Update: Thank you so much for helping us quickly reach the funding goal! Your support made it possible. I am excited to get practices started in a months time and for this gear to help queer and trans youth have fun!

This is a fund to raise money for the purchasing of gear for a Queer and Trans Youth Soccer Club organized in Durham, North Carolina. These funds would be used to purchase soccer balls, cones, pop-up goals, pinnies/jerseys, and any protective gear (playing shoes/shin guards) a player may need but cannot purchase themselves.

What is the Queer and Trans Youth Soccer Club?

A low-barrier, all-skills level soccer club for queer and trans youth, run by queer and trans adults! Practice will consist of light skills-building drills and occasional free-play opportunities. This is a free-to-participate non-competitive initiative open to all skill-levels. We prioritize a culture of team-building, inclusiveness, and participation while listening to our bodies and rest needs. This initiative is open to youth ages 10-18. Age groups will be broken up to keep play safe and fair.

Why are we organizing this initiative?

Being a kid and teen is stressful enough, and it can be even harder to enjoy sports as a kid and teen while navigating identity on top of it all. We are creating this space for youth to be themselves, to enjoy soccer, and practice sportsmanship, while hopefully removing one barrier of stress. All the coaches supporting this initiative have first hand experience with living through navigating identity while trying not to lose sight of things that bring us joy, like recreational sport. We're creating a space that would have helped our younger selves thrive, and that we whole-heartedly believe is needed.

This initiative is free to participate, so how is it possible?

We believe in making this initiative low-barrier, but we need your help to make that happen! While no cost is required to play, we welcome donations from the public and families to support with purchasing gear to make this happen. We also welcome others to donate lightly-used gear. If you have lightly used gear you would like to donate, contact Everett.