Adidas is teaming up with the Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC) to demand equity, representation and access for Black women and girls at all levels of soccer.
The partnership with BWPC—a group of over 50 professional athletes players on a mission to eradicate discrimination from the sport—is addressing issues affecting girls in sports,
According to data from the Women’s Sports Foundation, 77% of women say the absence of female mentors in athletics is a hindrance to girls’ participation. The data also stated that the drop-out rate for girls of color in urban and rural centers is twice that of suburban white girls.
NY/NJ Gotham FC player Ifeoma Onumonu told Yahoo Sports there wasn’t anyone that looked like her that played soccer. The BWPC board member also said there was even “a lack of dark skinned women” in the media.
“I still think that we face a lot of those issues today and I hope to be a part of that change in terms of representation,” Onumonu said.
Together, Adidas and BWPC are working to establish soccer clinics for girls ages 8-15 in several cities—including Atlanta, Durham, Orlando and Chicago. Their aim is to curb the drop-out rate for girls of color in sports.
By the end of 2021, Three Stripes will help BWPC and the U.S. Soccer Foundation (USSF) to build 12 mini pitch soccer fields in Black communities throughout America.
“Community is so important. If we can provide that to girls, whether it’s at a BWPC mini pitch event where we engage with kids one-on-one or by looking at our social media handles and what we’re putting out to the public, I think we’ve done our jobs,” Onumonu’s teammate Imani Dorsey shared with Yahoo Sports.
Adidas and the USSF plan to take their alliance further and install 1,000 mini pitches across other suburbs by 2026. Ready to gear up and head to the field? Take a look at this interactive map hosted by USSF to find a pitch near you.