Meet the 14ers Supporters Group

Denver, Colo.- To understand the 14ers, you have to go back to before Denver even had an NWSL team. In 2023, a group called For Denver FC banded after the 2023 Women’s World Cup to try to use the momentum from the World Cup to bring a professional women’s team to Denver. For Denver FC, along with investors and key stakeholders, worked tirelessly for two years to realize this dream before the NWSL announced that Denver would be getting its first professional women’s soccer team.

Rather than disappearing once Denver secured an NWSL club, members of For Denver FC redirected that energy into building the team’s first supporters group. With feedback from the community, they became the 14ers, a name that pays homage to Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks.

Once Denver’s professional women’s team was announced in January 2025, the 14ers had to hit the ground running. Unlike Boston Legacy FC, which had nearly 2.5 years between their admission and debut, Denver had only 13.5 months. That expedited timeline forced the 14ers to learn on the fly – living by their mantra, “we’re building this plane as we fly it.” Katherine Ammon, the Board Secretary for the 14ers (and Burgundy Wave contributor), says the group has leaned heavily on C38, the official supporters’ group of the Colorado Rapids, as well as other NWSL support groups. Community partners have also lent a hand, including Soccer Post Denver, which provides a space for the 14ers to create and assemble their tifos.

When developing the kind of experience they wanted fans to have inside the stadium, the 14ers took heavy inspiration from supporters of the Japanese national team. Japan’s supporters are known for being loud and rowdy during matches, but they can also be seen picking up trash after the game ends. The 14ers are passionate about being loud in their support of the Summit while also being respectful of their opponents and the spaces they occupy.

From the beginning, the 14ers have aimed to be more than a matchday supporters group. They want to help build the culture, community, and identity around professional women’s soccer in Colorado. Outside the stadium, Ammon says the 14ers are looking to create a safe third space.

“I think outside of the stadium, we really just wanna be a third space for people. So you’ve got home, you’ve got work, what do you do in between? So we really want to be that place for people, we want to be a safe space. I think a lot of people who are part of marginalized communities often love soccer for their enjoyment, their happiness, their hobbies, and so we really want to provide that space for people,” says Ammon. 

Community Involvement:

Two core principles of the 14ers are supporting local artists and finding positives in any situation. Nothing exemplifies both of those principles more than their collaboration with Soka Trading Co. (@soka_trading). Scott Schaeffer from Soka Trading uses dead pinewood that has been destroyed by pine beetles, an issue persistent to Colorado, and turns them into the Player of the Match plaques that are awarded to the top player of each game.

The 14ers have also partnered with muralist Shanah Leaf (@shanahrella) to provide murals at tailgates that fans can enjoy and take pictures in front of. Ammon also indicated that additional community partnerships are in the works as their community network continues to expand. That sense of community is something the 14ers hope to build into the organization itself. Ammon said the group is currently working toward 501(c)(7) status, the designation for a social club, which reflects where it now stands as a supporters group centered on membership and matchday culture.

Long term, the group hopes to evolve beyond matchday support into a broader charitable and community-based organization. That means moving toward 501(c)(3) status, which creates a path for the group to grow into a broader charitable and community-focused organization. For the 14ers, the idea is not just to help shape the atmosphere inside the stadium, but to become part of the larger foundation around women’s soccer in Colorado.

How to get involved:

If you want to get involved with the 14ers, the group has made entry points especially easy for new members. The first stop would be to go to their website https://www.14erssupporters.com/. Here you can become a member, check out all of the upcoming events, read about what to expect on game days, and join the community. Members receive the group’s newsletter, updates on future events, and access to the 14ers’ monthly all-member meetings, where organizers discuss the state of the group and plans for the future. Their website also allows you to sign up for specific committees that you are interested in joining. If you are interested in helping design tifos, becoming a drummer for the supporter section during games, or wanting to have input on what spirit nights look like. There is a committee for each of these roles. 

In just over a year, the 14ers have gone from advocates for professional women’s soccer in Denver to helping shape what supporter culture around the Summit can look like. As the club continues to grow, so does the group’s ambition to create not just matchday noise, but a lasting community around the team.

Fans will have their next chance to see that culture in action on April 25 at 6:45 p.m., when the Summit hosts San Diego Wave at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in the club’s first match at DSGP. The team’s final home match before the league-wide break for the Men’s World Cup comes May 16 against the Orlando Pride, a Pride Night fixture that the 14ers say will feature something special.

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