Lesle Gallimore is the commissioner of the newly formed Girls Academy, and elite youth league which was formed after U.S. Soccer dissolved the Development Academy. Gallimore is a longtime coach and has a vision for a unified approach to youth soccer and one which eventually incorporates support from the professional ranks. She shares her visionary plans on the latest Kickin’ Back.
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Editing and production: Claire Watkins.
Here’s an outline of our conversation and rough timestamps for each topic:
4:00 – How she became commissioner of the Girls Academy after over 25 years as head coach at the University of Washington
13:00 – Gallimore’s desire for a more unified approach to youth soccer
19:00 – ‘I just want what the boys have’: The future of girls youth soccer in the professional development pipeline
27:00 – How the U.S. youth national teams stack up
31:00 – The need for more women in coaching, and the Jill Ellis Scholarship Fund, and Lesle’s involvement in the SheChampions Mentorship Program
34:30 – Planning a league during the pandemic