US Soccer gets $30 million from Spirit owner Michele Kang to boost women's teams

NEW YORK — U.S. Soccer received a $30 million dollar gift from businesswoman and Washington Spirit owner Michele Kang, the organization announced Tuesday.

The donation, which will be dispersed over the next five years, is the largest ever given to U.S. Soccer's women's and girls' programs and is the largest gifted by a woman to the organization. It will be used to expand and improve the talent pool in soccer and provide professional development for female players, coaches and referees.

"Michele Kang’s gift will transform soccer for women and girls in the United States," said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone in a statement. "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."

What Michele Kang's donation means for U.S. Soccer

The donation to the organization is set to have an immediate impact on soccer in the United States. U.S. Soccer said it would double the number of National Team camps it has, with funding going directly to camps for women and girls.

The investment will also give access to 100,000 female players, an important step to keeping the player pipeline strong. The United States women's national team has won five Women's World Cup titles and five Olympic gold medals, including winning the tournament in Paris this past summer.

The money will also have an impact on coaches and officials, more than doubling the number of female coaches and referees in the game to 70,000.

Who is Michele Kang?

The 65-year-old, South Korea-born Kang was the founder and chief executive of Cognosante, a health information technology company that was acquired earlier this year by IT services management company Accenture Federal Services.

Kang became a majority owner of Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League in 2022, making her the first minority woman to purchase a team in the league. She also owns Olympique Lyonnais Féminin in France and the London City Lionesses women’s soccer club.

Her philanthropy goes beyond soccer, as she donated $4 million to U.S. women’s rugby sevens ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. The women's rugby team won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, the first Olympic medal ever won in that sport. Kang also launched Kynisca this year, parent company for her sports teams and innovation in the women's game. She gave $50 million to her Kynisca Innovation Hub, a significant investment toward medical, technological and cultural advancements in women's sports.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US Soccer gets $30 million from Mihcele Kang to boost women’s teams