Meet Kelly Thomson of Colorado Ignite Soccer Club

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Thomson.

Hi Kelly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to today?
I am a proud Colorado Native. Yes, we still exist! I started playing soccer at three years old and fell in love with it. I dabbled in other sports, but soccer was always my happy place. I continued playing through college. When I finished my collegiate career, I was given a chance at coaching. I loved giving back my love of the sport to the next generation. My safe and happy place on the field was now another child’s place too. Seeing that spark in a player’s eye is priceless, and I was hooked.

When I became a mom, I was honored to introduce the sport to my kids. When it came time to choose a higher level of competition for them, I was immediately drawn back to my playing days here in Colorado. The landscape of the club scene had changed dramatically. I was quickly disheartened that youth sports felt like it had become a business with a dollar sign above a player’s head and not putting their needs first. The local clubs seemed almost nonexistent and had given out to the massive conglomerate, including the club I grew up playing for. I believe playing for your local club was part of the magic of my soccer team. I went to school with my teammates, and we all eventually made up the high school team and had massive success. We may not have been the most talented individually, but we dominated based on knowing each other so well.

I live in Erie, Colorado so our choices came down to driving 40min each way to the west, south, or north. There was a massive lack of opportunity for our local players. I have never been one to complain and do nothing about it, so after a lot of research and surveying the community, and I decided to build a club for our local area. Using my past experiences and love for the sport, I vowed never to put a price tag over a player’s head and make every decision based on the best interest of our membership, the players first. I also am bringing back the love of playing for my hometown. The badge on the front of the jersey should mean something and represent where you come from and the loyalty to your community.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Creating the club came with a few obstacles. First, quite a few prerequisites need to be accomplished in creating a non-profit. The next step was to be accepted into the Colorado Soccer Association as a member club that had its list of “to do’s” and prerequisites. One of the first pieces needed to be a non-profit is a board of directors. One of my struggles was finding five people who loved the sport and believed in my mission as much as I did to volunteer their time away from their own families. After seeing the board members, the rest of the details seemed to fall into place. It always felt like I was doing something that I was meant to do.

Another obstacle I faced was finding the right coaches. I firmly believe that the coach creates almost the entire experience for a player. Finding the right people and setting the example and the culture from the top is significant to me. Hiring the right people and devoting resources and time to supporting them has been a challenge I am happy to continue to face head-on.

Finally, the struggle of being a female in the male-dominated sports management world is more accurate than I initially gave it credit. While I see my gender and role as a mother as a gift to our sport, I know that not everyone shares this view. Gaining the respect, I deserve and being taken seriously will continue to take time. I am proud to pave the way for more females to follow in my shoes and show our young female athletes that women are powerful and can make extraordinary things happen when they believe in themselves.

As you know, we’re big fans of the Colorado Ignite Soccer Club. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
We are a youth soccer club located in Erie, Lafayette, and Carbon Valley. We provide recreational and competitive soccer opportunities for players ages six and older.

Colorado Ignite is known for our community feel and player-first commitment. We are also the only all-female-run club in Colorado, giving us a unique perspective on our male and female players.

I am proud of my staff. I have some fantastic women devoted to the players and our club. They continually strive to be better than yesterday, and we support each other with every part of life. Our coaches are given mentors and supported fully through continuing education opportunities and session planning help.

Last but not least, we offer soccer for our players with disabilities in our TOP SOCCER program. We have volunteer buddies who help with every step and coaches who are passionate about our players.

What was you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a bit of a mess. I was never a straight-A student, and my mind was always in “when is recess” mode. I was easily distracted and yet, at the same time, could not put down a book and wouldn’t put a series down until I finished it. I know now that I had/have ADD. What was once an obstacle is now part of what I call my superpower. I am a “jack of all trades” and know a little bit about many things. Growing up, I always felt like an outsider and that everyone else had life figured out, and their room was always clean.

I am the oldest child and was the unofficial keeper of my little brother. My parents divorced when I was around 13. My mom moved away with her new boyfriend, and my dad constantly went out of town on business trips. Alone with my brother, I had a lot of friends, most of who were my teammates. We moved around a lot, and I was always making new friends but keeping them just far enough away not to be devastated when I needed to move out again.

I escaped to the soccer field. My teammates were my family. The pain of the hard work was never as bad as the pain I felt at home. Soccer was my safe place and were my happiest moments were. I was seen, I was heard, and I belonged. I was good and felt respected and appreciated. I fell in love with the game and loved who I was on the field.

Contact Info:

• Email: kelly@coloradoignite.com
• Website: www.coloradoignite.com
• Instagram: @coloradoignite
• Facebook: @coloradoignite