by Paul Kennedy @pkedit

The new Kansas City NWSL team hired ECNL president Christian Lavers as its first director of sport and chief soccer officer.

Lavers, who will continue as the ECNL president, will be in charge of organizing the club's youth development program and technical programming.

“Christian is not only a groundbreaker in achieving superior technical performance with athletes, he is an important and respected voice in the effort to improve the youth development experience at every level, in every region, for every player,” said Kansas City NWSL co-founder and owner Chris Long. “His experience combined with his inclusive, collaborative approach and willingness to challenge the status quo make him a perfect fit for our vision, particularly as it relates to youth programming.”

Kansas City NWSL was formed following the demise of the Utah Royals. Given its late start, it will begin without having its branding in place. Six weeks ago, it hired Amber Cox, vice president of sports at Mohegan Sun, as its chief operating officer.