Trabajando en Equipo Aprendemos Mas (TEAM) Granada

More about Trabajando en Equipo Aprendemos Mas (TEAM) Granada

The benefits of sport for girls' development are well researched. In the Latina culture, girls have little access to such opportunities; even first-world countries have only recently broken down these barriers (Title IX in the US is young). Our project uses a three-pronged approach to bring these benefits to Nicaraguan girls. Change comes from a) the top-down (coaching national level players and training them to coach youth), b) the bottom-up (grassroots level recruiting through schools and neighborhoods), and c) the outside-in (bringing Division I college players and coaches for a cross-cultural exchange).

First, working with the trailblazing Nicaraguan women who have broken social barriers to play soccer at the highest level available, we aim to not only encourage their growth in the sport, but also inspire them to be visible in expanding opportunities for the next generation. Second, by reaching out to girls at an age when their perceptions of athletics are still forming, we can empower a new generation of girls to grow together in sport and learn the analogous life-skills that soccer develops. Third, bringing foreign examples of female players and coaches has a way of arousing curiosity, a powerful first step to attracting interest.