We believed inclusion meant bringing everyone together.
Same field. Same training. Same environment.
It made sense in theory, but didn't work in practice. Over time, we started seeing something we could not ignore. Our girls were quietly disappearing from the experience. From 22% participation to 8%.
That drop forced a harder truth than we were ready for. We were not just losing participation. We were losing girls from the experience entirely. At first we told ourselves the usual things. Competition is good. Mixed environments build toughness. Kids adjust over time. But, what we were seeing on the field did not match that story. Girls were getting fewer touches, fewer passing options, and fewer moments to gain confidence.
Then came the moment that changed how we saw everything.
A young girl came off the field and told me that she wanted to go home. Not because she was tired or hurt. It was because the boys were not passing her the ball. That was the system showing us the truth that we couldn't ignore any longer.
We did not build the right environment for our girls.
- Inclusion is not mixing everyone together and letting the environment sort itself out.
- Not having female coaches and volunteers is a non-starter.
- A 7-year old girl responds differently than a boy.
The turning point did not come from a strategy meeting. It came from a parent standing up for her daughter. A dad stepped in and said we need to be intentional here to build something that is tailored to girls in a space built for them to thrive!
That was not feedback. That was accountability and we listened.
Once we started adjusting in March, things changed quickly. Girls started coming back and feeling welcomed again. Friends of families we serve started texting me on whatsapp asking to bring their daughters. We were no longer guessing. We were responding.
In July, we are launching a dedicated girls pilot!
Structured development built with the same seriousness as everything else we do. Two sessions per week. Competitive soccer training designed intentionally for girls. Community fitness and development built for their growth and confidence. Inclusion is designing environments where every group has a real chance to participate grow and stay.
We did not do that. And we are responsible for that gap and want to take action to fix it.
Because if a girl walks away from the game believing she does not belong in it then we failed the game itself.
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