CHICAGO (Feb. 16, 2021) – U.S. Soccer has launched a new SheBelieves program to unite and elevate nonprofits, women’s sports organizations, and influencers with a shared goal of positively impacting girls and women. Ten organizations will participate in the inaugural year of the SheBelieves Ambassadors program.
The first class of SheBelieves Ambassadors features a range of organizations in sports, STEM, the arts, and professional development. Approximately half the organizations focus on serving girls and women in underserved or minority communities.
The Ambassadors program will highlight the important work these organizations do for women and girls, while bringing the SheBelieves mission of inspiration and empowerment to an even broader audience.
“In sports, we know that you can always achieve more when you work together as a team,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone, herself a former USWNT player, World Cup champion and Olympic gold medal winner. “We are honored to welcome these SheBelieves Ambassadors as our new teammates in creating positive and lasting change in the world. By sharing our missions, resources and people, together we can support, impact and lift more girls and women.”
SheBelieves was originally launched in the run-up to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and has since evolved into a special series of events and programming to inspire and encourage girls and young women to reach their dreams, in soccer and beyond. Over the past five years, the SheBelieves platform, driven by programs focusing on Career, Confidence and Community, has empowered girls and women by helping give them a vision and tools to achieve their goals.
The newly established SheBelieves Ambassadors program will broaden and deepen that community, while amplifying meaningful conversations and resources for more girls and women.
SheBelieves Ambassadors will have the opportunity to benefit from U.S. Soccer’s extensive social media network, creative collaboration with U.S. Soccer staff and events, connection with fellow Ambassadors, and participation in unique SheBelieves programs, including the SheBelieves Summit, presented by Deloitte. The program is designed to be easy-to-access and customize-able for both large and small-shop nonprofits with bold missions.
Each year, U.S. Soccer will invite a select group of organizations and individuals to participate cost-free in the SheBelieves Ambassadors program. Organizations and individuals must be or be associated a nonprofit organization, women’s professional organization, women’s sporting body, or influencer platforms. All Ambassadors will be groups or individuals who champion the SheBelieves ethos of inspiration and empowerment or who reflect the core SheBelieves pillars of Career, Confidence & Community to their audiences.
U.S. Soccer will work proactively to engage organizations and influencers who represent a diverse population. Ambassadors will be announced ahead of the SheBelieves Cup each year, and work with U.S. Soccer throughout the duration of the calendar year.
Brown Girls Do Ballet - Promoting diversity in the arts through annual scholarships, a mentor network, and community programs to empower young girls, and increasing participation of underrepresented populations in ballet programs through ballet performances, photo exhibitions, and resources.
Female Coaching Network - Empowering, enabling, and inspiring female coaches to be the best they can be whilst creating cultural change within sport to achieve gender equality in high performance coaching.
IF/THEN - Creating a culture shift among young girls to open their eyes to STEM careers by elevating women in STEM as role models, convening cross-sector partners, and inspiring girls with better portrayals of women in STEM through media and learning experiences.
National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) - Delivering a ten-team Division-1 women’s professional soccer league in the United States, featuring national team players and world-class female athletes from around the world.
Play Like A Girl! - Leveraging sports to build a diverse pipeline of young women in STEM fields by helping more than 1,250 girls annually to build confidence and leadership skills during their critical middle school years.
PowerPlay - Advancing the lives of girls through sports and helping them grow physically, emotionally, and academically stronger through confidence-building athletics and play.
U.S. Soccer Foundation - Providing underserved communities access to innovative play spaces and programs that instill hope and foster well-being, while increasing girls’ and women’s participation through the Foundation’s United for Girls initiative.
WISE Chicago & WISE Greater Orlando Chapters - Helping women in sports and events maximize their professional potential and advance their careers through peer support, mentoring, professional development, networking and training.
Women in Soccer - Connecting all women who love the beautiful game – including athletes, fans, business leaders, aspiring professionals, and passionate changemakers – through free memberships for women seeking jobs, community, allies, professional development and more.
WriteGirl - Building a world where teens live, write, and speak boldly through nationally-recognized creative writing and mentoring programs with a 100% success rate in helping its seniors graduate from high school and enroll in college.
Ambassadors will be featured on the SheBelieves virtual hub at ussoccer.com/shebelieves/ambassadors and on U.S. Soccer videoboards at all 2021 SheBelieves Cup matches, together with a thank you announcement. Ambassadors will also see their organizations amplified across the USWNT social media accounts to millions of followers and receive an Ambassadors toolkit with graphics and information to feature SheBelieves on their websites and social media accounts. Ambassadors will also be invited to the annual SheBelieves Summit, presented by Deloitte, and to participate in other uniquely identified opportunities derived from discussion and collaboration.