The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is fast approaching, and GE Appliances Canada – a noted supporter of “the beautiful game” across all levels – is launching a new program with a dual purpose: generating excitement for the tournament and strengthening the grassroots for women’s soccer across the country.
The company, which also supports all three of Canada’s MLS squads in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, as well as both men’s and women’s national teams, is also a major supporter on the amateur level. This new program, called “See Them, Be Them,” is part of that effort, proving that “it’s more than just putting our name on the field boards or scoreboards or on TV,” says Bob Park, chief brand officer for GE in Canada.
“We really want to be a part of promoting and growing the game and being associated with all of the great things that the game is about,” he tells strategy. “We want to do something that genuinely impacts the game and moves it forward.”
The program is based on the insight that women’s soccer has a high dropout rate as girls enter adulthood, despite Canada’s increased national success at the sport in recent years.
Presently, eight out of 10 (82%) of girls exit the sport rather than transition into adult ranks, such as at the collegiate level. In part, this is because of a lack of support and role models in the sport for those girls – 80% of women’s sport leaders say girls would be more likely to remain in sport if they had role models, according to the 2022 Women & Sport rally report.
GE is looking to resolve this issue by opening up a contest that will take eight girls and gender-diverse soccer players aged 13 to 17 to train with Canadian national women’s soccer star Quinn – the company’s ambassador – on the pitch, while also having conversations about any challenges or obstacles they might be facing on their road to becoming a star soccer athlete.
Additionally, 100 more players will be invited to a virtual mentorship session with Quinn.
“There are more opportunities for these connections on the men’s side, where there are many role models available not only in soccer, but in hockey and basketball,” explains Park. “For the women, it’s more difficult. So we wanted to make the stars available and help get that ball rolling.”
“If this initiative can help even one young person feel like they have a place in this sport, and a future in soccer, then we’ll have done some good for this game and this country,” Quinn said in a release.
The brand is inviting nominations and direct applications to its program through a webpage dedicated to the effort, with a deadline of August 21. It is backing the program with a PR push and a paid digital campaign.
The campaign is part of a larger push by GE to support and develop the next generation of soccer stars. Earlier this month, the brand pledged an additional $100,000 of funding to Canada Soccer to support women’s soccer programming after the national team raised issues with how budget cuts and reduced supports were impacting their careers and preparations for the World Cup.