Switch The Pitch x The Chicago Fire Academy
Switch the Pitch, in partnership with Chicago Fire FC, is committed to creating lasting change in soccer by addressing racial justice within the sport. Through this powerful collaboration, we’re equipping leaders and coaches at Chicago Fire FC’s Academy with the skills, knowledge, and community support to cultivate an inclusive team culture and to actively pursue racial justice on and off the field.
Launched in 2023, this initiative empowers Academy players and coaches to explore topics of race and inclusion. By integrating educational workshops, community engagement and leadership training in the Academy’s development, we’re not only shaping skilled soccer players but also socially conscious leaders. Chicago Fire FC’s Academy is at the forefront of this movement, ensuring that the future of soccer is both diverse and inclusive, where everyone—regardless of background—feels valued and represented.
More About Chicago Fire FC
Chicago Fire FC organization consists of several entities. At the grassroots level is their soccer in the community program, which focuses on child development, education, and mental health. Then they have the youth soccer club, which provides opportunities for players to learn and develop a lifelong appreciation for soccer. And finally, there is the Academy, a development system designed to elevate and advance elite young talent. All of this programming is guided by the Fire’s three core values: integrity, excellence, and belonging.
While working closely with Chicago Fire FC’s Academy, we found that:
- 97% of participants learned new skills to build an inclusive team culture
- 95% of participants determined incorporating racial equity into their coaching toolkit to be a fun challenge
- 90% of participants feel more equipped to handle incidents of racism, discrimination, or bias on their teams
- 88% of participants will implement Switch the Pitch into their team activities as a priority
- 95% of participants increase their knowledge, motivation, and tools to challenge racism and champion inclusiveness on and off the pitch
- 100% of participants learned new skills to complement their coaching
Reflections from Chicago Fire Academy Staff
“I realized that team bonding activities and group discussion are just as important for a team as the drills. Switch the Pitch has led me to have players talk about what they learned and the highs and lows from drills and games instead of having coaches talk the majority of the time.”
“Switch the Pitch does a great job making everyone feel welcome and comfortable sharing their opinions. It excels at showing coaches innovative drills and discussing how they relate to inclusive and how to facilitate conversations with players.”
“My experiences with Switch the Pitch so far have been professional, enlightening, educational, and inspiring. Starting with recreational coaches working with young children all the way to professional coaches, this program helps us think about our role in communities on a much broader scale.”
“Switch the Pitch opened my eyes more to how important this is for all coaches and for me to implement with all incoming coaches. Create good habits from the start.”