The Washington Spirit, an American professional soccer team, plays in the National Women's Soccer League. It is located in Washington, D.C. It is the continuation from the D.C. Tim Kang is the owner of Spirit. It has 15 wins and one loss, as of May 2018.
Tim Kang became majority owner of the Washington Spirit in 2021
The Washington Spirit has lost its controlling stake. Tim Kang, a Washington businesswoman, is now the majority owner. Steve Baldwin was initially resistant to the deal but the billionaire agreed to let go of his stake. During the ownership struggle, the Seattle Spirit were suspended from league governance, but a spokesperson for the NWSL said the team was reinstated. Kang has expressed his desire for modernization of the Spirit's business operations and a permanent facility for professional training.
Kang has a track record of addressing issues related to equity and hopes that this message will be translated into sports. He also wants to highlight the talent of female staff and athletes. Spirit's faithful have been a vital part of its revitalization. He hopes that the stadium will be able to welcome back soccer fans in 2022.
Steve Baldwin was accused for nepotism in retaliation
Baldwin has been distrusted by Washington spirit players. A group of players has issued a statement demanding that he sell his ownership stake to "Michele," the equity partner of the Spirit. They say that the current leadership of the team is toxic, and that Baldwin must step down.
The Spirit players called on Baldwin to sell the team to them and resign as managing partner and CEO. Many players have also called on the team to be sold to a female owner. The National Women's Soccer League has launched an investigation into Washington's spirit. The league concluded that some players were being harassed, but that no one was acting to stop it. Baldwin was also being investigated for hiring friends to fill unqualified positions.
After a 15 games winless streak Kris Ward was terminated by the Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit have fired Kris Ward, their head coach. The move came after Ward's long winless streak of 15 games and a breakdown in the relationship with his team's players. According to an unnamed source this weekend, Ward and the team's members were made to attend a retreat without Ward. The Spirit's governing body was notified of the alleged misconduct and said it will investigate the situation.
The Spirit went 1-6-9 entering the streak. A winless streak could help the Spirit balance the scales. Ward, after all, helped the Spirit win the first national championship since 2012 when they joined the league. After a 15-game losing streak the Spirit will need to find a new coach.
Ward was replaced with Tom Torres as assistant coach.
Torres' extensive and varied background includes being the head coach of Barcelona Northern Virginia Academy as well as assistant coach for Washington Spirit (NWSL). He is a highly qualified, experienced coach with more 25 years of coaching experience. He will work closely with the technical staff and club leadership, as well as report directly to Technical Director Christian Cziommer.
Washington Spirit will compete in their fifth season of the National Women's Soccer League. They also participate in the inaugural season U.S Soccer Girls' Development Academy. There are four teams in Maryland, Virginia.