Racing Fans,
Over my first four months with the club, we developed what will be our three pillars to live by at Racing Louisville: (1) On-field success; (2) off-field development; and (3) community engagement. I’m excited by our progress in each of those areas. There is so much to celebrate – and much more work to be done.
Halfway through the NWSL season, we are in solid shape. Racing sits in seventh place in the NWSL standings, two points out of a playoff spot with seven games left while playing the second-most challenging schedule in the league. We’re atop the Central Division in the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup, with a perfect 3-0-0 record. A number of our players rank among the league leaders in a variety of performance categories.
Racing will have a huge presence at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup: We have six players competing for six different nations, the most countries represented among NWSL teams. That is a remarkable achievement for our club that reflects the investment in time and work our players, coaches, support staffers and organization have made. When the tournament kicks off this week, we can proudly say the world’s best players play right here in Louisville.
Please join us at 7 p.m. Friday for our match against Chicago at Lynn Family Stadium and stick around for our post-game watch party for Savannah DeMelo and the U.S. Women’s National Team’s World Cup opener, which we’ll show on the stadium video board and in the Fifth Third Club immediately following our game. If you haven’t already, go to RacingLouFC.com/tickets to enjoy a great evening of soccer!
We’re also aiming to Fill the Fam on August 19 against Angel City. We want 10,000 fans at a Racing home game for the first time in club history, and we need your help. Explore RacingLouFC/FillTheFam for more information on our big night. If you already have tickets, invite anyone you think might be interested. Find someone who has never been to a game and bring them. We know they will want to come back after their first visit.
With the summer transfer and trade window open, we have worked diligently to enhance our roster for the second half of the season. I am excited about the possibilities, and I know the newcomers will bring great character and locker room presence to the club in addition to their on-field prowess. The coaching staff and I have worked to create a long-term strategy for player recruitment centered around the three pillars: Our goal is to help develop players as athletes and human beings and provide the care and support they need to thrive.
We are so excited to partner with several local businesses to boost our player experience and build meaningful relationships with our community. PNC Bank is creating a program to educate players in financial literacy and wealth management so they can better plan for their future and life beyond soccer. Heine Brothers printed more than 150,000 Racing stickers to place on their coffee cups and spread the word about our team.
We are so proud of our players impacting Kentuckiana residents. Katie Lund and Carson Pickett teamed up to raise money for an enhanced fun room in the Addison Jo Blair Cancer Care Center at Norton Children’s. Jaelin Howell and Down Syndrome of Louisville will co-host the first-ever Racing BFF Dance on July 22, a party for individuals of all ages with intellectual disabilities. Lastly, we are working with Mayor Greenberg and his team as well as our foundation to hold soccer clinics in underserved areas of Louisville and break down the barrier to sport in our community.
As we head to the final stage of the season, we are pushing for a playoff spot and the ability to host a Challenge Cup semifinal at Lynn Family Stadium. Your support of the club is paramount at this critical time, and I hope to see you all fill Lynn Family Stadium!
– Ryan Dell, General Manager, Racing Louisville FC
