Washington Spirit, and the majority owner of Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and London City Lionesses, she continues to set new standards across the industry. In 2024, she launched Kynisca, the world’s first multi-team global organization focused on professionalizing women’s football, proving its commercial potential and cultural impact. Known as a Power Player in Women’s Sports by Sports Business Journal and one of the 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports by Sports Illustrated, Michele supports American veterans, the arts, and education through her roles on multiple nonprofit boards. She holds degrees from the University of Chicago and the Yale School of Management.
