As the Women’s World Cup 2023TM continues to dominate headlines, Degree®, in support of FIFA, is aiming to encourage more girls of color to play soccer by launching ‘Change the Field,’ a program that aims to create more inclusive soccer communities across the U.S.
While interest in women’s soccer in the United States has grown exponentially over the last 25 years, research shows that while more girls of color are joining soccer, girls of color still drop out of sports at 2x the rate versus girls who are white and live in suburbs.1 Degree’s Change the Field program is working to create safe and inclusive environments for girls of color on and off the field with the Girls Can series – a continuation of the Degree Breaking Limits program that aims to provide girls worldwide with the confidence and opportunity to play soccer. The free ‘Girls Can’ training modules will help equip coaches, teachers and community leaders with the skills and knowledge to ensure that equal opportunities in soccer exist for women and girls everywhere. The modules can be accessed via degreedeodorant.com/us/Soccer-Degree-2023/.
“We’re committed to making soccer a more welcoming space for the next generation of players,” said Desi Okeke, Director of Degree® North America. “As a brand committed to creating a world where everyone has the confidence to move more, the Degree® Change the Field program is the epitome of that notion, calling on coaches and soccer communities across the U.S. to help create a world where girls everywhere feel seen, supported, and have the confidence to thrive on and off the field.”
As part of the brand’s efforts, Degree® has also partnered with 2x World Cup Champion and Angel City Forward, Christen Press, to launch the ‘Change the Field,’ and drive awareness of the free ‘Girls Can’ modules. “As a black woman and professional soccer player, I am committed to using my own voice and platform to inspire girls of color to keep joining the sport, but also inspire the sport’s leaders to foster inclusive and diverse atmospheres for these girls,” said Christen Press. “Degree and I share a passion for advancing the sport toward a more inclusive environment, which is why I hope my message encourages coaches, players, and leaders alike to implement Degree’s inclusivity modules in their communities.”
Degree® is working with Street Soccer USA (SSUSA), to ensure that girls everywhere have the confidence to move and play soccer. SSUSA is an organization on a mission to strengthen communities through soccer and to improve health, education, and employment outcomes for youth who face enormous challenges. Degree® and SSUSA are coming together in Christen’s hometown of Los Angeles to provide local girl’s soccer teams with a day of training drills, games, and remarks from Christen Press to educate them on how to make soccer more inclusive.
The ‘Girls Can’ training modules and ‘Change the Field’ program are part of Degree’s® larger brand mission to inspire the confidence to break barriers. Degree® has committed more than $5 million over the last five years to inspire more people to move beyond their limits as part of its broader global Breaking Limits program. This program supports those who face the biggest barriers to being active – whether those barriers are due to race, sexual orientation, ability, gender, age, and more – and provides them access to coaches and mentors, along with safe spaces to move. The program is meant to support the brand’s long-term commitment to helping millions of young people transform their lives through the power of movement by 2030.