Michele Kang is an entrepreneur who founded and sold a medical technology company and a venture firm, and is the owner of multiple professional football teams, a background that led her to contribute to the launch of an Institute for women athletes.
U.S. Soccer announced the launch of the Kang Women’s Institute, a platform advancing the health, performance, and long-term development of women athletes through science, innovation, and evidence-based standards.
Michele Kang, a business leader and women’s sports advocate, made a significant philanthropic commitment to launch the Institute. This is occurring at a time when women’s soccer is growing rapidly worldwide, but scientific research supporting training, prevention, and performance has not kept pace.
Only a very small portion of sports science research focuses exclusively on women, leaving female athletes to use systems and protocols designed for male physiology.
Kang, founder and CEO of Kynisca, is committed to changing this trend, stating, “For too long, women have trained, played and recovered using models built for men. That ends now,” she said. “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.”
Initiatives With Long-Term Impact
Kang took two major steps:
First, in November 2024, she pledged a $30 million gift to expand competitive opportunities for girls, including improving talent identification and strengthening professional pathways for women across the soccer ecosystem.
The following April of 2025, she contributed $25 million to integrate the Kynisca Innovation Hub into Soccer Forward’s national research agenda.
U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone highlighted the significance of what Kang’ did for women athletes, stating, “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… 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.”
Establishing a Leading Female-Centered Research Platform
Building on the Soccer Forward Foundation’s Research & Innovation Group, the Kang Institute formalizes and expands U.S. Soccer’s ability to generate and share evidence-based knowledge for the women’s game.
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the United Soccer League (USL) foundations are collaborating with the Kang Institute to involve the top levels of the sport through these high-impact initiatives:
1. The First National Study of Female Player Needs
This assessment covers injury prevention, mental health, menstrual health, workload management, and the development pipeline from youth to professional players. It will create the most comprehensive dataset on the needs of female soccer athletes in the U.S.
2. A New National Framework for Player Health and Development
In partnership with the NWSL and USL, the institute is developing standardized best practices for training, safety, and comprehensive player support. This work is especially important as the U.S. prepares to host the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cups.
3. Tools and Resources for Athletes, Coaches, and Families
Including new digital resources, assessment tools, and evidence-based guidance to reduce dropout rates, improve well-being, and help clubs deliver female-centered support systems from the recreational level to elite competition.
These efforts support the Soccer Forward Foundation’s mission to expand access to soccer and demonstrate measurable benefits for physical and mental health.
A Global Contribution to the Future of Women’s Sports
Although the institute’s initial initiatives are national, its long-term goal is global. Research insights, best practices, and scientific tools will be shared with federations, clubs, leagues, and governing bodies worldwide to support higher standards for women and girls in the sport.
This work positions U.S. Soccer as both a domestic leader and a global authority in women’s sports science and performance innovation, setting a benchmark for other countries developing player strategies ahead of upcoming World Cups.
A Bright Future for Women Athletes
The Kang Women’s Institute marks a structural shift in how female athletes are supported. Longstanding inequities in sports research are being addressed by establishing a modern, science-based foundation for future players.
By focusing on women and girls in all aspects of research and development, U.S. Soccer and Kang emphasize that the women’s game deserves its own data, standards, and pathway to excellence.
“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,” says Kang.
