Northern Colorado Rain Crest and Kelly Brown Interview

WINDSOR – On Wednesday February 9, Northern Colorado Rain revealed their crest as they enter their expansion season in the USL W League. The USLW started in 2022 and is a pre-professional women’s league that will compliment the (now first division!) USL Super League.

The Rain crest features a raindrop in the middle of the “R”, that appears to end in a soccer ball. There are mountain and/or lightning features at the top and the bottom of the crest. There’s a nice play on words being named Rain with Seattle Reign in the NWSL. To say nothing of the obvious weather theme and parallels to NoCo Hailstorm.

“It’s important that we have our own brand for each of our entities. We want to have our own color scheme, we want to have our own identity,” Executive Director of Operations Casey Katofsky told Burgundy Wave.

“We’re really happy with it. There’s some more stuff coming. The rain drop is a big focus of the logo for sure. Incorporating the mountains is iconic in Colorado. Adding in its own element that has its similarities to the Hailstorm but has its own brand was important.”

NoCo will be a part of the Mountain Division in the Western Conference, alongside ALBION SC, Colorado International Soccer Academy, Colorado Storm, and Flatirons FC. They’ll play 12 regular season games from late May to the end of June.

Meet Head Coach Kelly Brown:

The Steamboat Springs native has more than a decade of experience in the college game. She was part of the coaching staff when the CSU Rams started their program. The opportunity to grow the game in her home state and with the existing infrastructure were not the only thing that attracted her to the Rain.

“Everything. From the passion behind it, to the support its had, to an area that’s produced top talent for years. The opportunity to start something,” Brown told Burgundy Wave.

“The facilities are outstanding. The fact that they’re ours, we’re not renting it from the city or a local club. It’s ours. We’re going to take care of it.”

Brown played at local Division II school Regis University as well as UNLV, where she was a three-time Mountain West All-Academic. She has coached at Regis, Colorado State, and the University of Colorado.

“I want to be the destination for women’s soccer players all over the country to spend a summer in Colorado and to play. I know this organization wants to go after a championship. I want to be the best club but I also want (Rain) to be the best home for soccer players. A culture where they can grow.”

USWNT star striker Sophia Smith is from Windsor originally. Last year, 19 NWSL players had connections to the Centennial state. For Denver FC is looking to start an NWSL team. If Rain can be a hit on and off the pitch, there’s a path for them to be first division in the USL Super League in the future. The sport has grown in Colorado and its time the pyramid of the women’s game was built out in Colorado.

“I’m excited to see what women’s soccer is all about out here. I’ve heard there’s more women’s talent than men’s out here,” Hailstorm No. 10 Irvin Parra said, after joking he might have snuck into the dome to get a sneak peak of the crest the night before.

“I had spoken to her before the first tryout in December. I’ve been impressed so far. She has the knowledge. She has the background. During the interview process before she got the job, she was eager to win. She wants to grow soccer in Northern Colorado,” said Hailstorm Head Coach Éamon Zayed.

“The women’s side has always been extremely important to us. Now that we’ve established a men’s baseball team and men’s soccer team, this was something that makes sense for us,” Katofsky added, timeline and all.

Brown is firstly focused on the players she will bring in and develop this summer, even with how exciting the bigger picture is.

“If I can guide them to solve problems in a positive way and a way that’s effective, that’s my job. I want them to play free and with a creative spirit. Those are the players that I’m attracting.”

Photo Credit: Matt Pollard

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