Michele Kang makes record donation to USSF women's soccer programs

November 19, 2024, 9:00 a.m. ET

Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang will donate $30 million to US Soccer, the federation announced Tuesday, the largest donation ever to the organization's programs for girls and women.

The donation over the next five years will help increase competitive opportunities for girls and the professional development of female players, as well as women in coaching and refereeing positions.

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The federation said Kang's donation was also the largest ever made to American soccer by a woman.

“Michele Kang's gift will transform soccer for women and girls in the United States,” U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone said in a statement. “This will impact generations of women and girls in our sport.”

The donation comes just months after the United States won its fifth Olympic gold medal, a return to form for one of the most dominant teams following their disappointing performance at the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Michele Kang was there when the Washington Spirit beat NJ/NY Gotham FC on penalties. Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Kang, whose Washington Spirit will compete in the NWSL championship match against the Orlando Pride this weekend, has become one of the sport's most influential owners since becoming majority owner of the Washington-based team. DC in 2022.

Last year, she founded the first multi-team women's football organization which also includes French club LyonFeminin and English team London City Lionesses.

Kang said the investment would provide a holistic approach to talent development, doubling the number of national team camps and developing a digital talent identification platform to ensure “no talented player is overlooked.”

She said the United States cannot maintain its dominance without major changes to its youth system, which she compares unfavorably to those of England and France, even as the sport grows in popularity in States.

“[NWSL owners] everyone came specifically to invest and develop this sport and we did it. So the results are, I must say, quite spectacular in terms of the increase in audience, in attendance,” she told reporters in New York.

“But it’s not going to be permanent unless the whole pyramid structure and ecosystem is there.”

Its investment will also be used to develop more licensed female coaches, with the goal of doubling their number from 40,000 to 80,000 in the United States, and to train more female referees.

“Women’s sports have been underestimated and neglected for too long,” Kang said.

“I am committed to raising the level of excellence in women's soccer — on and off the field — by providing female athletes with the resources they need to reach their full potential.”

USWNT head coach Emma Hayes praised the investment, saying it has the potential to “change the trajectory of the sport.”

In August, Kang announced a $50 million global investment to improve the health of elite female athletes with the launch of Kynisca Sports International Ltd, the first organization focused exclusively on women's soccer across multiple teams.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

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