2021 & 2022 Annual Report
Girls Leading Girls is proud to have trained 736 young women ages 5-17 in leadership and life skills in 2021 and 960 girls in 2022.
Dear Community,
Today, we are celebrating nine years of Girls Leading Girls! The number “9” is special to me because it was the USWNT World Cup Champion Mia Hamm’s jersey. She was my inspiration as a young girl — her bravery, humility, and skill are what drove me to the field every day to play by myself or with my teammates. She continues to be my motivation today because she reminds me of that time in my life — 12-year-old Bre — just trying to survive the hardships of my family, the awkwardness of my pre-teen changes, the sudden insecurity I felt about what I wore, how I talked, and who my friends were. Soccer saved me that year.
That 12-year-old girl is the reason why I started this organization nine years ago. So I could help other girls like me not just survive but thrive and feel confident as their unique self on and off the field.
I often tell our coaches and staff that soccer is a metaphor for life. Everything you need to learn about life you can learn on that field. The pitch is where I learned to stand up for myself, find my voice, learn what true and honest leadership meant, empower my teammates, resolve conflicts, work hard, overcome setbacks like injuries, and remain optimistic in the face of defeat.
These life lessons hit us all hard the last two years and really tested us as a collective community. I can say with pride that our girls, coaches, and staff have all stepped up to face adversity head-on and, most importantly, together.
Thank you for making this ninth year so special and for helping us uplift the hearts, minds, and lives of so many girls and women through the beautiful game of soccer…and life.
Yours in gratitude,
Brianna “Bre” Russell
CEO & Founder