Written in blue lettering on the interior wall of a building that still smells of sawdust and plaster, there reads, “Somewhere out there, there’s a fan who’s here for their first time, their last time, or their only time. I owe that fan my best.” It’s a poignant phrase for the Kansas City Current, the professional women’s soccer team bringing the city to the forefront of the sports world once again.
The Current’s Riverside training complex is a state-of-the art space that has already cemented its place in history as the first purpose-built female training facility. Now, they’re following it up with the CPKC Stadium, the very first women’s soccer stadium in the world.
“Especially coming from a place where we had to share facilities with the men, it’s like now we get to put our foot down and say what we want to do. It feels really empowering and I feel so lucky to be able to call that our own stadium,” says Current midfielder Bayley Feist.
As it stands, NWSL teams are relegated to second priority when it comes to training and playing matches at facilities owned by MLS clubs—If they can afford to rent them at all. Female soccer players are used to early morning or late night practices, driving out of their way to find suitable field options, and generally waiting around for their schedules to be finalized, due to these obstacles, not to mention the gap in investment and funding.
So what makes Kansas City the exception?
“I think we’re really lucky to have the owners that we do, who are looking to put in effort to build something special,” Feist says.
Even Raven Jemison, the Current’s new team president, was compelled to relocate states for the opportunity to be a part of the movement happening here.
“I told everyone who would listen that I had a ten-minute Zoom conversation with Angie Long and I was sold. If you want me to sweep the stadium, I’m there. What do you need me to do, because the passion is there, but it also goes beyond passion because there are a lot of people who want to invest in women’s sports.”
Between the Long and Mahomes families, the club has been well invested in—and for good reason. According to Forbes, 2023 was a record breaking year for NWSL viewership with a year-over-year increase of 26%. CBS reported a growth of 41% and Paramount+ saw an 83% increase in streaming. Some franchises sold more home seats last year than ever before, and season tickets for the the Current this year are already completely sold out. Ahead of the CPKC home opener, Current defender Regan Steigleder expressed excitement about what this could mean for the world of women’s professional sports.
“Having a space just for us, just for the women’s team, is such a game changer. Being a true priority in the sport, I think it will hopefully create space for other women’s stadiums in the future,” Steigleder says.
Shawnee Mission South’s head coach of girls soccer shared a similar sentiment. “I hope this becomes the standard for professional sports all over the world. It’s going to show that people are willing to spend their time and resources supporting it. Not only that, but they want to.”
As one of the first female 6A high school girl’s soccer coaches in the area, Caroline Ewing is already beginning to see the impact that the Current has made on the next generation of athletes. In addition to a noticeable uptick in interest for trying out or playing as a hobby, the girls who have been on the field for years are stepping up their game. Some have begun to consider it a viable career path for their future.
“I think that seeing a lot more female professional athletes, you’re seeing some women with really strong personalities. They’re not afraid to talk about it and they don’t take any crap,” Ewing says. “They’re allowed to be like that, and I think that’s so great. For the longest time ever, women have sort of made themselves smaller or didn’t see themselves existing in those spaces.”
Even on the sidelines, Ewing feels the impact of maneuvering through a predominantly male institution. Referees often mistake her for an assistant, despite her ten years of experience as a head coach.
“I won’t be able to do this forever because that fatigue really gets to you. It has an affect, and you feel like you have to do 100 times more than the male coach across the field, to just prove that you’re worth it,” she says. It’s something that she wants to see change in the coming years as the Current sets a new standard.
Speaking for organization, Vice President of Communications Dani Welniak summed up the importance of the project simply.
“To know that previous generations, including mine, could have only dreamed of having our own stadium, I think for a lot of us, that’s our why,” she says. “We come in because we want to change women’s sports. We want to change the world, but ultimately we want to make it a better place for women, and the future generations of athletes that will get what we didn’t get. For me, it’s a very surreal and emotional experience.”
Although Jemison previously helped open Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, she’s exceedingly proud to be a part of what the club is doing by creating opportunities for women everywhere.
“I don’t know if it’s chosen or destiny. I don’t believe in coincidences, but I know the city is ready. The community is ready. Sports is ready.”
Tickets are sparse, but you can check out the KC Current’s upcoming schedule to tour the CPKC Stadium for yourself. The on-site merch store is open to the public and does not require tickets to enter.
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