We are officially 30 days away from Denver Summit FC’s inaugural game at Empower Field at Mile High.
The team is generating mountains of excitement across the Front Range, most notably, among the very girls who hope to one day join them on the field.
Real Colorado is a nationally recognized club soccer team that develops boys and girls ages 3 to 19 and has developed three of the players currently on the Summit.
Goalkeeper Jordan Nytes, defender Janine Sonis, and midfielder Meg Boade (who is training with the Summit) all played for Real Colorado before making it to one of soccer’s biggest stages.
Lindsey Heaps, the U.S. Women’s National Team captain and Summit midfielder, also grew up in Golden and played for rival youth club, the Colorado Rush.
Tuula Tarkka, striker for Real Colorado
Now, the club teams’ current members are drawing inspiration from their former training partners.
“It motivates me more,” said Real Colorado midfielder, Tuula Tarkka, a high school junior from Highlands Ranch who has verbally committed to play soccer for the University of Kansas. “To see that some players from the club that I’m at are on [the Summit]; it just pushes me more to work harder, because playing professionally is definitely a huge goal of mine.”
Tarkka, along with her longtime friend, Sarah Schecter, who is Real Colorado’s goalkeeper, will both be going to the Summit’s home opener against the Washington Spirit on March 28.
It’s a date Real Colorado’s CEO Jared Spires knew the team couldn’t miss.
Sarah Schecter, goalkeeper for Real Colorado
“Our state association scheduled games on opening day, and the first thing was, ‘Hey, we’re canceling our game, right?’ Because we got to go to that,” he told Denver7, laughing.
“I feel like it’s almost a huge confidence builder,” Schecter said. “[Jordan Nytes] trains with the same people I did — same coaches, everything. So, you really just get to envision yourself where somebody who was your same age few years ago is now.”
Schecter is also a junior and has played for Real Colorado since she was 10.
She verbally committed to play soccer for the University of Baylor in September.
Jared Spires, CEO of Real Colorado
“I think [our current players] get to see it, touch it, see the players, and those players will come out and interact with them,” Spires said. “[Having the Summit here allows their goals] to become real. It’s not this dream of what might this look like. They get to see it.”
Spires says he coached Janine Sonis and Meg Boade while they were with Real Colorado and anticipates once the team gets the new season underway, Summit FC will become a big draw to their mission.
“They’ve really expressed a desire to interact with the youth clubs all over Colorado,” Spires said. “So, I would expect there to be interaction, and would hope there would be, because these are their fans.”
March 2026
Sat, Mar 14
4:30 PM
@ Bay FC
Away
Fri, Mar 20
6:00 PM
@ Orlando Pride
Away
Wed, Mar 25
5:30 PM
@ Gotham FC
Away
Sat, Mar 28
12:00 PM
vs. Washington Spirit
Home*
April 2026
Sat, Apr 4
6:45 PM
@ Seattle Reign
Away
Sat, Apr 25
6:45 PM
vs. San Diego Wave FC
Home**
May 2026
Sun, May 3
1:00 PM
@ Boston Legacy FC
Away
Sat, May 9
6:00 PM
@ Houston Dash
Away
Sat, May 16
6:45 PM
vs. Orlando Pride
Home**
Sat, May 23
4:30 PM
@ Utah Royals
Away
Fri, May 29
6:00 PM
@ Racing Louisville
Away
July 2026
Fri, Jul 3
7:30 PM
vs. Kansas City Current
Home
Sun, Jul 12
5:00 PM
vs. Houston Dash
Home
Sat, Jul 18
12:00 PM
vs. Portland Thorns FC
Home
Sun, Jul 26
5:00 PM
@ Washington Spirit
Away
August 2026
Sun, Aug 2
7:00 PM
vs. Boston Legacy FC
Home
Wed, Aug 05
8:00 PM
vs. North Carolina Courage
Home
Sat, Aug 8
2:00 PM
vs. Utah Royals
Home
Fri, Aug 14
8:00 PM
@ San Diego Wave FC
Away
Sat, Aug 22
6:45 PM
@ Portland Thorns FC
Away
Sat, Aug 29
6:45 PM
vs. Chicago Stars FC
Home
September 2026
Sun, Sep 6
12:00 PM
vs. Gotham FC
Home
Fri, Sep 11
8:00 PM
@ Angel City FC
Away
Wed, Sep 16
7:30 PM
vs. Bay FC
Home
Sat, Sep 19
6:45 PM
vs. Seattle Reign
Home
Sat, Sep 26
10:30 AM
@ Kansas City Current
Away
October 2026
Sun, Oct 4
2:00 PM
@ Chicago Stars FC
Away
Sat, Oct 17
6:45 PM
vs. Angel City FC
Home
Sat, Oct 24
4:30 PM
vs. Racing Louisville
Home
November 2026
Sun, Nov 1
3:00 PM
@ North Carolina Courage
Away