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National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) club Gotham FC has teamed up with Dove and global girl empowerment brand Rebel Girls to publish what is believed to be the first children’s book created by an NWSL club. Changing the Game: A Playbook for Champions in Training was written to inspire girls to remain active, blending player profiles, training guidance and exercises in body confidence and mental resilience. It is part of the club’s Keep Her in the Game (KHITG) initiative presented by Dove.
The book spotlights Gotham FC stars, including World Cup winners, Olympic gold medalists and European champions. Through interviews and personal anecdotes, the players share their journeys from youth sport to the professional game, alongside training tips, body confidence guidance and mental resilience tools aimed at young readers. The book also profiles three girls and one coach from Gotham’s program, adding grassroots perspectives to the mix.
The club’s KHITG program recently celebrated a year of impact, reaching over 1,780 girls and surpassing original targets by 78%. The program tackles the high rates at which girls drop out of sports. By age 14, girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys and have 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play high-school sports than boys. The initiative provides coaches and parents with research-based training to helps girls develop leadership skills, express themselves and stay dedicated to sport.
“Being a part of Gotham FC’s KHITG program has been an incredible experience,” said Michelle Betos, Gotham FC assistant goalkeeper coach and former club captain. “KHITG is more than an initiative – it’s a movement transforming how we support girls in sports. From empowering coaches with applicable tools to creating safer, more inclusive spaces, KHITG is helping ensure every girl not only stays in the game but thrives in it.”
Created by Rebel Girls and distributed free of charge, the book will be available in both print and digital formats, with a goal of reaching over one million children. Hard copies will be provided to program participants, schools, libraries and nonprofit partners.
Gotham FC General Manager Yael Averbuch West told USA Today Sports: “We do hope to continue to be able to influence and provide opportunities for girls to play the game, to watch the game, maybe to one day work at our club, to own a club… These young women, we’re interacting with them as soccer players, but we are also interacting with them as fans, as future leaders of households and business — decision makers. The hope is to inspire these girls to have a longstanding love and involvement in the game that goes far beyond the field.”
Since Keep Her in the Game launched, more than 700 of the program’s 1,700 members have attended Gotham FC games, with 750 expected at Saturday’s match. For the club, the hope is that these initiatives inspire lasting engagement, whether as players, fans, future coaches or leaders in the game.
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