Demosphere Attends Julie Foudy Seminar: Coaching Females Successfully

Demosphere’s own Dannelle Lewandowski is no stranger to the coaching world. This year, she elevated her resume by becoming a girls ODP coach in the state of Georgia. So when she heard about Julie Foudy’s coaching seminar titled “Coaching Females Successfully: Perspective of a World Class Player”, Dannelle jumped at the opportunity to attend.

Foudy shared stories about her own personal journey as a world class player (former USA Women’s Soccer Team captain, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and two-time World Cup Champion), as well as her perspective on the evolution of soccer in the United States. Julie also outlined best strategies for coaching female players and the importance of not only teaching the sport, but developing the character and leadership qualities of the individual as well.

Dannelle’s biggest take away from Julie’s discussion was that, “being a soccer coach is so much more than teaching someone about how to kick the soccer ball. A coach is given the opportunity and privilege to positively impact young players’ character development.  These character traits will be used for the rest of their lives and soccer is a path to help provide these life lessons.”

Part of Julie’s mission includes the creation of the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, which is a residential sports academy geared toward girls ages 12-18. The academy focuses on sport (soccer or lacrosse), but perhaps more importantly, on leadership. The philosophy is to expose students to Julie’s great passion: the concept of not just being a great leader on the field but a leader in life. This year, the JFSLA is adding a day student option for girls ages 9-12 in three cities around the country.

We’re excited about the work Julie is doing to grow and develop the youth sports community and we encourage you to check out her program and share with your members!