ECNL’s H.E.R. Coaching Scholarship application period open

RICHMOND, VA (Via ECNL) – The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), the nation’s premier female youth soccer league, announced today that the application period for the H.E.R. Coaching Scholarship Program is open. The program was created for aspiring female coaches to continue their development and education. H.E.R. is an acronym for “Health & Education Resources,” and is an ECNL platform designed to provide information, tools, and opportunity for female athletes.

“The ECNL has an ongoing mission to raise the game, and an integral part of that mission is increasing the number of high level soccer coaches in the United States. To help this, and to demonstrate to our players that a future in sports can be a reality and a great and rewarding profession, we are providing a program with resources and opportunities focused on coaching education among our premier athletes,” said Sarah Kate Noftsinger, ECNL Commissioner.

The H.E.R. Coaching Scholarship Program is designed to encourage top female players to enter the coaching profession, and to help the next generation of coaches and leaders continue to raise the bar in youth soccer. The ECNL selected the first scholarship recipients in 2015, naming ten amazing young women from a deep pool of talented applicants. To learn more about the 2015 scholarship winners, click here.

In line with the ECNL Amazing Young WomenTM campaign, the H.E.R. Coaching Scholarship Program was created specifically for ECNL Alumni and aspiring female coaches. The program provides financial assistance to attend either the US Soccer Federation National Coaching School’s “D” license course or “E” license course. The courses are offered periodically at various locations throughout the country.

“The ECNL was created to meet the needs of the elite female youth soccer players in the United States. As these players look beyond their playing careers, we want them to know that their future in sports can take many paths, including coaching, and that they can be the future role models for the next generation of players and leaders,” continued Noftsinger.

In 2016, ten scholarships will be offered to coaches that are either ECNL alums just entering the coaching profession or current female coaches within ECNL Member Clubs. This will mark the second consecutive year that scholarships will be awarded. The deadline for submitting applications for scholarship awards is December 1, 2015. Awards will be awarded to those coaches applying for “D” and “E” US Soccer coaching courses taking place in the 2016 calendar year.

To be eligible, candidates must:

Have been an ECNL registered player (played in the ECNL at the U14, U15, U16, U17, U18 or U23 age group) or be a female coach within an ECNL Member Club
Aspire to coach or currently coach a women’s and/or girls’ team at the club or college level
Complete the online application

“To raise the level of the women’s game, we have to create opportunities for the next generation of female leaders and coaches to get involved, and we have to invest in coaching education,” says Noftsinger. “Our goal is to help provide these Amazing Young Women with the opportunity, guidance and voice to further their skills and increase the number of female coaches and leaders in soccer.”