U.S. Soccer believes soccer is a force for good, and that is true at every level, from our senior teams to local communities. With Soccer Forward, U.S. Soccer is working to have an impact at a grassroots level by expanding access to soccer in schools and communities.
Lex Chalat, Executive Director of Soccer Forward, sat down to explain the mission and initiatives behind the Soccer Forward Foundation, the latest of which launched this week:
Soccer Forward is still young, so for someone who may be new or just learning about it, can you explain the mission of the program?
U.S. Soccer launched Soccer Forward last year as the legacy initiative, knowing the incredible opportunities coming up next summer, the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup. U.S. Soccer has gone over a transformation over the last few years in terms of what it stands for, what we believe and what our mission is. We believe that soccer is a force for good. Healthy, happy, connected communities mean communities that play soccer.
Soccer Forward comes at that from a lens of community, grassroots, participation in the game at every level, ensuring quality, excellence and accessibility. We’ve worked hard over the last year to stand that up and what it means. We’re kicking off some exciting initiatives in the coming weeks that reflect what we heard from our ecosystem and from the soccer community at large.
There’s some incredible work being done in local communities to address issues and work towards these goals. How is Soccer Forward working with them?
When we at Soccer Forward partnered with communities, we got their feedback. We heard that we’re doing a great job, but we need resources. We need tools. We need to be empowered to do this better and do it more. And we need to be unified. Our narrative around why soccer and why soccer benefits communities sometimes gets lost in the noise. So, that's what we've set out to do.
In the coming weeks, we're kicking off the first phase of a Resource Hub which collects amazing tools, research, case studies and trainings from great organizations across the country who are addressing how soccer can be used in communities. We're also super excited that U.S. Soccer, with the expertise and the experience within the Federation, is developing tools and resources as well. We’ll be sharing the first iteration of a living, breathing toolkit that looks at how you can get soccer in your school and your community, whether you're a soccer club, a parent or an excited P.E. teacher.
What are some other barriers that Soccer Forward is working hard to solve?
We know there's a huge need for more places to play across the country. And once there are places to play, what that looks like. How we can ensure that it's accessible and inclusive to those who might not have been able to play there before or might’ve been too intimidated or didn’t see themselves in our game. We’re really focusing on that. Building out tools, resources and advocacy for people to get more places to play, then also good practices on what that looks like as well as facilitating more resources.
We know funding is important. We know investment is important. We're trying to come to the table there as well. Long term, we're truly committed to having a real, localized impact. We know that's important. We’re identifying great practices of how soccer organizations are working together in communities and how U.S. Soccer can uniquely show up for them so that they can change the landscape of their community through the game.
Listen and learn more with Lex’s full interview on the U.S. Soccer Podcast: