Getting older women playing soccer in San Diego

Soccer is among the biggest sports for female participation in the US, with swathes of clubs and opportunities for young girls and women to progress their careers in the game.

 

But opportunities for older generations are limited – something San Diego Soccer Women wants to address, encouraging females to play at every age.

 

Hannah Duncan caught up with founder, Brandi Mitchell, to find out more about the initiative...

 

WSC: Tell us a bit about San Diego Soccer Women...

BM: I love connecting people through play, especially women. By creating a website to list local women’s soccer league contact information in 2009, I started linking a network of organizations that already existed in San Diego.

 

I simply made the information more widely available and then took it to the next level with the addition of social media, starting in 2017, bringing global visibility to our age 30-80+ women’s recreational soccer community.

 

WSC: Who is San Diego Soccer Women aimed at and how have you gone about reaching these people?

 

BM: It’s aimed at every level, every age and every ability. The most fun outreach I do is getting out in the San Diego sunshine and offering my own casual training, beginner classes and friendly pickup games to women.

 

As an organization, San Diego Soccer Women prioritizes promoting existing programs, such as leagues, indoor and arena facilities, training sessions, pickup groups and classes.

 

I also work with local organizations, such as YMCAs, adult schools and parks and recreation departments, to add women’s soccer programs.

 

A lot of energy goes into outreach because I know that many recreational athletes aren’t necessarily searching for a specific type of soccer program; they just know they want to play soccer again - or for the first time.

 

The presence I have with my website and social media has the widest reach. My Instagram and Facebook profiles and groups are active with discussions and new members. 

 

For event management, I cross-post on event websites. The San Diego Soccer Women email newsletters get a great response and keep the community up-to-date.

 

One experience that never gets old is with the branded shirts I make and sell. I often hear that a player was wearing her ’San Diego Soccer Women play’ shirt out in public and was asked whether she plays and about how to join a soccer league.

 

Word-of-mouth still works for bringing new players into the community.

 

WSC: What can people taking part expect?

BM: They can expect something other than what they have experienced!

 

I have taken groups of Soccer Women to play at the famous field in Lofoten Islands, Norway; at a park in Paris, France during the 2019 Women’s World Cup; on Europe’s highest altitude field, in Switzerland; and in a skyscraper in Hudson Yards, Manhattan, New York.

 

One difference with events created or attended by San Diego Soccer Women is that there will be conversations around social justice, advocacy and the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development. 

 

The idea of ’purpose leagues’ is new to the recreational sports community here but has a foundation around the world. 

 

I connect players with opportunities to donate and/or volunteer at events such as a collection drive for new sports bras that will go to under-resourced girls and women.

 

I focus most on age and gender equality issues and work hard to make sure that inclusive language is prominent in our identity.

 

I’m committed to reminding others that the word ’girl’ is not interchangeable with ’woman’ - a woman is an adult and a girl is a child.

 

Language matters, and you can usually see that even casual references to women as ’girls’ are often loaded with negative gender and age prejudices.