Sporting Kansas City star Matt Besler, right with microphone, talks to Eudora High girls soccer players after giving them new Nike soccer balls as part of his donation toward the new program.

Following a summer workout Tuesday, Eudora High soccer coach Darren Erpelding told his players to expect a local celebrity in attendance.

When Matt Besler arrived, the Sporting Kansas City star defender and a starter for the U.S. men’s national team, Eudora players were stunned.

After fundraising all summer, Erpelding was ready to announce that the school made enough money to support a girls soccer program next spring. Besler, in coordination with American Standard, made a $2,000 donation to complete the team’s goal.

The Eudora school board approved a potential girls soccer program in April, and the Cardinals needed to raise nearly $16,000 from April 1 to their deadline on Tuesday.

“Matt basically stepped up and said, ‘Hey, I’ll take care of it,'” Erpelding said. “That pushed us over the top for us to go have a program this spring. It not only means the world to me and my family, but it means the world to these girls.”

Eudora High soccer coach Darren Erpelding, left, announces the recent donation from Sporting Kansas City star Matt Besler toward the new girls soccer program, which will start next spring.

Besler, who attended Blue Valley West, said he received a phone call from representatives at American Standard a few weeks ago asking if he’d be interested in helping. Besler and the company have a partnership that’s lasted throughout the past few years.

Before taking pictures and signing autographs for all of the players and children at Tuesday’s ceremony, Besler announced his own surprise. He donated new Nike soccer balls, shin guards and bags to players.

Speaking to Eudora’s girls soccer players — about 13 showed up for Tuesday’s summer practice — Besler told them about his time at Blue Valley West. He was a freshman when the school opened and was a part of the school’s first soccer program.

“You have the opportunity to really set the tone,” Besler said. “You guys have an opportunity to make traditions and to really start the program off on the right note. That legacy that you guys can leave, that can last forever. You guys are the ones starting that. That’s very special and I hope you guys take advantage of it.”

Besler added: “I’d just like to say congratulations to all of you guys. This is a great facility, great high school and I’m just excited.”

In the past, girls interested in playing soccer at Eudora would combine with the boys team in the fall for a co-ed team.

“Speaking from a personal standpoint, it’s a lot harder to kind of compete with the guys for spots and stuff,” Eudora senior Nicole Whitten said. “There were a lot of girls that wouldn’t go out with guys on the team because it can be a lot rougher and there’s a lot more risk for them getting injured.”

Erpelding and his wife, Judy, helped start the campaign for a girls soccer program during the winter. Erpelding, entering his third year as a coach at Eudora, wanted an opportunity for his oldest daughter, Kate, an incoming freshman, to play for her hometown.

Once the Cardinals raised around $7,000 at a silent auction in June, Erpelding was confident that the school would reach its fundraising goal.

“This was a community deal,” Erpelding said. “This wasn’t just like one, two, three people; this was a whole community to make this happen.”

Eudora athletic director Cara Kimberlin said school officials have tried to push for a girls soccer program in the past, but the biggest problem was timing. The last time they tried, it failed because it was at the same time as budget cuts.

“Things work out when the timing is right,” Kimberlin said. “I think it timed out really well. We have a number of kids who want to play. You don’t want to deny kids an opportunity to do something as an extracurricular activity that they want to do.”