Could a pro women's soccer team become a reality in Louisville?

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) -- There is no denyig the popularity of the U.S. Women's National Team over the past few years, and winning back-to-back World Cup championships certainly doesn't hurt.

"I've seen more Alex Morgan shirts in the last three years than I can count," Charlie Traughber said. "Just over the last week, I've been taking phone calls from girls that are looking to play club soccer where tryouts were several weeks ago."

Traughber, the executive director of the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy in Kentucky, has seen the World Cup effect through his work in the youth soccer development world, with youth interest in the game spiking during both the Men's and World Cup tournaments every four years.

But Traughber said there is something else that could drive more interest in women's soccer locally in Louisville - a local women's professional team.

"The more you can get young girls exposed to the game and they can actually see girls playing versus watching men, for instance, it's just going to be a positive thing," Traughber said.

Insider Louisville reported back in March 2019 Lousiville City FC co-owner Mike Mountjoy had said National Women's Soccer League President Amanda Duffy had talked with local officials about fielding a team in Louisville that would play in the stadium that is under construction in Butchertown, though he said the discussions were still in the very early stages. Duffy had served as the president of Louisville City FC before leaving to join the NWSL.

WHAS11 reached to Louisville City FC - a spokesperson said he could not comment on whether these discussions had taken place. But Traughber said there is a good foundation in place in Louisville if a women's pro team were to come to town.

"We have a lot of female players in the city of Louisville and we have a lot of kids that have the same dream that Rose Lavelle from Cincinnati had to get on that Women's National Team and succeed," Traughber said. "We'll have every young girl out here wanting to be the next insert your name here that's playing for the professional team in town."

►Contact reporter Dennis Ting at dting@whas11.com. Follow him on Twitter (@DennisJTing) and Facebook.

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