U.S. Soccer Foundation Honored as U.S. Soccer 2022 SheBelieves Ambassador

U.S. Soccer Foundation Joins Network of Nonprofit Organizations Working Across Sectors and The Nation to Positively Impact Girls & Women

Washington, D.C. (Feb. 23, 2022) – The U.S. Soccer Foundation has been selected by the U.S. Soccer Federation as a 2022 SheBelieves Ambassador. This special program unites and elevates nonprofit organizations embodying the SheBelieves mission of inspiring and empowering girls and young women.

U.S. Soccer is the governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States and oversees 24 National Teams, including the four-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champions, the U.S. Women’s National Team.

Through the SheBelieves Ambassadors program, the U.S. Soccer Foundation will continue to work directly with the Federation to showcase each other’s mission, people, initiatives, and resources, to positively impact girls and women.

“We enjoyed being a member of the inaugural class of SheBelieves Ambassadors and are excited to continue to work with other organizations to engage more girls and women in our game,” said Sarah Pickens, Associate Vice President of Programs at the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “Together, we can continue to ensure that underserved communities and girls and children of color have access to innovative play spaces and proven programs that foster well-being and help them reach their full potential.”

The second annual class of SheBelieves Ambassadors will focus on supporting girls and women from diverse or underserved communities. The nonprofits selected, including the U.S. Soccer Foundation, operate across a variety of sectors including the arts, STEM, education, community development, and professional development.

The shared theme reflects U.S. Soccer’s commitment to championing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and using its platforms to amplify national conversations fostering DEIB.

“SheBelieves Ambassadors are doing extraordinary work for girls and women who are too often overlooked, underrepresented, or underserved,” said U.S. Soccer President, Cindy Parlow Cone. “We are honored to welcome and celebrate this year’s class of SheBelieves Ambassadors, who align with both our SheBelieves mission to empower girls and young women and U.S. Soccer’s core principles of advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Where our U.S. Women’s National Team inspire us on the field, these organizations inspire us off of it.”

As part of the SheBelieves Ambassadors program, the U.S. Soccer Foundation will connect with fellow Ambassadors, be promoted across U.S. Soccer’s extensive social media network – including a spotlight feature on a female staff member or beneficiary – and will be featured on scoreboards and in-venue announcements at the final match of the 2022 SheBelieves Cup, presented by Visa. Ambassadors will also enjoy complimentary access to the SheBelieves Summit, presented by Deloitte, and creatively work with U.S. Soccer and Federation staff on bespoke collaborations meeting the nonprofits’ current needs. This year’s class will also participate in a three-part capacity-building series focused on organizational and professional development topics of their choosing.

The SheBelieves Ambassadors program recognizes the critical role nonprofits and their staffs have in impacting lives and affect positive cultural change. Ambassadors are announced each year around U.S. Soccer’s SheBelieves Cup, one of the world’s premier annual international women’s soccer tournaments.

THE 2022 SHEBELIEVES AMBASSADORS ARE:

• Black Girls Code – Building pathways for young women of color to embrace the current tech marketplace as builders and creators by introducing them to skills in computer programming and technology.
• 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.
• Esperanza United – Mobilizing Latinas and Latin@ communities to end gender-based violence through its Latina Advocacy Framework providing a foundation on how best to support Latin@ survivors, families, and communities to gain greater safety, connectedness, and self-sufficiency.
• National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) – empowering LGBTQ Asians and Pacific Islanders through capacity building, policy and advocacy advancing intersectional justice and equity, ensuring LGBTQ API representation in research and resources, and supporting a federation of grassroots community organizations.
• 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.
• She’s The First (STF) – Fighting for a world where every girl chooses her own future, by teaming up with grassroots organizations across the globe to make sure girls everywhere are educated, respected, and heard.
• 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.

ABOUT SHEBELIEVES
SheBelieves is a platform that encourages girls and women of all ages to accomplish their goals and dreams, in sports and beyond. 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 that bring a powerful message of empowerment and that of believing in yourself into communities across the nation.

ABOUT U.S. SOCCER FOUNDATION
The U.S. Soccer Foundation’s programs are the national model for sports-based youth development in underserved communities. Since its founding in 1994, the Foundation has established programs proven to help children embrace an active and healthy lifestyle while nurturing their personal growth beyond sports. Its cost-effective, high-impact initiatives offer safe environments where kids and communities thrive. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Soccer Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information visit www.ussoccerfoundation.org or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.