Soccer Teams can be dynamic spaces where girls’ empowerment comes into focus. One such club here in Portland is The Saints Girls Academy. I was privileged to teach two of their age groups (the 15/16 year-olds and the 11, 12 & 13 year-olds). Their transformation was a joy to behold as voices got louder, awareness grew, and strikes got harder. There were poignant moments where girls shared situations they’ve encountered in their young lives. Situations we would never wish on any of the girls in our lives.
Here is what the coaching staff said about our workshops:
From Colleen Fitzgerald:
Seriously Wow!
From a thought to an idea, to a road trip conversation, to emails, to organization, to actuality.
Thank you for asking me to stay and help volunteer, the experience was so much more profound than I had imagined.
Silvia, to you and your team, again thank you for your wise knowledge on a hard topic put into an extremely accessible class, placed in a safe space for all and given with energy and strength.
Cheers!
From Sunny Jaynes:
Thank YOU and your team for such an awesome experience for these kids. What a GIFT that you have given to all our kids that participated. I feel so happy that they all have these new skills to protect themselves and to know they feel empowered and safer in all situations.
It was really cool to see how they collectively and individually went from not being sure about the class or themselves and then watching their confidence grow as the class went on. They were shouting so loudly and showing up in their confident selves by the end of it all! How awesome was that!
Thank you for your wisdom and the care you took to make this class inclusive to all kids.
My daughter also told me that she felt like you really approached what she felt was an intense subject matter in a way that made her feel comfortable and at ease and able to really participate fully and confidently. She says she feels way more equipped and confident to handle situations and really liked you all as teachers!