A new girls youth soccer league is getting off the ground in Essex County.
Unite Her Soccer is getting ready to launch in May 2025, offering players ages 8-16 (born 2007-2018) the opportunity to play in what organizers are calling “an empowering and inclusive environment.”
Founder Kara Murray said they want to create an environment where girls will stay in sports and feel comfortable remaining involved. She founded the organization Count Her In and it has evolved to Count Her In Sports.
The new league is sponsored by Count Her In and registered with the Ontario Soccer Association. She said the Unite Her Soccer provides a groundbreaking platform for girls to stay active, develop skills, and gain confidence. The program is also partnered with SC United Soccer Club, creating pathways to competitive leagues and post-secondary scholarships, Murray added.
“This is about more than just soccer,” said Murray. “We’re creating a space where girls can develop leadership, teamwork, and resilience - skills that will serve them beyond the field.”
For some girls, the opportunity to only play with boys can act as a deterrent over time and leads them to drop out of sports. According to statistics provided by Count Her In, “research shows that seven in 10 girls drop out of sports before adolescence, often due to lack of access, loss of confidence, and the challenge of playing in male-dominated spaces. Unite Her Soccer aims to reverse this trend by fostering an environment where girls can thrive.”
“We want to change the outcome,” she added. “Rather than become upset, we created our own league.”
Games and practices will likely be in Kingsville or Harrow.
The league will have one game and one practice per month, with the league being run Mondays and Wednesdays.
“We hope to have eight to ten teams,” she said.
Registration is $100 per player, Murray stated, and that comes with a shirt, shorts, socks, a ball and a membership to Count Her In. Most registrations thus far have come from Harrow, Kingsville, Essex and Leamington with some also coming from Wheatley and Tilbury.
Skills on the sports field, ice pad or court can translate to other parts of life, she noted.
Registration runs through March 31. The season runs May through July.
For more information or to register, visi www.unite-her.com.
All girls soccer league starting in Essex County
By Ron Giofu
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