Kansas City Current have built 2023 team around positive culture: ‘We find the joy’

The Kansas City Current have been the talk of the NWSL this offseason. Free agency coups of Morgan Gautrat, Vanessa DiBernardo, and Debinha have folks talking, and their international ambition is also making waves.

But what’s at the center of the Current’s quick rise? To understand it, you’d have to understand some of the backstories.

Kristen Hamilton was one of the team’s first vital acquisitions in 2021 — when it was struggling on the field. Hamilton was brought over from the North Carolina Courage, who would be under the national microscope weeks later, having been coached by Paul Riley. The whole league came to a halt following allegations toward him made by players at both of his coaching stops.

While the alleged sexual misconduct and abuse toward players didn’t reach everyone in the locker room, his reported abusive and demeaning behavior as a coach may very well have.

After her first year in a change of scenery, Hamilton blossomed and rebounded under coach Matt Potter’s staff, not to mention the environment fostered within the group, in 2022.

“It felt good just to be valued, feel valued, feel confident,” Hamilton told The Kansas City Star during an interview at the Current’s media day.

Hamilton wasn’t the only vet to talk about the turnaround last season. Adrianna Franch came to Kansas City shortly after Hamilton — having spent the last half-decade with Portland.

Franch had fallen away from the national team picture until last season, when she was a finalist for Goalkeeper of the Year. Those performances have her back in the USWNT picture this winter.

During the Current’s media day, she discussed life when she was traded to Kansas City.

“Before this team, I was kind of in a space that wasn’t as fun for me,” Franch said. “And I think the camaraderie that this team has, the joy that this team has for the game, it shows on the pitch for sure, especially when we score.

“We love those celebrations, but that’s not just for show. It happens in our day-to-day. ... That’s what I would say really makes a difference: the joy that we have on the regular.”

It’s part of the culture that Potter and his staff have tried to instill at the club, and that has happened as a result of the way they choose to go about their business.

“We constantly talk about moving towards desired behavior,” Potter said.

He described their preparation for the season as having “two scenes.” In one, they are focused on building an identity on the field, while in the other, they are focused on what happens off the field.

“In all of those aspects, it’s about driving towards desired behavior, trying to catch each other being good, simple things like that,” Potter said. “And every now and then, we’ll sprinkle in that little bit of fun here and there.”

The joy is evident to those around the Current on even a semi-frequent basis. They find a way to have some joy even amid the grind (and variety) of hot summer days and the cold and wind-whipped days of the early season.

“We make sure to really focus on highlighting the really good things that we do,” midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta said. “I think that’s when we find the joy, when someone makes a great cross (and) someone finishes. They’re doing that under a lot of pressure and chaos in our drills, so we celebrate that.”

And when the results started flowing in 2022, the joy began making its way around the stadium on game days and even into the rest of the league.

Another example: Debinha was sought after by multiple clubs in the NWSL and in Europe this Winter before choosing KC.

There’s a natural connection between joy and soccer in Brazil, where Debinha is originally from, and she plays like it. Her inspiration comes from Marta and Ronaldinho, two of the best to ever do it for Brazil.

“If I’m gonna go to play soccer, I just want to enjoy the journey, embrace the feeling of playing soccer because soccer is what I love to do,” Debinha said. “For us Brazilians, everybody always says, ‘samba.’ So bringing that happiness to the field, I think it’s important to do your best.”

The Current are just under a month away from kicking off their 2023 campaign. They are preparing for their season in Bradenton, Florida.

They have played two friendlies, losing to the Orlando Pride 2-0 on February 24 and drawing 1-1 against the Chicago Red Stars on Monday. Cece Kizer scored the lone goal for the team.

But there’s plenty more ahead, as the Current will travel to San Diego for two more preseason matches before starting the season in North Carolina on March 25 against the Courage. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Central.

This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Kansas City Current have built 2023 team around positive culture: ‘We find the joy’."