COLUMBIA, Mo. (Jan. 19, 2023) – The Women’s Premier Soccer League announced today that AFC Columbia will compete in the 2023 season as the league’s latest expansion side. With the announcement, AFC Columbia becomes the second expansion team in Missouri for the new season as the league expands further into the Midwest.
“This is an opportunity for the club to fulfill its mission of bringing a women’s program to Columbia for the first time and competing in the WPSL against some of the best clubs in the Midwest just emphasizes our commitment to high-level competition,” Zach Fisher, AFC Columbia club president, said. “This is an exciting step for AFCC that was three years in the making.”
Since its inception in 2020, AFC Columbia has prioritized establishing a club foundation that embodies both men’s and women’s sides. With the state’s talent primarily highlighting the Kansas City and St. Louis metro areas, AFCC recognized the need to emphasize the rich homegrown talent in its backyard and showcase this talent on a regional and national scale.
“Playing this summer against clubs in the bigger cities is something our players have done since they were just starting out, and now they can do so all the way through their playing careers,” Fisher said. “We relish this opportunity and look forward to putting Columbia on the map.”
“After much success last year with the Men’s MWPL teams, we are ecstatic to announce the founding of our Women’s WPSL team to extend the same opportunity to our very talented pool of female players in Central Missouri,” remarked Women’s Team Head Coach, Kurtis Boardsen. “Competing in the WPSL is a great honor and test for the players and coaches in our area and I think we have an opportunity to be competitive from Day 1. I look forward to competing against the rest of the teams in our Conference and Division and am very proud to help bring this opportunity to our own soccer hotbed that is Central Missouri.”
Since its early stages, AFCC has prioritized its community presence within Columbia by actively raising money for low-income scholarships for Sporting Columbia – a youth soccer program serving over 1,500 soccer players in the area. Additionally, the club volunteers at local community events in partnership with its members and are expected to launch further soccer-oriented events throughout the year.
“We are beyond thrilled to be joining WPSL! We hope that joining this league will be wonderful in advancing the Women’s game here in Columbia, Mo,” remarked AFCC Vice-President, Grant Sundberg. “WPSL is competitive and I look forward to seeing how this league challenges the Women that join us for our inaugural season in the league!”
The club will offer several avenues for ticket purchases ahead of its inaugural season, which includes three levels of memberships involving season tickets that are available on the AFCC website. The club will also offer free admission for youth attendees wearing soccer uniforms and single-game tickets to be purchased closer to the season.
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To register for WPSL tryouts click here.
More information about AFC Columbia can be found on its official website and its social media platforms – Twitter and Instagram. For additional information on the WPSL, visit wpslsoccer.com.
About the Women’s Premier Soccer League: In its 25th season, the WPSL is the longest active women’s soccer league, with more than 125 clubs from coast to coast in 35 states – making it the world’s largest women’s soccer league. WPSL rosters feature elite collegiate, post-collegiate, international, and standout prep student-athletes. Many of the United States’ most accomplished women’s players have played in the WPSL, including household names such as Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, Megan Rapinoe, Julie Foudy, and Brandi Chastain.
