UMKC announced a new partnership with Kansas City Current, KC’s professional women’s soccer team over winter break. The release detailed the deal as “groundbreaking,” with opportunities for Current and Roo players alike.
The partnership has two main layers: KC Current players will have the opportunity to take classes at UMKC, and the school’s women’s soccer team will have access to mentorship from the professional players.
Ben Aken, the vice president of community relations for KC Current, says that the partnership is “guided by our organization’s three community pillars,” and that “there are countless opportunities to make an impact with UMKC.”
According to Aken, the educational landscape of the Current is similar to that of the university’s. The players and staff are made up of people from over ten different countries, and about 40% of the players have STEM degrees.
However, there are still Current players that didn’t get to start or complete college before becoming professional soccer players. That’s where UMKC comes in. Aken says that the school is a “natural complement” for the team.
Stacy Downs, the director of strategic communication for UMKC, noted that KC Current players will have access to any course the university offers.
For the UMKC women’s soccer players, the mentorship aspect hasn’t been detailed yet. Aken did say that the program hopes to “provide opportunities for Roo Athletes to not only learn from our professional players, but the ‘team behind the team’ who create a world-class environment to support the players.”
Downs noted that mentorship will be available to all players, in different formats, and that the Roo’s women’s soccer head coach, Jess Smith, also coaches with KC Current during the summer. This mentorship “should benefit students both on and off the field.”
The KC Current will begin play on March 16 here, in Kansas City against the Portland Thorns.
