You recently announced a women's side joining WPSL - when was the squad started and where were they playing before?
The women’s team started last season (2022), and competed in the UWS League 2. Our team won the Central Conference in their first year. This was due to the environment coach Ramos created that allowed our women to play freely. A lot of our women play college soccer with or against one another, so I attribute a lot of the success to their ability to quickly come together as a team. They were very quick to bond and learn each other’s playing styles, which led to some incredible results. We’re looking forward to a new challenge, competing in the WPSL this upcoming season.

You also have a men's side - what's the origin story of the organization? When was it all started and by whom? What was the original mission?
The club was originally started by a group of friends that played college soccer together, and continued to play in men’s leagues after graduation. As the club continued to achieve success in various recreational leagues, the founding members decided to create a more structured environment that would allow the club to grow and expand its influence in the Kansas City area. Sunflower State FC was established in 2020 and has since participated in MASL 3, UPSL, and is currently slated to undertake its second season with the NPSL. The original mission was to create a club where everyone is given the opportunity to improve as a player, as well as a person, in a professional environment where neither class, social status, nor money are factors. We currently partner and volunteer with another organization, Youth R.I.S.E., which provides support and mentorship to underprivileged youth.

Do you feel that having some organization in a previous league will help you be competitive in the WPSL? It can be a very challenging league - but rewarding as well! How will you stack up?
Our women are ready for the task. They quickly formed a strong bond and worked extremely hard to win the UWS League 2 Central Conference last year, and we are hoping to continue that momentum. We had an incredibly strong team last season, including 6 All UWS League 2 nominees, and the nation’s second highest leading goal scorer, Mckenzie Demarco. We played well last year and understand the challenge of the jump in competition but our team is hungry for success. We want to win. We have a lot of returning players who know how to win together. With Jose Ramos guiding them in his second year as Head Coach we anticipate another strong performance from our Sunnies.

Tell us about the men's squad too - how did they finish in the NPSL last year? What is a target for improvement in 2023?
In our first year as an NPSL program, we qualified for the national playoffs, and ultimately finished 3rd in the Heartland Conference. Three of our men were nominated to the Heartland All Conference Team, and one of our men was nominated to the South All Region Team. We were really proud of the men for performing so well in such a competitive conference and league.

In the 2023 season our goal is to build on the success of last year. On the field, we would like to finish within the top 2 of our conference, and we would like to advance to the regional playoffs. In an effort to improve upon our past accomplishments, we’ve hired additional coaches and staff, and have been working hard behind the scenes to enhance the experience for all our players, as well as our fans.

You have a beautiful badge - it's unique and one of our favorites. What is the connection to your community and who is responsible for the design?
We wanted to maintain our connection to the area, so we decided to use the Sunflower, the official state flower, as our focal point. We are a grassroots team, formed out of former college and minor league players living in the Kansas City area, and we are committed to representing the community and making a difference within it. The addition of the soccer ball was due to our passion for the sport. The Kansas City area has been a hotbed for strong soccer talent for decades, and we wanted to embrace that history and sense of nostalgia.

Does the club participate in the community off the pitch? If so, in what ways do you give back and if not, and money and time were no concern, what is a way you would connect?
We partner with Youth R.I.S.E. Currently our players volunteer to participate at scheduled soccer camps and clinics with the youth. There have also been quite a few players in our men’s team that have played within the Youth R.I.S.E. soccer system, and are great advocates for the team. In the past we have put on charity events, including a golf outing, in support of Youth R.I.S.E, and we look to continue these events in the future. https://www.youthrisekc.com/

Additionally, we have an internship and mentorship program within the Sunflower State management group. This past season we had a number of interns that were critical in our gameday operations success. We give them concrete tasks and goals, while also providing transparency into the management of the organization.

Finally, we are in the process of formalizing a partnership with Diversity for Change KC, which is a project to increase cultural awareness in the Kansas City community through the game of soccer. Through this partnership we will seek to create a college scholarship for Youth R.I.S.E. Academy players. This will entail our participation in Diversity for Change KC soccer tournaments through sponsorship and mentorship.

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And see what they’re up to on Twitter HERE