Earlier this year, Libbie never expected to be home in the United States serving as an Up2Us Sports AmeriCorps Summer VISTA. She was working with Moving the Goalposts in Kenya as a Women’s Sports Corps Fellow co-sponsored by Women Win and Soccer Without Borders. Despite being sent home by the end of March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Libbie adapted and took on a VISTA role with Women Win where she changes the game and continues to help empower young women through sports. As a result, Libbie has found a new appreciation for national service by utilizing her international experience, particularly the exchange of ideas and culture, to improve gender equity through sport for development across the United States and world.
Growing Up With Sports
Libbie started changing the game at a very young age.
“Growing up in a small, rural southern town, there were not many opportunities for girls to play sports.”
Therefore, Libbie got involved in almost every coed sport she could find. She tried everything, but soccer was the sport she loved most. Her dream was to play soccer in college and nothing was going to stop her, not even the fact that the high school she was attending did not have a girl’s soccer team. At the start of her freshman year, Libbie took initiative to find a coach, coordinate interest among other girls, and propose the idea to the athletic department and school. Not only did Libbie get approval for the team that year, but they had an awesome first season and even made it to the state playoffs.
Discovering Sport for Development
Libbie went on to achieve her dream of playing soccer in college a few years later at Denison University. Looking back, she explains that her study abroad program in Ecuador was one of the most pivotal experiences in her life.
“When I think of sport for development, my first experience goes back to Ecuador as a 20-year-old girl from the United States coaching a boys team.”
The biggest hurdle Libbie faced was realizing that her gender, even as a coach, was a barrier for both herself and her players to overcome. The young boys had never seen a female coach before and were not afraid to hold back on their opinions. Libbie had a lot of catching up to do, but worked together with her team to overcome their differences as a group by connecting through sport. Over the course of 5 months, Libbie found that being with them on the field each day helped break down barriers and build familiarity and trust.
“My players responded to respect and love, someone showing interest in them and their lives.”
By the end of the season, Libbie’s team had completely opened up to her. Coaching in Ecuador was Libbie’s first glimpse at how gender inequity in sports is reflected in other aspects of society at a global level. More importantly, it was her first glimpse at how the power of sport is essential to overcoming those same societal challenges.
Changing the Game
As a VISTA with Women Win, Libbie has been working to help build the organization’s capacity to further its mission of getting more girls on the pitch and in leadership roles. In fact, improving access for female role models and coaches is one of the key aspects of both the Women Win theory of change and Up2Us Sports Keep Girls in Sport digital curriculum. Libbie herself did not have a female coach until playing soccer in college. She has seen firsthand the tremendous strides that have been made with gender equity in sport, but also understands there is much left to do.
“Increasing the visibility of female role models and athletes - on and off the field - is something that I hope to continue working on throughout my career.”
This summer alone, Libbie has developed on-field and classroom-based program curriculums, adapted international exchange programs and workshops to become more digital friendly, updated the organization’s website, served as the primary author and editor for several grant proposals, engaged with partners around the world to mobilize resources, and contributed to a research report on tech company investment in gender equity and women’s empowerment initiatives.
“Combining my two passions of sport for development and women’s empowerment into a career is something I could only have dreamed of when I was younger.”
Women Win is an inspiring group working towards an incredible mission for Libbie to learn and grow from. Designing programs with and for girls is pivotal to increasing the positive impact that sports-based youth development has on young women’s lives around the world. Libbie plans to continue working with Women Win for the remainder of the year once her VISTA service term ends this month.
