I'm opening CBUS' first women's sports bar. Pro soccer would 'raise bar' | Opinion

Amy Cooper is the founder of Raise the Bar, Columbus’ first women’s sports bar.

As a lifelong sports fan, player and now soon-to-be founder of Columbus’s first women’s sports bar, I’m thrilled that Columbus is in the running for a National Women’s Soccer League team.

The momentum is real – and so is our city’s deep history with women’s soccer. Five NWSL soccer players trained at Ohio State. The NWSL has played in Columbus 30 times since 1992, with their most recent game breaking 18,000 attendees. And more than 100 high schools in our state’s central region have girls’ soccer teams.

But right now, young players, especially girls, grow up loving the game without having a local professional team to look up to.

A dream they can believe in

My biggest goal in building Raise the Bar is to create space that welcomes all fans of women’s sports, to create a community that keeps us inspired and cheering for our teams. That kind of energy not only strengthens our city, it inspires the next generation of athletes to keep training, keep playing and keep taking pride in their hometown.

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An NWSL soccer team in Columbus would take that energy to the next level and give all young athletes and fans a dream they can believe in.

I also know what a win this would be for our local community. A professional team brings more people downtown, more activity for small businesses and creates new opportunities for places like mine to grow. Even beyond game day, building a community of fans means a community that will continue to show up for local businesses.

In my day job as a Columbus firefighter, I see the power of a community that steps up for each other and takes pride in where they live. I see what happens when we invest in teamwork and put down roots in our community — so let’s work together to root for an NWSL home team.