There were some special guests in attendance at the NSCAA "Reading the Game" course hosted on June 30. With the support of the Boston Breakers and the NSCAA, 10 coaches and leaders of Nicaraguan girls’ and women’s soccer had the opportunity to take part in the course at Dilboy Stadium.

The Nicaraguan coaches were in Boston as a part of the Inter-American Women’s Soccer Exchange, led by Soccer Without Borders and sponsored by SportsUnited, a division of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs within the U.S. Department of State.  Exchange participants were an impressive group of coaches, players and leaders hailing from all levels of Nicaraguan girls’ and women’s soccer. With representatives from public schools, SWB Nicaragua, the Nicaraguan Soccer Federation, and the Nicaraguan Women’s National Team, Exchange participants are well-positioned to make a significant impact on the future of girls’ soccer in their home country.

This phase exposed the Nicaraguan coaches to multiple aspects of American sports infrastructure, including collegiate sports at Dartmouth College, recreational youth sports at camps run by Challenger Sports and MTW Coast Soccer, and a sports-based youth development program at SWB Boston. The “Reading the Game” workshop was the final piece, offering the opportunity to see American professional women’s soccer and the coaching behind it.

The course focused on the coach’s ability to analyze a game to effectively improve players, groups of players, and the team. Led by Boston University head coach and NSCAA Coaching Academy Staff member Nancy Feldman and Breakers’ head coach Lisa Cole,  the afternoon consisted of a classroom session, a pregame meeting with the Breakers coaching staff, game entry to the Breakers vs. Sky Blue FC, a halftime analysis, and a post-game Q&A with Cole and Jim Gabarra, head coach of Sky Blue.

Additionally, Exchange participants reunited with past SWB volunteers and current NWSL players Maddy Evans (Boston Breakers) and Katy Freels (Sky Blue FC) as well as Breakers’ coach Maren Rojas.

When local coaches signed up for the course, they had the option of choosing to sponsor an Exchange participant. Soccer Without Borders would like to thank the Boston Breakers, the NSCAA, and these coaches for making this opportunity possible. For more information on SWB and the Exchange: www.soccerwithoutborders.org.

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