What if every woman and girl had one role model who believed in her?
We empower women and girls to lead to their true capabilities on and off the pitch.
On the heels of the Women’s World Cup 2023, registrations for women and girls at football clubs throughout Australia are on the rise. With 25,000 women and girls expected to play sport for the first time by 2027, we support clubs with mentorship and wellbeing resources to sustain girls’ participation. Girls drop out of sport at twice the rate of boys.
Since 2020, we’ve been improving the mental wellbeing of women and girls playing football, so they want to stay at their clubs for a season and a lifetime.
How women and girls benefit from our programs
Girls have role models and see pathways at their clubs
Women learn to advocate for what they need
Women in sport events create safe spaces and social connection
Women build their coaching capabilities and confidence
Meet our founder, Kris Marano
“Gaining Ground is the program I wish I had when I dropped out of soccer at 14.”
I started playing soccer in small town Canada when I was five-years-old. Dad would take us to the local pitch and my brother and I would kick the ball around after school. When I was 14, my coach benched me because I missed a training. He had never communicated this expectation of me, which led me to believe I wasn’t a good enough player. I dropped out for many years and didn’t start playing again until I moved to Perth from Canada and joined Fremantle City Football Club. That’s when I started to realise all the wonderful benefits soccer has given me in life: physical and mental wellbeing, social connection, and confidence to lead.
Because I dropped out of sport at such a young age, I wanted to ensure girls at my local club could have role models - to see the players they could become at their club and have women they could look up to.
One comment can lift us up, or it can bring us down and it can affect how we lead in our lives. We can guide girls and young women through that.