When Isabella "Bella" Stankunas steps onto the field with West Chester women's soccer, she's home. The early childhood education major grew up surrounded by the game — a father who coaches at the collegiate level, a sister competing at the College of Charleston, and a family calendar built around training sessions and tournaments. At West Chester, that lifelong passion found a new purpose: preparing for the 2026 International Federation of Cerebral Palsy (IFCPF) Women's World Cup, the first ever staged on U.S. soil.
The World Cup will be held October 14-24 at the Arthur M. Blank US Soccer National Training Center in Fayetteville, Georgia, south of Atlanta. The IFCPF World Cup takes place every two years and was last held in Salou, Spain in 2024 and 2022.
"I chose West Chester University because it had my major, and I wanted to be close to home and family," Stankunas said. "I became involved with the WCU women's soccer team because I knew I wanted to stay connected to the game in some aspect and meet new people."
What began as a search for community quickly became a training ground for a world stage. With the support of head coach
Betty Ann Kempf Townsley and assistant coach
Scarlett Walsh, Stankunas has balanced college life with international ambitions — and in the process, become a source of inspiration for the Golden Rams.
A Family Game
Ask Stankunas about her earliest soccer memories, and she'll take you straight to the backyard with her sister, Emma, and to summer tournaments on the sand. "We are truly a soccer family, and I don't remember soccer not being a huge part of our family," she said. "My mom said she would actually go watch my dad coach when they were dating."
Those roots run deep. From youth practices to high school games at Perkiomen Valley, from travel team tryouts to national team camps, her sister has been there every step. "I've always had her there to push me and be my training buddy through the years," Stankunas said.
That foundation carried her to the beach blast tournaments she still remembers fondly — and to West Chester, where her love for the game met a program ready to embrace her dreams.
Golden Rams, Golden Standard
Stankunas first connected with WCU women's soccer through a family tie — her father knew Kempf Townsley from years in the sport. A conversation led to an invitation to join the team environment as a manager and practice player. The fit was immediate.
"Being able to be with the Golden Rams has truly been the best experience," Stankunas said. "Having the ability to train at such a high level with such a great group of women who push me to become a better player has been amazing."
Kempf Townsley saw the impact go both ways. "She's been able to keep up," the coach said. "She's done all the running. She's played the soccer. I've thrown her in scrimmages, and she's kept up. I think our team kind of supported her through it."
Senior
Carley Slavin echoed that sentiment. "She's become a big part of our team," Slavin said. "It just shows how passionate she is about soccer. She comes out here and trains with us every day. She runs all the fitness with us. It just shows how committed she is."
For Stankunas, the camaraderie has been as meaningful as the training. "Knowing that the team is there for me and such a big support system when it comes to my CP women's national team means the world to me," she said. "I know the opportunity to train each day here will help me be my best at the World Cup."
The National Team Journey
Stankunas' path to the U.S. Women's National CP Team began in January 2022, when she was invited to her first-ever training camp in Florida. "It was the first-ever women's CP camp, and I was just 14 years old," she said. "I was going up against players 10 years older than me."
More camps followed — California, Georgia, New York — but she was too young to compete in the program's first World Cup. That changed when she turned 16. "When I turned 16, I was able to make the team and travel to Spain to compete in the IFCPF World Cup in 2024," Stankunas said. "I also traveled to Ireland to play in friendlies in September of 2024."
Representing her country has been equal parts surreal and joyful. "My experience with the CP Women's National Team has truly been such an unreal experience," she said. "Being able to travel the world playing the sport I love with the best team in the world and representing my country is something I will cherish forever."
The friendships, she added, are lifelong. "The friendships I have made with my U.S. teammates are for life," she said. "We have a bond that will last my lifetime."
Home Soil, World Stage
The 2026 IFCPF Women's World Cup marks a milestone — the first time the tournament will be held in the United States, and the largest international women's field in CP history. For Stankunas, it's the culmination of years of work and a dream realized.
"Knowing that this IFCPF World Cup is the first-ever tournament being held on US soil for our game and having the opportunity to be a part of such big milestones means everything to me," she said. "This was such a big goal of mine for the past two years, so knowing I have accomplished it tells me that my hard work paid off."
There's another mission, too. "We have a mission to once again be World Cup champions," she said. "We also are pushing to have CP soccer added to the Paralympics in 2032 hosted by Australia."
The Heart Behind the Journey
As she prepares for Atlanta, Stankunas keeps her family close. "I lastly want to shout out my mom, who has helped me get to this opportunity," she said. "She has been by my side through the entire journey and been there when I needed her most."
Her sister remains her biggest cheerleader. "Having her there and supporting me has helped me through this journey," Stankunas said. "She would even watch the live streams of my games in Spain from Charleston."
And her father, the coach who first put a ball at her feet, is never far from her thoughts. "From the trainings during the summer to giving me feedback on my games to coaching me most of my life, he's helped me get to where I am today," she said.
From West Chester practices to the world's biggest stage for CP women's soccer, Stankunas carries the same spirit she brought to the backyard as a kid: joy, drive, and a belief that the game can take her anywhere.
Stankunas and Team USA will begin their Tournament on October 15 vs. Finland beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Seven women's teams will compete in the Tournament in 2026, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Semifinals on October 21 and the finals on October 23. The event is open to the public, and those who wish to attend can reserve their free tickets
here.
