U.S. Soccer Launches Kang Women's Institute to Transform Health and Performance in the Women's Game
NWSL Washington Spirit

U.S. Soccer Launches Kang Women's Institute to Transform Health and Performance in the Women's Game

Published on December 2, 2025 under National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
Washington Spirit News Release


Atlanta - 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.

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