About the Event

Soccer is more than just a sport—it's community.

This July, Washington Youth Soccer Foundation invites coaches, educators, club leaders, and community organizers from across the state to the inaugural United for the Game Soccer Symposium.
Over two impactful days, engage in shared learning, meaningful conversations, and hands-on experiences designed to empower you as a leader in the game—whether you're on the field, in the classroom, or organizing in your community.

Dates

Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20

Location

Conibear Shell House, UW Seattle Campus

Cost

$30 (1 Day) | $45 (2 Days)

Kickoff Film Screening

#SheBelongs

Join us for a special screening of #SheBelongs—a powerful documentary celebrating the role of soccer in creating belonging and sparking social change. A live Q&A session with featured voices will follow the film.

Thursday, July 18 at 6:30 PM

Location: To be announced

Get Film Tickets

Schedule at a Glance

6:00 PM Doors open
6:30–7:30 PM Film Screening: #SheBelongs
7:30–8:30 PM Live Q&A

8:00 AM Doors Open
9:00 AM Welcome & Keynote (Lesle Gallimore)
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM Breakout Session #1 (Choose one)

Washington Youth Soccer: Registration session (WYS) (Lobby)
Join WYS registration and Affinity expert, Dan Rubin, to cover several key updates and tools for the 2025 season:
- ✅ New Background Check Process
  Including how it works, expiration timelines, and what’s required for compliance.
- 📅 Admin Audit for 2025
  Walk through the audit process and what clubs need to prepare.
- 🖥️ New Look & Feel: Sports Connect
  A first look at the updated interface for both admin and player accounts.
- ❓ Live Q&A Session
  Bring your questions—there will be time to address them at the end.
- 👥 1-on-1 Support Available
  A sign-up sheet will be available for those who’d like to meet with Dan individually after the session.

Building Community Through The Sharing of Stories (Refugee Soccer and the UW Global Sport Lab – Rose Auditorium)
It is often claimed that soccer builds community, but we rarely take the time to go deeper into how that happens and why it matters. This workshop will share the experiences of #SheBelongs (a project of Refugee Soccer) and Home Fields (a project of the UW Global Sport Lab) in telling stories of how soccer brings people together within and across marginalized communities, as well as help participants identify and hone their own stories that deserve to be told.

Cultural Proficiency (Positive Coaching Alliance – Conibear Main space)
Creating culturally inclusive and respectful sports programs through understanding cultural diversity, training challenges, and strategies for fostering cultural proficiency.

First Kicks (RAVE Foundation / Sounders / Reign – Turf Field #1)
A WA State Learning Standards–aligned physical literacy program for 3–5 year olds that gives parents and educators the tools to help young learners move their bodies while developing their cognitive skills using a soccer ball.

11:30 AM Lunch and Panel Discussion - Belonging & Gender: Who is Sport For? (Connibear Main space)

A Lunch Conversation on Coaching, Culture, and Inclusion in Youth Soccer (Lunch Area)
Join coaches, administrators, and advocates over lunch to share experiences and strategies for building inclusive cultures in youth soccer. Topics include cross-cultural communication, equity in access, and practical methods for embedding inclusion into everyday coaching. Network with peers while enjoying a catered meal and leave with actionable ideas to foster belonging on and off the field.

1:15 PM - 2:00 PM Breakout Session #2 (Choose one)

Beyond Binaries: The Multidimensional Approach (Kaig Lightner – Lobby)
In a small group discussion format you will have the opportunity to ask the complicated, challenging, or maybe slightly awkward questions with a gender inclusion strategist. Whether it’s creating new policies, addressing parent concerns, training coaches, or just hearing more about Kaig’s personal story, this breakout session is a great chance to learn more about creating inclusive teams for players and coaches of all genders.

Supporting Athlete Mental Health (UW Center for Leadership in Athletics – Conibear Main space)
Discusses the current state of adolescent mental health and explores strategies to support overall well-being and mitigate athlete-specific risk factors. The course encourages coaches to explore available local and national resources and take initial steps to be prepared if a mental health crisis occurs within their team.

Positive Motivation: Getting the Best from Today’s Athletes (Positive Coaching Alliance – Rose Auditorium)
A research-based way for coaches to motivate and work with athletes, focusing on how positive coaching builds a supportive and challenging environment that helps athletes become more resilient and successful in sport and in life.

2:15 PM - 3:00 PM Breakout Session #3 (Choose one)

Intro to the Coach Licensing Pathway (Washington Youth Soccer – Lobby)
New to coaching and wanting to improve your game? Come learn about the resources available to you through WYS, including information on obtaining your Grassroots license, how it can be beneficial, how it works, and what the continued journey looks like from there. Talk with members of WYS Coaching education and get a taste of the Grassroots course so you know what to expect.

Coach Mentor Training (US Soccer Foundation – Conibear Main space)
As soccer continues to captivate hearts worldwide, coaches play a pivotal role in shaping the future of young athletes. Beyond tactics and drills, the true essence of coaching lies in promoting vital life skills, supporting emotional well-being, and providing unwavering mentorship. Introducing Coach-Mentor Training – a dynamic training program tailored for soccer coaches. This interactive course empowers coaches to refine their mentoring skills and cultivate safe, inclusive environments for their teams. Our framework seamlessly integrates mentorship into everyday coaching, ensuring that every player thrives both on and off the field.

Maintaining Safe and Healthy Boundaries with Student Athletes (WIAA – Rose Auditorium)
This engaging session equips coaches and youth sports leaders with tools to recognize red flags, set professional boundaries, and create a safe environment for student-athletes. Through real-world case studies, proactive strategies, and scenario-based discussions, attendees will gain practical guidance to protect youth and uphold trust in the coaching role. As digital communication and social media continue to blur boundaries, maintaining professionalism is critical—not only for student safety, but also for fostering family trust, athlete retention, and program growth.

3:15 PM Closing + Raffle

5:30 PM Seattle Sounders Game (ticket included; self-transport via light rail encouraged)

On the Field – Field #2 at UW

9:00 AM Arrival

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Morning session: (Choose one)

Train, Fuel, Rest, Perform: Guide to Athlete Wellness (Grass Field #2)
This session aims to provide coaches with an approach to maintaining athlete physical wellness. We will discuss optimizing fueling, prioritizing sleep/recovery, and preventing injuries. The goal is to enhance performance, reduce injury risk, and improve overall health through balanced strategies on and off the field.

Switch The Pitch (Soccer Without Borders – Grass Field #2)
Interactive and experiential, Switch The Pitch is a first-of-its-kind opportunity for coaches and youth players to take action to make the game and the world more inclusive and equitable for all. Join Soccer Without Borders trainers to learn how to use soccer and play to explore topics like empathy, appreciation, safety, vulnerability, awareness, and authenticity amongst each other and youth.

11:30 AM Box Lunch

12:30 PM - 2:30 PM Afternoon session (Choose one)

Coaching Lab: Youth-Specific Training Strategies (UW Center for Leadership in Athletics – Grass Field #2)
A hands-on experience that allows participants to practice strategies and techniques in a realistic sport setting. Labs provide coaches with tools to use immediately with their athletes and teams.

Community Organizations Roundtable: Discussion, Problem-Solving, and Practice (Grass Field #2)
It’s not always easy running a community organization or nonprofit group, but the power to make an impact is there! Come join other folks in the community sector to share ideas and find new ways to look for solutions to the various struggles and challenges faced by community organizations in the soccer community.

Speakers & Presenters

Lesle Gallimore

Seattle Reign GM

Mary Connor

Common Goal

Kaig Lightner

Educator & Facilitator

Sarah Dwyer-Shick

Women's Coaching Advocate

BJ Kuntz

WIAA

Jordan Frost

Issaquah SD AD

Jordan Orr

Athletic Wellness Expert

Refugee Soccer

Organization

Positive Coaching Alliance

Organization

UW Center for Leadership in Athletics

Academic Center

US Soccer Foundation

Foundation

Soccer Without Borders

Organization

RAVE Foundation

Foundation

Our Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible.