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Amy Cooper is launching Columbus' first women's sports bar, Raise the Bar, amid growing support for a National Women's Soccer League team in the city. The initiative aims to enhance local women's soccer visibility and inspire young players.
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Amy Cooper is the founder of Raise the Bar, Columbusâ first womenâs sports bar.
As a lifelong sports fan, player and now soon-to-be founder of Columbusâs first womenâs sports bar, Iâm thrilled that Columbus is in the running for a National Womenâs Soccer League team.
The momentum is real â and so is our cityâs deep history with womenâs 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 stateâs central region have girlsâ soccer teams.
But right now, young players, especially girls, grow up loving the game without having a local professional team to look up to.
My biggest goal in building Raise the Bar is to create space that welcomes all fans of womenâs 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 â so letâs work together to root for an NWSL home team.
Raise the Bar is Columbus' first women's sports bar, founded by Amy Cooper to promote women's sports.
Columbus has a strong history with women's soccer, including training facilities at Ohio State and significant past attendance at NWSL games.
More than 100 high schools in the central region of Ohio have girls' soccer teams.

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If you believe in this city and the next generation growing up in it, I encourage you to join the movement and sign the petition at nwsltocbus.com.
Amy Cooper is the founder of Raise the Bar, Columbusâ first womenâs sports bar.
Amy Cooper is the founder of Raise the Bar, Columbusâ first womenâs sports bar.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus needs a National Womenâs Soccer League team | Opinion