Ozark United makes play for girls soccer
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Ozark United FC, the organization that plans to form Arkansas' first professional soccer teams, is launching girls soccer programs this summer.
Why it matters: Preteen and teenage girls are much more likely to drop out of sports than boys. Ozark United wants to create opportunities for girls to play soccer and strengthen a pipeline of female athletes, managing director Wes Harris told Axios.
- Ozark United has a partnership with Dove to help provide education to coaches and parents on how to create a positive environment for the players, he said.
The big picture: Girls in sports learn teamwork and leadership skills they carry into adulthood regardless of whether they pursue athletics as a career, but factors like social pressures, body image, discrimination and harassment contribute to them leaving sports, according to the Women's Sports Foundation.
- Girls are more likely to stay when they feel supported by coaches, have a sense of belonging, access to quality facilities and resources, and see pathways for continued participation and growth, according to the foundation.
State of play: The initiative will include a Girls College ID camp on June 20-21, intended to get high school athletes on college coaches' radars. A series called "Girls Got Game" happening throughout the summer will introduce girls ages 5-10 to soccer.
- "The goal is for kids to fall in love with the game and want to come back next year," Harris said.
What they're saying: Ozark United's leaders want any additions it makes to the soccer landscape to be complementary to what already exists and heard "loud and clear" that elevating participation among young girls was where it could help, Harris said.
- The organization has already launched leagues for boys ages 12-17 and men ages 18-19. Ozark United would like to eventually launch similar leagues for girls and young women.
What's next: Ozark United is tentatively planning to launch its professional men's and women's teams in 2028 and plans to build a stadium on a 38-acre development at West Perry and South Bellview roads in Rogers.