Girls in the Game

A key focus of Soccer Without Borders' work is creating opportunities for girls to play soccer. We strive to create programs that empower girls through soccer opportunities and life-skills education to meet their potential personally, athletically, and in their communities. By identifying and developing local role models, fostering the growth of confidence, self-esteem, and healthy choices, and creating safe spaces for girls to enjoy the benefits of sports, SWB works at the grassroots level to reach girls in their local communities.

Our work is grounded in research on the positive developmental benefits of sports, particularly for girls in the areas of self-esteem, body image, self-confidence, and perceived competency. Targeting areas where access to sports for girls is nonexistant, minimal, or inequitable, the SWB girls program site-specific curriculums and initiatives to build a program best suited for the obstacles facing women in a particular area.

History

More then 75% of SWB staff are female athletes who have competed at the collegiate, professional and international levels. Having experienced first hand the tremendous benefits that participation in a quality soccer program can provide, we hope to share this opportunity with girls who are often excluded from sports opportunities. While SWB has been committed to serving all youth through its programs since its founding in 2006, it became apparent over time that creating programs for boys was much easier than for girls. Cultural and fiscal barriers often funneled existing resources toward young boys, leaving little to no support for the growth of girls’ sports. The first ever SWB girls specific initiative took place in Monze, Zambia in the fall of 2007. Working with Beyond Sport Inc., Soccer Without Borders volunteers worked to help BSI develop girls specific soccer opportunities training a local coordinator to sustain the program when the volunteers returned to the United States.  Since then, SWB girls specific initiatives have expanded to Nicaragua and Argentina, and will continue to expand in Latin America as our capacity permits. To get a day to day look at the running and evolution of a girls specific initiative in Granada, Nicaragua, please read this blog.

Girls Specific Initiatives and Curriculum Partners 

Trabajando en Equipo Aprendemos Mas (T.E.A.M.)- “Working as a team we learn more”- Latin America:  The T.E.A.M. concept uses a three-pronged approach to build sustainable opportunities from the bottom-up (grassroots level player and coach training), top-down (supporting the National federation), and outside-in (bringing in women’s soccer role models).

Girls for a Change: SWB Girls’ programs incorporate the curriculum used by Girls’ For a Change (www.girlsforachange.org)