The Women in Blue kick off their inaugural WPSL campaign on the road against Sunflower FC on Saturday. Everything is new for the AFCC side. New club, new league, new coaches, new players. But, this doesn’t seem to bother head coach Kurtis Boardsen—and why should it? The gaffer was in this same spot the previous year with the men’s side of AFCC. “It was never really time to hang it up,” says coach Boardsen, and I witnessed that passion first hand at Tuesday’s practice. The energy on the pitch was infectious and the weather, thankfully, cooperated after a day with possible heavy rain clouds.

Although everyone on the pitch was new and from various corners of the state, there was a definite since of comradery and energy. However, that camaraderie is laced with tension as the ladies continue to battle for a spot in the starting XI before Saturday’s match. Per coach Boardsen, it’s still up in the air about who will where the captain’s armband and what the team will look like come Saturday. “I’m very big on putting players in spots where they can be successful,” says the skipper. “As long as the players can be successful in their locations and spots, I feel that gives the team the best chance for success as a whole.”

That’s great to hear, but it has to be noted that WPSL is a difficult league to get positive results right off the bat. The league was founded in 1998 and has seen Olympic Medalists, NWSL players, and a series of colligate champions come through its ranks. On the colligate side, the league is definitely noticed for attracting top NCAA Division I talent on a regular basis.

All that said, what most don’t know, is that Columbia and the surrounding areas of mid-Missouri has a ton of top talent and that will be on display at this club. Columbia is jumping into the women’s soccer scene in a big way.