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Girls Lead

Girls who play, become women who Lead.

Girls Lead coalition is a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed to support the full ecosystem girls need to thrive and become women who lead.

Take the pledge
A woman in a burgundy dress stands behind a podium labeled 'Women in Leadership' delivering a speech, with a large screen displaying a blurred image behind her.Three women seated on stage during a discussion or panel, with one woman speaking while holding papers and the other two listening attentively.Four women smiling and standing close at a social event indoors, two holding glasses of orange drink, wearing name badges, and dressed in casual to semi-formal attire.Four people sitting on stage in a panel discussion setting, engaging in conversation and smiling, with a patterned backdrop illuminated in green and white.Group portrait of six diverse adults standing indoors on a carpeted floor against a geometric patterned backdrop with teal lighting, smiling at the camera; they wear casual to business casual attire including jacket, blouses, blazer, and sweaters.
A woman in a burgundy dress stands behind a podium labeled 'Women in Leadership' delivering a speech, with a large screen displaying a blurred image behind her.Three women seated on stage during a discussion or panel, with one woman speaking while holding papers and the other two listening attentively.Four women smiling and standing close at a social event indoors, two holding glasses of orange drink, wearing name badges, and dressed in casual to semi-formal attire.Four people sitting on stage in a panel discussion setting, engaging in conversation and smiling, with a patterned backdrop illuminated in green and white.Group portrait of six diverse adults standing indoors on a carpeted floor against a geometric patterned backdrop with teal lighting, smiling at the camera; they wear casual to business casual attire including jacket, blouses, blazer, and sweaters.

Girls are twice as likely as boys to drop out of sports by age 14

Yet participation in sports is strongly connected to confidence, leadership, education, and long-term well-being. Girls Lead is taking a holistic approach to changing that trajectory.

Beginning with Washington’s incoming sixth-grade class in 2026, the Coalition is working to:

Keep girls playing

By expanding access and reducing financial, transportation, facility, and equipment barriers

Grow women’s leadership

By recruiting and supporting more women coaches, referees, mentors, and role models

Support the whole athlete

Through confidence, nutrition, physical health, mental and emotional wellness, and girl-specific education

Measure progress through 2033

Building a scalable model that can strengthen girls’ sports throughout Washington State and beyond

Take the Girls Lead pledge.

Businesses and individuals are invited to join us in committing resources, influence, and action toward a shared goal:

We pledge to harness the power of sports to keep girls playing, thriving, and healthy.

Together, we can make Washington the best place for girls to play and create a stronger pipeline for the next generation of women who lead.

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About the Girls Lead coalition

Vision

A future in which every girl has the confidence, support, and opportunity to stay in sports and to become a leader wherever her path takes her.

Mission

Girls Lead connects girls with the resources, mentors and opportunities they need to thrive in sports and beyond.

Promise

Every girl deserves the opportunity to play. Every girl deserves someone who believes in her. Every girl deserves the chance to lead.

Key Actions

Together with community partners, we build a support system that helps girls stay in the game while developing the confidence, leadership skills, and sense of belonging that last a lifetime.

Girls stay in sports when communities work together.

Girls Lead connects girls with the resources, mentors and opportunities they need to thrive in sports and beyond.

Girls don't need to change. Systems do.

The challenge isn't girls' motivation; it's the barriers that make staying in sports harder than it should be.

Leadership begins long before the boardroom.

The confidence, resilience, and teamwork developed through sports become the foundation for future leaders in every profession.

Coaching changes everything.

Girls are more likely to stay in sports when they have coaches who understand their experiences and create environments where they feel they belong.

We believe in the power of sports.

Get involved