On October 20, 2023, the MWPL’s AFC Columbia announced a partnership with newly unveiled Women’s Premier Soccer League participant, the Missouri Reign, with the intention to “foster growth, passion and community involvement” to further solidify a soccer culture in the Mid-Missouri area.

“This merger underscores a dedication to unite the Mid-Missouri community and bring soccer fans together, celebrating the amazing local talent and the community that raised these exceptional athletes. We hope our passion for the game and commitment to the region will show through and that we will provide a culture that transcends the field, impacting our shared community,” said Founder and President of Missouri Reign Dakota Acock in the public announcement.

The Missouri Reign announced their official formation on July 10, 2023, and the club was unveiled by the Women’s Premier Soccer League on October 20, 2023, as a participant in the 2024 season.

Founded January 20, 2020, and now residing in the Gateway Conference of the MWPL, AFC Columbia joined the league in 2022 after spending the previous year in the Columbia Premier International Soccer League.

“I am excited about partnering with our friends from Jeff City, elevating our opportunities for women’s soccer players. Their energy and commitment to bringing a quality program will be great for our local players. AFCC is excited to support this new partnership and looks forward to collaborating with the Reign on as many things as we can. Our combined resources and experience in both Columbia and Jefferson City will help both of our teams be more competitive on the regional level as we both expect to compete for championships in the near future. We look forward to the opportunities in front of us and winning a lot of silverware for Mid-Missouri along the way!” added AFCC President Zach Fisher in the statement.

The development of this partnership was already in the beginning stages before the book on the 2023 MWPL season was closed. “We were getting towards the end of our season, and we had heard there was a group in Jefferson City were looking to join the WPSL, we talked to them briefly and they were open to partnering and doing something together,” said Fisher. AFCC’s women previously trained with the group led by Acock for their respective colleges and already had familiarity with them, providing a seed in which to grow this initiative.

Fisher also mentioned the desire to expand the women’s soccer scene and to raise the level of competitiveness. AFCC and the Reign are only separated by a 30-minute drive and given their overall geographical position in the state it made logistical sense to join forces. Another incredible facet to this partnership is giving AFCC women’s staff an opportunity to join the business side of the game. “It was great timing and made sense from a competitive standpoint because they are bringing players in from their system, “explained Fisher. “In lower league soccer, the more the merrier with people inside the club.”

The mutual respect that is shown between the two clubs with their partnership proves that both sides are in it for the right reasons. AFCC and Reign will be under the same umbrella, but the branding for each club will remain the same. Fisher elaborated that sometimes women’s teams can get lost in the shuffle within the identity of the club brand, he wanted to make sure that both clubs can stand individually in a visual sense but operationally will be controlled by a board consisting of members advocating for both clubs.

“The men will keep the AFC branding because it is established locally and people know what it is,” he added. “We initially liked the idea of one badge, one club, but the women deserve their own identity and their own way of doing things.”

AFCC has visibility in the Columbia area as well as interest in the Jefferson City area, but this familiarity will not breed contempt. The men’s talent for AFCC is located more in the Columbia area and the women’s talent is more widespread around Columbia and Jefferson City so the geographic reach is being extended, but at the same time consolidating to benefit more.

There is work still to be done, however. The investment side of amateur soccer is never easy, essentially asking for money with no guarantee on the return. Along with the sponsorship factor, Fisher mentioned that the search for a training pitch for the women’s side is an important offseason goal. “We want to do right by our women’s side,” he said. “We are basically twin cities.” Fisher is hoping that it will increase the head count in the club, which in turn will make further ambitions more than just a “pie in the sky” idea.

“We were going in the right direction, so we want to make sure that we are providing the best experience for our players as we can, and this is the right avenue to do so,” Fisher said.

- Rich Schenck