Louisville City FC, the LouCity & Racing Foundation, and Special Olympics Kentucky are combining to start the region’s first Unified soccer team, expanding each entity’s commitment to inclusion and community impact.
Unified soccer brings together athletes with and without intellectual disabilities to compete side by side. Louisville’s squad will don the LouCity crest, with its inaugural roster welcomed in a signing ceremony over the weekend.
“We’re excited to give these players an opportunity to experience soccer and all the benefits that come from playing the game,” said George Davis IV, executive director of the LouCity & Racing Foundation. “We’ll see relationships, teamwork and lessons learned all in LouCity purple.
“This game is for everybody — whether you have a disability, you’re an elite athlete, or you just like to get out and kick around. The more access we can create, the more joy that will be had.”
Launched in 2021, the LouCity & Racing Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that seeks to improve the lives of youth across the region through the uniting power of soccer. A partnership with Special Olympics and its Unified Sports program is a natural extension of those efforts.
Coaches Matt McGoron and Jeremy Mercer, along with team manager Hayden Redmon, will coordinate practices leading up to the team’s inaugural game on Saturday, August 29. Plans are forming for the Unified squad to play at Lynn Family Stadium before City’s professional club hosts Detroit City FC later that night.
“We are beyond excited for this groundbreaking opportunity for our athletes and our soccer program,” said Karen Michalak-Parsley, Special Olympics Kentucky’s senior director of Unified Champion Schools. “Unified Sports teams represent inclusion in our community. Having individuals without intellectual disabilities play as teammates with Special Olympics athletes sends a message that everyone belongs.
“A unified team representing a professional sport organization only makes the message that much more powerful. It is a huge step in showcasing the talents of our athletes and expanding opportunities for players seeking new challenges.
“Louisville City FC has supported Special Olympics Kentucky in various ways for over five years. Having an organization of their caliber believe in this team and what it represents means so much to us. I have no doubt the team will reach new heights and inspire others to ‘play unified.’”
LouCity is the latest club within the United Soccer League ecosystem to start a Unified team following in the footsteps of organizations such as Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Sacramento Republic FC and Union Omaha.
