We are thrilled to announce that we will be representing Girl Boss Sports at the Urban Soccer Symposium for the first time this year! Hosted by the US Soccer Foundation, this event brings together administrators, coaches, community members, and youth sports specialists for a blend of keynote speakers, virtual workshops, and network opportunities. Developing and cultivating young athletes in order to break down barriers and encourage diversity and inclusion are some of the core values that are explored. Embracing active and healthy lifestyles as well as building a sense of community allow individuals to be able to grow in a positive way. We are excited to be a part of this and an advocate for womxn in sports!
Our very own CEO/Founder, Sarah Wolfer, and our COO, Jennifer Christmas will be speaking this year! They will explore the theme of how “The Future of Leadership is Female” by discussing how keeping girls in sports and increasing the number of women sports coaches will change the world, as well as specific strategies to accomplish each of these goals on a larger scale.
In Sarah’s own words: “We are excited to share best practices we have discovered to increase the number of womxn coaches and administrators at every level of sports organizations nationwide. By doing this, we are providing female athletes everywhere with role-models they can look up to and see themselves represented in. All of this ultimately keeps more girls in sports, which in turn creates future female leaders across every industry, and that is what Girl Boss Sports is all about.”
Our COO, Jennifer Christmas, states “During this session we hope to challenge you to see the athletes who participate in your programs as more than soccer players, but as our future leaders everywhere! People who have the potential to lead organizations, run for public office and make impacts to our human experience” and that with Girl Boss Sports “we research best practices in the arena of equity and inclusion, and a primary focus of our team is reviewing our policies/ procedures to foster a female-friendly leadership path.”
During this presentation, Girl Boss Sports will be inviting participants to self-evaluate their organization’s approach in creating a female leadership path for players and coaches.
You can join us for this year’s virtual Symposium on March 25th-26th (Thursday-Friday)! The goal is to provide a platform to advocate for all young people to have the same access to quality sports programming. Unfortunately not everyone has the same level of access to the benefits of sports, especially during the pandemic. We want all athletes of every background regardless of race, status, or gender, to have equal opportunities in sports.
Last year, the 13th annual Symposium, presented by Soccer Shots, took place in March in Washington D.C. The event attracted 287 participants representing 183 organizations from 31 states! The primary message for 2019 was “Sport Without Barriers: Changing the Narrative.” Speakers included Eldra Jackson of Inside Circle, a company that provides opportunities for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people to heal and serve both themselves and others, former U.S. Men’s National Team players Maurice Edu and Charlie Davies, and 1999 Women’s World Cup Champions Brianna Scurry, Lorrie Fair, and Danielle Fotopoulos, among others.
We are pumped to be involved in such an impactful event for athletes, coaches, and administrators in the sports world. Be sure to mark your calendars and stay tuned for more news on this year’s Urban Soccer Symposium!
