From Player to Junior Coach to Head Coach: Meet Girls Soccer Coach Nora Reed

Coach Nora Reed

Nora has been a player for us on the GLG SOL Warriors 03 Travel team for the past 5 years. During that time, she was also a volunteer junior coach. Now, after just graduating high school this past May, she has been promoted to be a paid head coach with us!

Our mission is to train girls to be leaders through soccer. By providing an opportunity for student-athletes to gain work experience and leadership training through hands-on learning, we’re able to give back to our players, increase the low number of women coaches in sports, and provide jobs for women in the community. We’re so proud of Nora and all she has accomplished on and off the field. Read her interview with us below.

Apply today to become a Junior Coach or Coach

How did you get involved with Girls Leading Girls?

I got involved in 8th grade. I played for another club in 5th grade and didn’t have a good experience. I quit and didn’t play in 6th grade at all. Two of my friends played with Girls Leading Girls and asked if I wanted to play. I started on one of the recreational teams and grew with them to a competitive team. 

I always liked the energy created by the teams. I liked the coaches, and I always felt very welcome, even when I didn’t know anyone at first. My teammates have become my closest friends, and they’re the only friends I saw during Covid-19.

What are your plans post high school?

I’m going to SF City College for two years and want to transfer after focusing on drawing. I’m very interested in animation drawing.

What’s it been like going from a player to a Junior Coach to now a paid Head Coach?

As a player, I just showed up and waited for my coach to tell me what to do. It was a great distraction from other things in life, and I just got to really enjoy the adrenaline of playing. 

When I went into junior coaching, I wasn’t sure how much the kids would actually listen to me. I didn’t speak up much until this last season. I started leading activities more to prepare for being a Head Coach and talking to the players individually to help them learn, which helped me be more comfortable as a coach. 

Now I’m coaching my own team of 3rd graders this summer. They’re a lot of energy, but knowing I’m the head coach and these players are coming to me for directions has made me more confident. Their high energy wakes me up and really sets me up for my day.  

What do you enjoy most about coaching?  

I love hearing the players cheer for their teammates and watching them have fun. None of this team knew each other before camp, and now they’re all hanging out together and checking on each other whenever someone gets hurt (which is often with the young ones!). It’s so nice to watch them go from individual players to become a real team.

How has GLG influenced you and your skills?

GLG has definitely made me more confident and influenced how I speak on and off the field. 

I played goalkeeper, and the one thing I struggled with the most was speaking up to my teammates. I was very quiet but easy to coach, I would say. I would lead by example and listen well. 

Now I’ve learned how to use my voice without being aggressive. I’ve learned to be assertive and when to stand my ground.

Why do you want to coach with GLG?

It’s a way to keep soccer in my life. This is where I became comfortable. I know some of the other coaches. I know some of the younger players, making it a great place to start as a coach and learn skills that I can apply beyond.

How has being part of GLG helped you overcome a challenge? What was the challenge or adversity you faced?

I think a common challenge is finding your place and becoming confident. Girls Leading Girls has helped me find my community and my voice. 

On previous teams, I didn’t make an effort to get the team to connect, so it was a little cliquey. When I came to GLG, some players already knew each other and were close, but the coach made sure we stuck together as a team. Those players reassured me that I was an important part of the team.

What do you think we need more of or less of right now to change the social injustices, racial inequality, and gender discrimination happening in the world?

We need to respect others as they are — not for what they look like, but for their character. As long as we can respect each other, a lot of these issues could go away.