Originally posted on adidas.com

As part of adidas’ She Breaks Barriers initiative, the global sports brand is introducing an interactive digital coaching curriculum in partnership with Up2Us Sports, a non-profit organization leading the country’s first national service program for coaches, and ATTN:, the media company dedicated to entertainment that informs, to help inspire and empower the next generation of coaches, mentors and role models for girls in sport.

At the beginning of the year, adidas partnered with Global Sport Institute (GSI) at Arizona State University to identify and discuss the key barriers to sport for females. What resulted was a list of six key barriers, everything from a lack of mentors to a lack of transportation, that were holding girls back. One of the key barriers for girls in sport is: “You need to see her to be her.” Girls need and want role models they can see around them, and in the media, so they can aspire to be them. In the U.S., by age 14, girls are dropping out of sport 1.5x faster than boys and only 28% of all youth sport coaches in the U.S. are female.

To address the need for coaches, mentors and roles models, adidas has joined forces with Up2Us Sports and ATTN: to co-create an interactive Digital Coaching Curriculum to empower communities across the country to help girls succeed in sports. The Digital Coaching Curriculum can be used by any team, school, league or parent across the country. Highlights of the curriculum include digestible, informative and entertaining video testimonials by coaches & female athletes, interactive quizzes, custom art & graphics, and written content & research to help better educate and train this generation of athletes and coaches. 

To celebrate International Day of the Girl (10/11), adidas, Up2Us Sports and ATTN: will debut the digital coaching curriculum at coaching clinics in LA and NYC, where women can learn about coaching opportunities through Up2Us Sports. Additionally, in partnership with the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, adidas is hosting a youth sports clinic focused on basketball skills for young girls with six-time All-Star and WNBA Champion and MVP (2016) Nneka Ogwumike of the Los Angeles Sparks.

To check out the digital curriculum, please visit https://www.keepgirlsinsport.com.