How we are including anti-racism, advocacy, and leadership into our programs.

Started in 2014 to serve all girls*, operating in San Francisco  & Oakland– GLG is a nonprofit organization that trains over 500 girls every year ages 5-17 from all socioeconomic backgrounds, in leadership and life skills through soccer with all women coaches and mentors. 

Girls Leading Girls Core Values
Girls Leading Girls is committed to anti-racism and we fully support Black Lives Matter and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) in our community. GLG’s three core values are soccer, leadership and advocacy. Soccer and leadership are embedded throughout each practice and as an organization we are continuing to build advocacy into our program to develop strong, compassionate female leaders. 

Leadership & Anti-racism: The steps we took

1. Lead by example as an organization

2. Train our people on these topics

3. Lead by example on the ground

4. Develop a collaborative curriculum

5. Create a plan for implementing the curriculum

6. Evaluate, measure, learn and reiterate

Coaching Girls in Leadership & Anti-Racism

1. Hold discussions on weekly Leadership & Anti-racism themes at practices & Virtually. Coaches have held open discussions, created activities on paper, read articles, shown videos and have created soccer activities 

2. Be authentic, transparent and honest

   • It all starts with the Coach

3. Create a safe space: Hold space to define racism, systemic racism, anti-racism, inclusion, implicit bia, cultural appropriation, and microaggressions

4. Club document to share ideas and learn from one another

Individuals and leagues who have used their platforms to demand change and give attention to social justice issues. 

• Colin Kaepernick

• Naomi Osaka

• Bubba Wallace

• WNBA

• Premier League Soccer

• NBA

• USWNT

• PSG vs Istanbul Basakeshir

Organizational Leadership

1. Systemic/Institutional work= Free After School Program, scholarships for BIPOC players into our club

2. Personal work= Coaches being asked to learn about black history, systematic racism, anti-racism, Junior Coaches important part 

3. Interpersonal work= Communication to parents and players with resources, coaches leading by example

Coaching Representation Matters

1. Seek out women of color to coach & lead your programs

2. It is important to show the girls and the community women of color can be leaders

3. The challenges and barriers facing coaches that are BIPOC

4. Reaching them and what they need to be successful

Coaching Girls in Leadership

1. Provide positive and constructive feedback

   • Detailed individual feedback

   • Praise effort

   • Learning when and when not to say “I’m Sorry”

2. Encourage risk taking and creativity

   • Mistakes = Learning

3. Opportunities for players to lead

4. JR Coaches
   
   

Coaching Girls in Advocacy

1. Advocacy starts with the Self

2. Opportunities for players to speak & use their voice

3. Giving players options and decision making power

4. Role playing different scenarios that come up on and off the field to help them decide on best actions to take around advocacy for self and others

Connect with Us or Donate!

soccer@girlsleadinggirls.org

www.girlsleadinggirls.org/donate

https://www.instagram.com/girlsleadinggirls/

*We use the term “Girls” which refers to gender expansive youth (cis girls, trans girls, nonbinary youth, gender non-conforming youth, gender queer youth and any girl-identified youth)