In early 2019, the U.S. Soccer Foundation and Johnson & Johnson announced a grant program for organizations working to address the lack of representation of young women in soccer in underserved communities. In June 2019, the two organizations awarded grants to five organizations that will expand opportunities for girls in historically excluded communities and utilize impactful strategies to increase female participation in the sport.
“Soccer is a powerful tool, not only to get young people active, but to teach important life skills that help them succeed on and off the pitch,” said Sarah Pickens, Associate Vice President of Programs at the U.S. Soccer Foundation. “We’re excited that, in working with these grant recipients to address barriers that have excluded girls from the game in the past, we can make sure that more young females are encouraged to play soccer and can reap all the benefits the sport has to offer.”
Johnson & Johnson’s support of this grant program is part of its Because She Can campaign, which is empowering young girls across the country.
“Johnson & Johnson is focused on providing girls with opportunities to grow into strong leaders on and off the pitch,” said Heather Horner, Marketing Manager at Johnson & Johnson. “As part of our Because She Can campaign to empower young women, we’re proud to partner with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to offer assistance to amazing organizations working to develop girls into leaders of the future through soccer.”