Girls Soccer Network relaunches NIL mentorship program for youth players

By AI, Created 11:05 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – Girls Soccer Network has relaunched Soccerista United, its NIL mentorship program that pairs elite college soccer players with girls in the GSN community. The fourth cohort opens applications now and aims to deepen player development and long-term engagement in women’s soccer.

Why it matters: - Soccerista United gives young girls direct access to college and professional soccer role models. - The program is designed to support recruiting guidance, confidence, mindset and student-athlete development. - Girls Soccer Network says the effort also helps build stronger, more personal connections to women’s soccer.

What happened: - Girls Soccer Network relaunched Soccerista United on April 30, 2026. - The relaunch marks the program’s fourth cohort since its debut in 2022. - The NIL-based mentorship program pairs elite Division I soccer players with girls in the GSN community. - Applications for the new cohort are now open.

The details: - Soccerista United was originally co-created by Boston Legacy midfielder Sam Angel during an internship with Girls Soccer Network. - Olivia Damico, a former Penn State standout now playing professionally in Dublin, Ireland, leads the program. - Past mentors have come from UCLA, Stanford, Florida State, the University of Pennsylvania and Santa Clara. - Alumni have included players who reached the U.S. Women’s National Team and the National Women’s Soccer League. - Examples include Ally Sentnor of the USWNT, Heather Gilchrist of Bay FC, and Sam Angel of Boston Legacy. - The new cohort includes 10 mentors. - The announced mentors include Kieryn “KJ” Jeter of the University of Georgia, a five-time U.S. Youth National Team U-20 camp invitee. - Piper Coffield of Indiana University earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors in 2023 and was named to the Big Ten Players to Watch list in 2024. - Lola Abraham of the University of Pittsburgh was named Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year. - Charlotte Kohler of Stanford University was part of the 2025 ACC championship team. - The program uses one-on-one mentorship and ongoing engagement to connect younger players with high-level athletes.

Between the lines: - The relaunch signals that Girls Soccer Network sees mentorship as both a development tool and a growth strategy for women’s soccer. - The mix of current college stars and professional alumni gives the program a laddered pathway from youth soccer to the highest levels of the sport. - By leaning on NIL-enabled relationships, Soccerista United is tapping into a model that can scale personal support without relying only on traditional club or school structures.

What’s next: - Girls Soccer Network will match the new cohort of youth players with mentors through the relaunched program. - The organization is positioning Soccerista United as an ongoing pipeline for guidance and community engagement in girls’ soccer. - More information is available from Girls Soccer Network’s company announcement, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

The bottom line: - Soccerista United is back, and Girls Soccer Network is betting that mentorship can strengthen both individual players and the future of women’s soccer.