Kansas City Current's sparkling new $18 million facility shows the luxury women's pro athletes have long missed out on

Meredith CashJun 25, 2022, 22:46 IST

The locker room at the Kansas City Current's new training complex.Kansas City Current

The National Women's Soccer League's Kansas City Current have a sparkling new training complex.
The $18 million facility shows the luxury women's professional athletes have long missed out on.

The Kansas City Current have a new home.

Owners of the National Women's Soccer League club invested $18 million into constructing a sparkling training facility in Riverside, Missouri — less than 10 miles from downtown Kansas City. The complex is the first built for an NWSL team and one of few in the country devoted exclusively to women's professional athletes.

"This isn't just a building for us. It's a new home," NWSL veteran and Current defender Kristen Edmonds said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "It's ours — something we don't have to share with a men's side or a youth club, which isn't anywhere else in the US. I'm not sure even the world."

"To be able to have this and call it our own is something super special for not just Kansas City but to grow the women's game in general," she added.

The training center — which was brought to life by female-owned construction firm Monarch Build — features sprawling grass fields, a swanky locker room, a fully stocked kitchen, recovery jacuzzis, a dazzling weight room, and more. Not only does the facility show what women's professional athletes have missed out on for so long, but it represents what the future of women's sports could be with proper vision and investment.

Take a tour of the Current's training facility below:

Welcome to the Kansas City Current's stunning new training complex — the first built specifically for a National Women's Soccer League team.

The facade of the Kansas City Current's new training complex.Kansas City Current

Located in Riverside, the complex is located just a short drive away from downtown Kansas City.

The Current's training facility is less than 10 miles from downtown Kansas City.Google Maps

With $18 million of their own money to spend on the project, team owners Angie Long, Chris Long, and Brittany Mahomes spared no expense to make the venue perfect for their players.

Chris and Angie Long (left) own the Kansas City Current along with Brittany Mahomes (right). Her husband, Patrick Mahomes, is the quarterback for the Chiefs.Amy Kontras/ISI Photos/Getty Images; Omar Vega/Invision/AP

With $18 million of their own money to spend on the project, team owners Angie Long, Chris Long, and Brittany Mahomes spared no expense to make the venue perfect for their players.

And if you ask members of the team, the female-owned construction firm that brought the project to life — Monarch Build — did exactly that.

An aerial view of the Kansas City Current's new training complex.Kansas City Current

"They've given us everything we need to come here and be a professional athlete," NWSL veteran Kristen Edmonds said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new complex. "And I don't say that lightly, because I've been a pro for years, but all that meant previously is that I got paid to play. Now I can truly be a pro on and off the field."

Kristen Edmonds kicks the ball for the Kansas City Current.Amy Kontras-USA TODAY Sports

"They've given us everything we need to come here and be a professional athlete," NWSL veteran Kristen Edmonds said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new complex. "And I don't say that lightly, because I've been a pro for years, but all that meant previously is that I got paid to play. Now I can truly be a pro on and off the field."

Large windows, wooden pillars, and team iconography fill the venue's entryway.

Kansas City Current

The weight room, which has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sprawling green landscape behind building, features every piece of equipment a soccer player could possibly need.

Kansas City Current

The weight room, which has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sprawling green landscape behind building, features every piece of equipment a soccer player could possibly need.

Treadmills, stationary bikes, power racks, rows of dumbbells, medicine balls, exercise bands, and more are neatly organized throughout the airy space.

Kansas City Current

And when players are done there, they can head to the hydrotherapy room to take a dip in one of the hot or cold tubs.

Kansas City Current

They can address injuries or work through bumps and bruises in the treatment facility, which has many of the staples found in a physical therapist's office.

Kansas City Current

Hungry? Stop by the swanky kitchen and lounge area.

Kansas City Current

The contemporary-looking space features fully-stocked fridges, flat-screen TVs, plenty of seating, and snacks galore.

Kansas City Current

There's also a performance-oriented chef who whips up meals off of locally sourced menus.

Kansas City Current

But players and staff looking for fresh air can always take their beverages and grub out to the gorgeous outdoor roof deck.

Kansas City Current

The patio area, which features a view of downtown Kansas City, directly overlooks the facility's practice fields.

Kansas City Current

With two grass fields and a FIFA-grade turf pitch, players won't be limited on space to scrimmage or run drills.

Kansas City Current

And when they're all done with practice, there's a mudroom where they can hang their cleats.

Kansas City Current

Or they could head to the sleek locker room.

The locker room at the Kansas City Current's new training complex.Kansas City Current

And film review has never felt so luxe.

Kansas City Current

The spacious screening room, which features two massive screens and leather seats stitched with Kansas City's logo in teal, would do well for movie nights.

Kansas City Current

And that's by design — ownership wanted the space to foster community among the team while promoting holistic player health.

Kansas City Current

"From the moment we purchased the team, we knew these elite athletes deserved world-class facilities to call their own," co-owner Angie Long said. "In less than one year since breaking ground, our training complex is open. It's a true 'home away from home' for our players — a space designed exclusively for them."

Kansas City Current

"From the moment we purchased the team, we knew these elite athletes deserved world-class facilities to call their own," co-owner Angie Long said. "In less than one year since breaking ground, our training complex is open. It's a true 'home away from home' for our players — a space designed exclusively for them."

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Kansas City Current's sparkling new $18 million facility shows the luxury women's pro athletes have long missed out on

Welcome to the Kansas City Current's stunning new training complex — the first built specifically for a National Women's Soccer League team.

Located in Riverside, the complex is located just a short drive away from downtown Kansas City.

With $18 million of their own money to spend on the project, team owners Angie Long, Chris Long, and Brittany Mahomes spared no expense to make the venue perfect for their players.

And if you ask members of the team, the female-owned construction firm that brought the project to life — Monarch Build — did exactly that.

Large windows, wooden pillars, and team iconography fill the venue's entryway.

The weight room, which has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the sprawling green landscape behind building, features every piece of equipment a soccer player could possibly need.

Treadmills, stationary bikes, power racks, rows of dumbbells, medicine balls, exercise bands, and more are neatly organized throughout the airy space.

And when players are done there, they can head to the hydrotherapy room to take a dip in one of the hot or cold tubs.

They can address injuries or work through bumps and bruises in the treatment facility, which has many of the staples found in a physical therapist's office.

Hungry? Stop by the swanky kitchen and lounge area.

The contemporary-looking space features fully-stocked fridges, flat-screen TVs, plenty of seating, and snacks galore.

There's also a performance-oriented chef who whips up meals off of locally sourced menus.

But players and staff looking for fresh air can always take their beverages and grub out to the gorgeous outdoor roof deck.

The patio area, which features a view of downtown Kansas City, directly overlooks the facility's practice fields.

With two grass fields and a FIFA-grade turf pitch, players won't be limited on space to scrimmage or run drills.

And when they're all done with practice, there's a mudroom where they can hang their cleats.

Or they could head to the sleek locker room.

And film review has never felt so luxe.

The spacious screening room, which features two massive screens and leather seats stitched with Kansas City's logo in teal, would do well for movie nights.

And that's by design — ownership wanted the space to foster community among the team while promoting holistic player health.