A sports center designed specifically for women’s soccer. An investment by the Chicago Stars of the NWSL together with the Populous architectural firm. Technology, high performance, health. “The project is focused entirely on the needs of the players,” says club president Karen Leetzow.
“This project will use the latest research and knowledge in women’s health and elite performance. We are incorporating the best practices and principles from sports facilities around the world, adapted to the unique needs of female athletes,” emphasizes Leetzow.
The sports center will open in 2027 and will be built in the north of Chicago on an area of more than 4,000 square meters. Developed by Marquee Development, it will have two training fields for 11-a-side football and one specifically for goalkeepers. In addition to recovery and weight rooms, one of the features of the facility will be its spaces dedicated to meditation.
The Stars think big. For this project they chose one of the most influential sports architecture firms in the world. Populous drew Wembley and Tottenham Stadium in London, AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and Yankee Stadium, among other temples of sport.
“We wanted to partner with Populous for the performance center because of their extensive work with the NWSL and their industry-leading focus on designing world-class facilities for elite women’s sport,” said the Stars president.
“Having a world-class performance center for our players is a radical change that ensures they have the necessary resources to perform at their best,” she added.
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A radical change
Until now, the Stars trained at SeatGeek Stadium, a shared facility where they had to adapt to inappropriate work tools and plan their training schedules according to many external factors.
“From a competitive perspective, having full control of our performance center and having a permanent, dedicated space designed specifically for our players is a clear testament to the ownership investment and direction this club is taking,” Leetzow said.
“SeatGeek Stadium has been a great partner for us for many years, but the reality is that it is a shared space. Being able to control our own facility is essential to guarantee the availability of work tools and to be able to adapt training schedules to the changing needs of the club,” he insisted.
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Search for sponsors
The NWSL sees an increase in following each year, both in stadiums and on television. The brands get on board the American league and a state-of-the-art sports center will guarantee the Stars extra income.
“From a commercial point of view, this offers us greater opportunities, starting with the most obvious, a partner for the name of the facility. We are currently looking for it. And there will also be different activations of strategic alliances within the sports center,” said Leetzow.
“We are focused on partnerships that drive our commitment to player development, innovation and community impact,” she added.
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Setting trends in women’s sports
With this investment, the Stars take their sports project to another level and intend to set a trend in the development of women’s soccer at an international level.
“The future of women’s football is bright, and it is already being felt. We are seeing huge increases in viewership. Sponsorship and ticket sales revenues are growing across the NWSL. There is enormous energy and strong momentum both in our league and internationally,” the president said.
“We are approaching the largest Women’s World Cup, which will be held right here in the United States in 2031, something that will only increase and consolidate the current momentum,” she concluded.
With information from EFE.
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