Alex Morgan is Forging a Confident Path Forward for Girls and Women

Alex Morgan is more than a professional soccer player. She’s a generational talent whose skills and leadership on the pitch transcend the game to champion girls and women in sports and in everyday life. As a two-time World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist, Alex is an athlete who is recognized and celebrated throughout the world and an unwavering fan favorite among all ages. Combining her platform with her passion for equality and reform, Alex started the Alex Morgan Foundation to empower future generations of girls everywhere. This article briefly touches on the history of women in sports and the impact the Alex Morgan Foundation has in advocating for equity on and off the field.

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A brief history of women in sports: where it started and where it is now

While women’s equity in sports was a long standing issue for centuries, it was Title IX of the Education Amendments Act that was enacted in 1972 that allowed women equal opportunities in education and athletics. Even though this brought positive change to women’s participation in sports, the fight for equal pay still remains and continues on to this day.

In 2016, soccer player Alex Morgan and four teammates on the US Women’s National Team filed an EEOC complaint in response to pay inequity and treatment in US women’s soccer. Fast forward to 2022, and that filing resulted in equal pay for women on the US national soccer team for participation in all friendlies and tournaments, including the World Cup. This tremendous win was just the beginning for the US women’s soccer team—and the kick off to Alex Morgan’s desire for cultural change that extends to other women athletes and teams.

Viewership of women’s sports has been on the rise as well. In fact, the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 had an attendance of 1.98 million fans, while the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament drew nearly 10 million viewers for the final game between Iowa and LSU—up 103% from 2022.

While the demand for increased coverage of women’s sports continues, icons like Alex Morgan are continuing to do what they can to inspire and provide opportunities for the next generation.

What challenges do girls face in sports?

The following stats, provided by Lending Tree and the Women’s Sports Foundation, were shared in an Instagram post by TOGETHXR. These stats give a deeper dive into the inequalities girls in sports face:

Girls have 1.3 million fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys.
73% of female leaders said the greatest concern for girls in sport was the parent’s ability to afford participation fees.
Girls drop out of sports at 2x the rate of boys by the age of 14, especially in marginalized communities.
59% of families face financial strain from their child’s sports.

How is Alex Morgan empowering the future for girls in sports?

Building on the momentum from the equal pay achievement for the US women’s soccer team, Alex Morgan’s devotion to creating gender equality in sports for girls and women was further fueled by becoming a mom to her daughter, Charlie. A month after breaking the USWNT record for most goals scored as a mom in February 2023, Alex launched the Alex Morgan Foundation which is dedicated to equity and empowering girls to be confident on and off the field. The Alex Morgan Foundation invests in programs such as:

Alex’s Homebreak: A place where girls can see the game, the Homebreak gives youth girls’ teams the opportunity to attend a San Diego Wave soccer game—inspiring girls to make waves of their own.
Let’s Go South Bay!: This new organization provides more opportunities for girls to play the game. They run a week-long summer soccer and empowerment camp and provide soccer essentials like full kits, cleats, and lights on the field.
Rady Children’s Hospital: Alex’s commitment to helping kids and families get back in the game is evidenced by the Foundation’s commitment to the top health system for kids in the region.
Casa Familiar: The Promotora program consists of a dedicated group of women, mostly moms, who serve as community advocates throughout the border region of San Ysidro. The Alex Morgan Foundation supports them through grant funding to help them further their impact in the community.

“I believe that when girls and women are given opportunities in life, they become champions of themselves and their communities. As a mom, my daughter’s future is at the heart of every decision I make. Our intent with the Alex Morgan Foundation is to create the opportunities needed for all daughters to find their own confident paths forward.” —Alex Morgan

While the Alex Morgan Foundation is based in San Diego, CA, the Foundation is excited to expand its reach both nationally and globally in the near future. Since its launch in March 2023, the Alex Morgan Foundation has already made an impact on the local communities in San Diego County. A few of the Alex Morgan Foundation’s highlights include:

Distributing $188,500 in grants.
Providing 234 San Diego Wave FC tickets for 13 of Alex’s Homebreak teams.
Having 53 girls participate at Let’s Go South Bay! soccer empowerment camp.
Supplying 45 kits of essentials gifted to new moms on Mother’s Day.

“It is going to take all of us to ensure that more girls can gain access to sport, so they can pave their own confident paths in life.” —Alex Morgan

What can you do to join Alex Morgan in these efforts?

Working alongside the Alex Morgan Foundation and GoFundMe, TOGETHXR has started the TOGETHXR We Can Fund benefitting the Alex Morgan Foundation to empower future generations of girls and women in sports and in life. Just a $25 donation can help the Alex Morgan Foundation provide things such as soccer kits for girls, opportunities for youth soccer teams to attend a San Diego Wave home game to see themselves represented on the field, and patient care support for kids and families at Rady’s Children’s Hospital. Or, donate $13 in honor of Alex Morgan and all she has done for the sport of soccer.