KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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The KC Current has created a new program connecting local youth soccer clubs directly to the professional team's development system.
It’s called the “Teal Rising Alliance,” and it launched with 10 youth clubs, including KC Surf, where players like Mia Degrado are already feeling inspired by the connection to the Current.
"When I first saw that, I'm just like, I want to be them when I grow up," Degrado said.
The program aims to boost the talent already present in the Kansas City region while providing those young athletes with a visible pathway to professional soccer.
"When people are directly involved in seeing their heroes on the field at CPKC Stadium, and they can stand there and see a vision and a pathway to do that themselves, I think that's exactly what we're trying to accomplish," said Ryan Dell, KC Current general manager.
Dell noted that the KC Current II roster already includes nine to 10 local youth players who have risen to the top, so the promise of regional talent is strong.
"The talent and the region that we have here is unbelievable, and we hope that we can utilize things like the Alliance, like Kansas City Current II, to make this even better," Dell said.
For Degrado, who admires KC Current players like Debinha, the alliance represents more than just a program - it's a tangible connection to her soccer dreams.
"I like Debinha. She shows kind of everybody who's boss in the game," Degrado said.
The young player sees the program as helping her achieve her goal.
"I feel like I'm capable of everything, and telling myself like I can do it now," Degrado said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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