Today we’d like to introduce you to Krishna Lee.
Hi Krishna, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in the heart of Kansas City. Growing up as a sports kid, one of my longtime dreams came true when I was able to attending the University of Missouri on a Track & Field scholarship. After competing at Mizzou, I became an assistant coach with the track team before moving back to Kansas City in 2015. Upon moving back home I found the sport of women’s tackle football. I began playing for the Kansas City Titans in the Women’s Football Alliance and continued with the team as we transitioned to a new name and new league in 2019. The Kansas City Glory competes in the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) with 16 other teams nation wide. After playing for 7 years and earning many awards/recognitions (listed below), I capped my football playing career with a World Championship Gold Medal as a member of the US Women’s National Tackle Football team. After retiring from playing in fall of 2022, I took the position of General Manager of the Glory. Since fall of 2022 we have increase metrics across the board. Larger roster size, increased attendance at home games, more community involvement and increased following on all social media. The players and the admin team alike have helped create the tremendous growth we have seen over the last 3 seasons.
Recognition:
3x NCAA Track & Field All-American
12x All-Big 12
Big 12 Conference Champion – Hammer Throw
2016 WFA All-American
2017 WFA All-American
2018 WFA Defensive Player of the Year & All-American
2019 WFA All-American
2021 WNFC All-Pro
2022 WNFC Defensive Player of the Year & All-Pro; IFAF World Champion & Captain of US Women’s National Football Team
2023 WIN for KC Hallmark Leadership Award
Archbishop O’Hara High School Hall of Fame Inductee
University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Prior to taking the role of General Manager of the Glory, the job didn’t exist. So not only was I learning how to run a team, we didn’t have any manuals or SOPs in place to give me a road map of how to go about doing everything. I honestly think it has taken the full 3 seasons that myself, Sheila Sickau (President) and Keke Blackmon (Owner/Head Coach) have had the reigns of this team to get our feet under us. Most of our best practices that we have in place now have come from learning from our past failures.
We’ve been impressed with Kansas City Glory, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Founded in August of 2019, The Kansas City Glory set out to become the area’s premier opportunity for women in football. We offer women of all sizes and all body types the opportunity to learn and play tackle football. We provide a platform for women to break personal and professional barriers while empowering them both on and off the field. As members of the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC), we are committed to providing our players and Kansas City fans an immersive experience of women’s full-contact, 11v11 tackle football. We are passionate about empowering women and girls in the Kansas City community through the game of football. We do this by creating an environment where all who play for, cheer for, and support The Glory know they are valued, loved, and treated like family. The Glory strives to put together a professional, passionate, and poised team of women to make big plays on the field and big impacts in the community. On the community side, we partner with multiple organizations locally to provide 1000+ girls and women football instruction annually. We truly believe that sports brings us together and there is no truer example of that than the Kansas City Glory.
How do you think about happiness?
Seeing girls coming up now have opportunities that I did not have as a young female athlete. I have fought for my position in sports many times, but not as much as those who came before me. Those women held the door open when they finally got through it and I get to do the same for the young ladies that come behind me. We all stand on the shoulders of the giants that came before us.
Pricing:
- Home game tickets $15-$20
- Sponsorship Packages $500-$20,000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kansascityglory.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kansascityglory/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheKCGlory/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kansas-city-glory/posts/?feedView=all
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kansascityglory
