U.S. Soccer Launches Kang Women’s Institute to Transform Health and Performance in the Women’s Game
Backed by a historic gift from Michele Kang, the new institute will pioneer evidence-based standards for women and girls across soccer
ATLANTA (Dec. 2, 2025) – U.S. Soccer today announced the launch of the Kang Women’s Institute, a first-of-its-kind platform designed to accelerate advancements in the women’s game through science, innovation, and elevated best practices.
Made possible through a transformative investment from business leader and women’s sports advocate Michele Kang, the Kang Institute will establish research-backed best practices to inform the training and wellbeing of women and girls at every level of the sport.
Currently, only a small fraction of global sports research is dedicated to women. A recent analysis shows that only 6% of published research in sports and exercise journals is focused exclusively on women, a disparity that has left generations of female soccer players training under models built for male physiology. This gap has contributed to disproportionate injury rates, limited health guidance, and systems that do not reflect the realities of the women’s game.
“For too long, women have trained, played and recovered using models built for men. That ends now,” said Michele Kang, founder and CEO of Kynisca. “This Institute will put female athletes at the center of U.S. Soccer’s scientific research and build the evidence, systems and standards that will allow women and girls to reach their full potential. This is not just about closing a research gap; it’s about creating a future where every player has the knowledge, care, and opportunity to thrive.”
The development of the Kang Institute builds upon Kang’s historic investments in women’s sports. In November 2024, she pledged a $30 million gift, one of the largest philanthropic commitments in the history of U.S. Soccer, to scale competitive opportunities for youth players, expand talent identification, and fuel professional development for female players, coaches, and referees. In April 2025, Kang deepened her commitment to U.S. Soccer through an initial $25 million investment to integrate the Kynisca Innovation Hub into Soccer Forward’s research initiatives.
“Michele’s belief in the women’s game are extraordinary, and I’m incredibly grateful for her leadership and generosity,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone. “For far too long, women and girls have trained under systems and standards built for men, and the Kang Women’s Institute is an essential first step in changing that. By grounding our work in real research and evidence, we can finally give female players the support, care, and understanding they deserve. This is the beginning of a much larger effort, and Michele has helped us take a huge leap forward in reshaping the future of the women’s game for generations to come.”
The Kang Institute will evolve directly from the Soccer Forward Foundation’s Research & Innovation Group, U.S. Soccer’s wider platform for sports science, health, and performance research, and work in collaboration with the National Women’s Soccer League’s Foundation. By formalizing and significantly expanding this work, the institute will serve as the nation’s leading driver of female-centered, research-backed standards for the game.
The Kang Institute has begun work on several key projects including:
- Conducting the first comprehensive national study to assess the current and emerging needs of female players at every level, including injury prevention, mental health, workload management, menstrual health, and the transition from youth to elite competition.
- Co-creating a framework with collaboration from National Women’s Soccer League and United Soccer League that defines best practices in player health, safety, training, and holistic development, setting a new bar for the domestic game ahead of the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cups.
- Developing new tools to support female athletes’ physical and mental wellbeing, address key dropout points, and ensure coaches, parents, and clubs can provide evidence-based support systems for girls and women.
These projects build on Soccer Forward Foundation’s mission to deliver cutting-edge research, training, and guidelines demonstrating soccer’s impact on physical and mental health outcomes.
Ultimately, the research generated by the Kang Institute will be disseminated across the global soccer ecosystem, ensuring clubs, leagues, coaches and federations around the world can benefit from the latest scientific insights. This initiative positions U.S. Soccer as a worldwide leader in advancing player health and performance as the U.S. prepares to co-host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
ABOUT U.S. SOCCER
Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the official governing body of the sport in the United States. Our vision is clear; we exist in service to soccer. Our ambition, working across the soccer ecosystem, is to ignite a national passion for the game. We believe soccer is more than a sport; it is a force for good. We are focused on three areas: Soccer Everywhere, ensuring everyone, everywhere experiences the joy of soccer; Soccer Success, our 27 National Teams and Pro Leagues winning on the world stage; and Soccer Investment, maximizing and diversifying investments to sustainably grow the game at all levels. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/ourvision.
ABOUT THE SOCCER FORWARD FOUNDATION
The Soccer Forward Foundation is a key driver in U.S. Soccer’s overall vision that soccer is a force for good. Operating with the belief that soccer contributes to healthier and more connected, equitable communities, Soccer Forward supports U.S. Soccer’s efforts to expand access to the sport, helping the game reach more people and create lasting change. Soccer Forward focuses on enabling and equipping people, places and programs to grow the game in communities across America and on delivering cutting-edge research, training, and guidelines to prove soccer’s contribution to health outcomes in communities. In addition, it will develop standards and provide business and technical support to build the ecosystem for the women’s game across the U.S. and globally. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/soccer-forward.
ABOUT KYNISCA
Kynisca is a pioneering global organization dedicated to women’s sports, headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Kynisca’s mission is to transform women’s football through unprecedented investment, proving its commercial viability and cultural impact around the world. The organization supports female athletes with state-of-the-art facilities, world-class technical staff, and innovative sports science, while preserving each club’s unique identity. Kynisca is the first global, female-owned, multi-club organization leading the way in women’s health innovation and entertainment while building a high-performance culture of excellence on and off the pitch. For more information, visit kynisca.com.