O N
A GOOD N O T E
T E X T AN D P HO T O S C O U R T E SY O F 9 01 G I R L S W I T H G O AL S
90 1 G I R LS WITH G OA LS
Local
org a n iz a tion 9 01 G irl s w ith G oa l s uses soc c er to ma k e a positiv e impa c t on g irl s’ l iv es in Memphis. T he g roup prov ides n eed- ba sed support to a rea middl e a n d hig h sc hool g irl s’ tea ms a n d pl a y ers. Serv ic es in c l ude suppl y in g soc c er eq uipmen t, prov idin g f ree sk il l s c l in ic s, a n d c rea tin g a ddition a l opportun ities f or pl a y a n d person a l dev el opmen t. T he c ha rity suppl ies sc hool s w ith eq uipmen t n eeded to pl a y sa f el y w hil e promotin g tea m spirit a n d sel f - c on f iden c e. T his is eq uipmen t tha t the sc hool
w oul d of ten otherw ise be un a bl e to prov ide. Sc hool c oa c hes, w ho ma y ha v e l ittl e soc c er ex perien c e, a re in v ited to a tten d a f ree c l in ic of f ered by 9 01 G irl s w ith G oa l s prior to the sta rt of the sc hool sea son , a n d c a n rec eiv e pra c tic e pl a n s throug hout the sea son . C ommun ity pa rtn ers hel p the g roup k eep g irl s en g a g ed a n d prov ide them a ssista n c e on a n d of f the f iel d throug hout the y ea r. P l a y ers g a in a c c ess n ot on l y to soc c er eq uipmen t a n d c l in ic s, but a l so to person a l rel a tion ships w ith c a rin g a dul ts w ho ta k e a n in terest in them a n d their suc c ess. F ema l e c oa c hes l ea d f ree c l in ic s durin g the sc hool of f - sea son , a n d w omen f rom the Memphis soc c er c ommun ity l ea d huddl es a t the en d of c l in ic s, ex pl a in in g how the g a me ma de a positiv e impa c t on their l iv es. T hroug h a pa rtn ership w ith P l a y W here Y ou Sta y , 9 01 G irl s w ith G oa l s c a n hel p remov e the c ost ba rrier to pl a y in g c l ub- l ev el soc c er. O ther l oc a l Memphis a l l ia n c es hel p them brin g more rec rea tion a l soc c er to the a rea so g irl s ha v e a c c ess to the sport a t a v a riety of l ev el s.
9 0 | At Home Memphis & Mid South • September 2021
sig6_September_2021.indd 90
8/24/21 9:29 AM
