By OkayGoal
For years, female athletes have been expected to thrive in sports systems largely designed around men. But U.S. Soccer is looking to flip that script.
Through the Kang Women’s Institute, U.S. Soccer has introduced the herLENS Starter Kit, a free educational resource designed to help coaches better understand the girls they coach.
Inspired by the approach of USWNT head coach Emma Hayes and her team, herLENS puts female athletes at the center of the conversation.
Because growing women’s soccer isn’t just about getting more girls onto the field. It’s about giving them the tools, resources and support to stay there.
A New Lens on Girls’ Soccer
The herLENS Starter Kit tackles five areas of female athlete development: environment, puberty, menstrual cycle, nutrition and injury risk reduction.
Each topic provides coaches with research-based information and practical ways to better support their players.
For example, understanding puberty goes beyond recognizing that an athlete is growing. Physical and emotional changes can affect confidence, coordination and overall experiences in sports.
The menstrual cycle is another important conversation. Rather than treating it as an uncomfortable topic, herLENS encourages education and open communication.
The kit also addresses proper nutrition, injury prevention and creating environments where girls feel comfortable being themselves.
These might sound like small changes, but they can make a big difference in a young player’s experience.
Closing the Research Gap
Here’s something worth thinking about: How can female athletes reach their full potential when so much sports research wasn’t conducted with them in mind?
Historically, women have been underrepresented in sports and exercise science research. As a result, training and development practices have frequently relied on findings centered around male athletes.
The Kang Women’s Institute wants to help change that.
By making female-specific information more accessible, herLENS gives coaches an opportunity to rethink how they approach player development.
And it isn’t limited to professional soccer. The resource is designed to help those working with young soccer players, where positive experiences can shape an athlete’s relationship with the game for years.
Keeping Girls in the Game
Perhaps the most important part of herLENS isn’t necessarily about performance. It’s about participation.
Getting girls involved in soccer is one thing. Keeping them involved as they navigate adolescence is another challenge entirely.
Changes in confidence, body image, physical development and team environments can influence whether a young athlete continues playing.
That’s why the initiative emphasizes understanding the person behind the player.
A supportive coach who recognizes these challenges can help create an environment where girls feel valued beyond their performance on the field.
And those experiences matter, whether an athlete dreams of representing the USWNT or simply loves spending Saturdays playing alongside her teammates.
A Bigger Future for Women’s Soccer
Women’s soccer continues to break barriers, attract investment and reach new audiences. However, building a sustainable future for the sport requires more than packed stadiums and record-breaking viewership.
It starts at the grassroots level.
The herLENS Starter Kit represents another step toward giving the next generation of female athletes the attention and resources they deserve.
After all, the future of women’s soccer depends on more than developing great players. It depends on creating a game that understands them.
Featured image via @uswnt