Girls-First Curriculum Tailors Activities to Girls’ Mental & Physiological Needs; Evolved camps and clinics programming will reach more young female athletes and increase accessibility to soccer with new, holistic approach

Chicago Stars FC today announced the launch of the club’s revamped “Future Stars” program, a new and elevated camps and clinics catalog inclusive to all youth and intentionally tailored to primarily support the unique mental and physiological needs of girls. Future Stars will feature new resources, materials, opportunities and curriculums available for coaches developed with the input of Chicago Stars FC Director of Medical Juliet Barnes, alongside the Chicago Stars medical and high-performance staff.

“We’re thrilled to reintroduce our Future Stars program in a way that makes soccer more accessible and with girls’ needs at the forefront,” said Noelle Schmitt, Chicago Stars FC Director of Community & Government Relations. “We’re confident that we can make an even bigger difference in the lives of young girls around Chicagoland by building on our existing curriculum with a new focus and increased support from our amazing partners. Getting girls involved in sports has a multitude of proven benefits on and off the pitch, and we’re excited to see the impact Future Stars can make in girls’ lives alongside our partners.”

Future Stars will now consist of five programming segments, each with a specific focus:

• Camps and Clinics, presented by Wintrust
• Future Stars Fest, presented by Wintrust
• The BGCC Soccer League, presented by Gatorade
• Goal Getters, in partnership with Urban Initiatives
• Total Athlete Curriculum

Historically, much of the available and accessible community soccer programming around the world has been designed primarily for boys and retrofitted for girls. As an extension of Chicago’s highest level of women’s soccer, the Chicago Stars’ Future Stars program aims to change that, putting girls first and empowering them to reach their fullest potential by extending the club’s expertise in high-performance, medical and coaching from the elite levels of global professional soccer right into the hands of the community.

With the broad spectrum of wellness woven into the curriculum in consultation with the professional Chicago Stars medical and high-performance staff, Future Stars supports youth in the community not only as athletes, but as people. Each program is designed with female athletes at the forefront, educating and empowering Chicagoland’s future stars through team sport, exercise, mental health, nutrition and social-emotional learning, allowing young athletes gain the personal benefits that science has attributed to keeping girls in sport: greater lifelong achievements, future career advancement, better academic performance, lower rates of depression and more.

"Evidence-based research shows that girls have different physiological and psychological needs than boys, and we’re proud to develop a curriculum that prioritizes those needs in the context of youth sports, which has historically been tailored for boys,” said Juliet Barnes, Chicago Stars FC Director of Medical. “This curriculum will help coaches be better prepared to coach girls while setting their players up for success with programming customized specifically for them from a medical and high-performance perspective.”

Chicago Stars FC Future Stars Program

Total Athlete Curriculum

The blueprint for all Future Stars programs is Total Athlete, a comprehensive curriculum that captures multiple elements of the game in an easily understood format that builds complexity with each session. The resource provides a detailed framework that equips coaches with clear instructions for implementation, beginning with teambuilding and skill development and ending with a focus on social-emotional learning. Available in both a single-session and four-week format, the Total Athlete program can be easily adapted to fit many needs while caring for each participating athlete across the full spectrum of education and health.

Future Stars Camps and Clinics, Presented by Wintrust

The Future Stars Camps and Clinics, presented by Wintrust, focus on impacting the girls of Chicagoland communities in a meaningful way through holistic youth soccer instruction. Setting itself apart from other soccer camps and clinics programs, Future Stars Camps and Clinics, presented by Wintrust, features a dedicated warm-up that meets the needs of girls in sports. Other unique adaptations designed specifically for girls, like exercises aimed at ACL injury prevention, augment the well-rounded curriculum, instilling both soccer skills and other transferrable skills that can be used on and off the pitch.

Future Stars Fest, Presented by Wintrust

Wintrust is also the presenting partner of Future Stars Fest, Chicago Stars FC’s classic youth soccer clinic experience that merges skills development with a large-scale, community-based day of fun. After a successful first series of Future Stars Fests, presented by Wintrust, in 2025, the events return in 2026 for two dates: July 15 in Jackson Park alongside The Obama Foundation and After School Matters and October 11 at Evanston Township High School. With the intent to give access to sport and the ability to engage with professional female athletes to every child—especially girls—in the city, regardless of neighborhood, Future Stars Fest, presented by Wintrust, brings instruction, giveaways, street fair-style vendors made up of local businesses and organizations and more. Select Chicago Stars players will be around to coach and engage with participants, giving a free, unique experience to every participant.

Future Stars BGCC Soccer League, Presented by Gatorade

Conducted in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago (BGCC), BGCC provides fun, safe spaces for Chicago’s youth after school, and the Future Stars BGCC Soccer League, presented by Gatorade, provides a unique opportunity for participants to learn and gain the benefits of structured, consistent activity. Instruction and support are supplied to the coaches and clinics that make up the league through the Chicago Stars, ensuring consistent visibility and success to the BGCC members. The eight-week program culminates in a BGCC-wide tournament that allows participants to showcase their new soccer skills in a competitive, organized and exciting setting. While a champion of the tournament is crowned at the end, all participants in the Future Stars BGCC Soccer League, presented by Gatorade, win a lifetime of skills they can use at any age.

Goal Getters, in partnership with Urban Initiatives

The Goal Getters program brings soccer directly to Chicago Public Schools students. Through the Chicago Stars’ partnership with Urban Initiatives, Future Stars provides the curriculum, learning materials and resources for Urban Initiatives to teach the sport to young Chicago Public Schools students. In addition to the athletic programming, students get a comprehensive experience with opportunities gain exposure to professional female athletes and attend Chicago Stars FC matches.

Future Stars programming is already in full swing, welcoming youth from around Chicagoland. To ensure accessibility for all those interested in implementing girl-first curriculum and hosting their own events, Total Athlete curriculum and Future Stars resources are available for free upon request at chicagostars.com/future-stars.

ABOUT CHICAGO STARS FC

Chicago Stars FC is Chicago's professional women's soccer club and a founding member of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Driven by a commitment to excellence on and off the pitch, the Stars are building the future of women's soccer through investment in world-class facilities, elite player development, and unforgettable fan experiences. The club has qualified for the NWSL Playoffs eight times and reached the NWSL Championship in 2019 and 2021, while continuing to play a leading role in the growth of the women's game in Chicago, across the country and globally. For more information, visit ChicagoStars.com.

ABOUT WINTRUST FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Wintrust is a financial holding company with approximately $71 billion in assets whose common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Guided by its “Different Approach, Better Results” philosophy, Wintrust offers the sophisticated resources of a large bank while providing a community banking experience to each customer. Wintrust operates more than 200 retail banking locations through 16 community bank subsidiaries in the greater Chicago, southern Wisconsin, west Michigan, northwest Indiana, and southwest Florida market areas. In addition, Wintrust operates various non-bank business units, providing residential mortgage origination, wealth management, commercial and life insurance premium financing, short-term accounts receivable financing/outsourced administrative services to the temporary staffing services industry, and qualified intermediary services for tax-deferred exchanges. For more information, please visit wintrust.com.

Over the course of the the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) regular season, much of the focus surrounds the teams and players, how they perform on the pitch and where the team is on the table. There is, however, a lot that happens outside the white lines, specifically in the community. Last year, the Chicago Stars showed for Chicago in communities across the city. Here are just some of the activities the community team put together for the in 2025. 

The Chicago Stars community team works diligently all year to make sure the club is giving back to our hometown. Through club-hosted events and by partnering with other city and community organizations, the Chicago Stars help bring soccer to underserved communities in the hopes of inspiring more interest and participation, especially among young women, in the game of soccer. We know that women who participate in competitive sports are more likely to become business leaders and learn the skills needed to have successful professional careers. So, while not everyone can grow up to be a professional soccer player, the skills they learn from the sport can help them later on in life.  

With this in mind, our community team introduced a new initiative this year meant to reach as many children across Chicago as possible. Future Stars Fest, presented by Wintrust, was a series of free events hosted by the club on the north, south and lower west sides of the city. Partnering with the Chicago Park District and other community organizations operating in each host neighborhood, the Stars put together a day filled with activities for all kids, not only those interested in sports. Participants had the chance to work on their soccer skills with Chicago Stars players, explore fun scientific projects, channel their artistic sides and more in these welcoming and encouraging environments.   

In partnership with the club’s front-of-kit partner, Wintrust, the Chicago Stars community met with players to discuss causes that are meaningful to them. Together, the team came up with three initiatives players wanted to support including to serve those in need, increase engagement in athletics among young women and support women-owned businesses across Chicagoland. At the start of summer, the Chicago Stars teamed up with Sarah’s Circle – an organization working to help women permanently end their homelessness – to provide and serve food from a local restaurant to residents at Sarah’s Circle. The Stars also worked with the Women’s Business Development Center, providing microgrants to 15 women-owned businesses and inviting the entrepreneurs to an All-In Women’s Business Expo hosted before a Stars match at SeatGeek Stadium. Business owners set up stations at the stadium where they and Stars fans had the opportunity to learn more about their work and foster meaningful community connections. To help inspire young women to be active, the Stars worked with Girls on the Run an organization that creatively blends running with a curriculum designed to help girls be joyful, healthy and confident. Stars players visited a Girls on the Run practice to meet with the participants, answer questions and distribute new running shoes. In addition to supporting these events, Wintrust also provided grants to each organization helping ensure they continue to serve and expand their reach. 

With the club’s announcement of their marquee match at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium September 7, followed by the team’s announcement of moving their home matches to Evanston in 2026, the community team made a concentrated effort to establish a presence in the Evanston community. Over the summer, the Stars supported and had a presence at the monthly Evanston Night Markets where street team members promoted the September 7 match by handing out giveaways, offering attendees the chance to win prizes and held raffles. Front office associates also participated in the annual Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate and even fielded their own soccer team in the annual Evanston Unity Fest and took home the Unity Cup for good sportsmanship. Leading up to the September 7 match, the clinics team held a free prematch clinic where local children participated in soccer drills, played in mini games and met with Chicago Stars forward, Shea Groom, all before walking over to the stadium to watch the Stars’ match against the Orlando Pride.  

In support of the LGBTQ+ community, and for the third consecutive year, the Chicago Stars walked in the annual Chicago Pride Parade, which brought several hundred thousand people together in a joyful, community-powered celebration of LGBTQ+ pride, visibility and resiliency. In support of the Hispanic community, the Stars designed their Sobresalimos shirt and donated the net proceeds to the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). The team also donated their spot in the annual Mexican Independence Day Parade to ICIRR, who walked the parade route alongside the club’s mascot, Supernova. In another annual tradition for the club, the team participated in the Little Village Chamber of Commerce’s La Villita Navideña celebration where local families come out to celebrate the holidays, play games and receive gifts for the children.  

These are just some of the events, initiatives, celebrations and programs the Chicago Stars community team undertakes to make sure we are showing up for our city and our neighbors. Their work across Chicagoland helps create touchpoints between our club and athletes and the members of this community, provides support to underserved areas and helps us show that when we say we’re Chicago’s team, we mean it. We are thankful for your support, not just at our matches, but also for your support year-round. Thank you for helping us make an impact in 2025. We look forward to continuing our community efforts and making you proud in 2026!  

Chicago Stars FC announced today Bea Franklin as its nominee for the 2025 Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide, recognizing an NWSL player for outstanding service and character off the pitch. All 14 nominees were announced by the league today.

The Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide, was introduced in 2024 to honor the two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee, and recipient of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian ESPY Award Lauren Holiday. It spotlights players who exemplify dedication and commitment to giving back in service of their local communities.

After all 14 nominees are celebrated over the course of the season, one winner will be announced during Championship weekend. At that time, Nationwide will make a $50,000 donation to the charitable organization of the winner’s choice.

Since being drafted by the Chicago Stars, Bea Franklin has exhibited a strong dedication to the Chicago community and is one of the most eager players to volunteer for any community opportunities hosted or partnered on by the club. The work of Digs with Dignity represents one of Franklin’s favorite ways to contribute to the city: helping those impacted by homelessness. Transforming houses into homes by providing everything from necessities to everyday comforts that can be financially inaccessible for families transitioning out of homelessness, Digs with Dignity helps break the cycle of housing insecurity and combat furniture waste. Franklin and her teammates previously teamed up with Digs with Dignity for a “DIGS Day,” helping fully furnish, decorate and stock an apartment for a mother and three young children.

Franklin also frequently takes part in other community efforts to help educate young children, combat food insecurity and increase accessibility to soccer. In addition to guest appearances Chicago Stars FC youth camps and clinics, the midfielder has dedicated time to Higher Ground USA’s adaptive sports programs and Girls Inc. of Chicago.

“I am so honored to be the nominee for the Chicago Stars and help bring a spotlight to Digs with Dignity,” said Bea Franklin. “Everyone deserves to have a place that looks, feels and is home to them with the added bonus of giving furniture and house goods a second life.”

"We are thrilled to recognize Bea Franklin as this year's Lauren Holiday Impact Award nominee for the Chicago Stars," said Noelle Schmitt, director of community for Chicago Stars FC. "Bea's giving spirit and desire to serve the community perfectly embodies the ethos of this award. Digs With Dignity is a great organization that empowers women and uplifts individuals. We are very excited to partner with them for this campaign to recognize the wonderful work happening in our community."

The winner will be determined by a panel of judges that will include Lauren Holiday, NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman, and representatives from Nationwide, NWSLPA, and Media Association.

For more information on Bea Franklin and the Lauren Holiday Impact Award, click here.

About Chicago Stars FC
Established in 2007 as the Chicago Red Stars, Chicago Stars FC is the premier women’s soccer franchise in the city of Chicago and one of the original eight clubs to form the National Women’s Soccer League in 2013. The Chicago Stars have made the NWSL playoffs eight times, seven consecutive, for the second highest playoff appearances in the league, and appeared in the NWSL Championship in 2019 and 2021, finishing as the runners-up both times. The club also made it to the inaugural Challenge Cup final in 2020 and currently holds the NWSL single-match attendance record.

About NWSL
The National Women’s Soccer League is the premier women’s professional soccer league in the world featuring national team players from around the globe. The clubs are Angel City FC, Bay FC, Boston Legacy FC, Chicago Stars, Denver FC, Houston Dash, Kansas City Current, NJ/NY Gotham FC, North Carolina Courage, Orlando Pride, Portland Thorns FC, Racing Louisville FC, San Diego Wave FC, Seattle Reign FC, Utah Royals FC, and Washington Spirit.

About Nationwide
Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by Standard & Poor’s. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; and pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.

Nationwide, Nationwide is on your side and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2025

With 2024 coming to a close, we wanted to reflect on our community efforts throughout the year. Our initiatives in 2023 established a vital foundation for a greater impact this year, creating relationships between the Red Stars and Chicagoland community organizations that will allow us to support our community for years to come.

In 2024, we redoubled our efforts throughout Chicagoland by hosting more events, engaging more children around the city and taking action in 25 neighborhoods, more than doubling our footprint from 2023. The Red Stars, with the help of Wintrust, also doubled the number of camps and clinics, helping Chicagoland kids develop their soccer skills on 58 separate occasions throughout the year. Additionally, the number of Red Stars tickets donated to community partners and local youth more than doubled, allowing over 5,000 young athletes to be inspired by watching professional women’s soccer in action.

Helping future athletes in Chicagoland doesn’t just mean giving them role models or developing their skills; they also need the resources to continue nurturing their passion. Through six equipment and merchandise donations this year, the Red Stars ensured young athletes have needed essentials to continue their athletic development. All these efforts, with the help of 39 unique community and program partners, allowed the club to have a presence at 44 other community events this year. With the help of our partners Wintrust, CDW and Meijer, we were able to make strides in our mission of growing the sport while uplifting current and future fans in their own neighborhoods.

In 2025 – as Chicago Stars FC – we will continue our dedication to Chicago and our mission through our efforts in the community and look for new ways the Red Stars can contribute to our great city. A championship club isn’t just built with performance, it’s built with the support of the community. While you support us, we will support you by continuing to proudly uplift Chicago – on and off the pitch. To stay up-to-date on our efforts in and around Chicago, be sure to subscribe to our Insider newsletter and follow us on social media @chicagoredstars.

Chicago Red Stars will celebrate Cari Roccaro and club’s partnership with NAMI Chicago during September 21 match 

Chicago Red Stars midfielder, Cari Roccaro, is the club’s nominee for the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide, the Red Stars announced today. All 14 nominees announced by the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) today will receive recognition for outstanding service and character off the pitch.   

Newly reformatted to shine a greater light on players who are making a difference in their communities, the Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide, honors the ongoing example of excellence and commitment set by the two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian ESPY Award. 

Midfielder Cari Roccaro receives the Chicago Red Stars nomination for her ongoing work with the Chicago chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Chicago). Openly sharing her own struggles with mental health has made Roccaro a dedicated advocate for the importance of mental health in athletes. As an NWSL player, Roccaro played a key role in enshrining mental health leave in the collective bargaining agreement between the NWSL and the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA). Outside of the league, Roccaro also hosts her own podcast, Butterfly Road, which aims to destigmatize conversations about mental health in sports. Recently, Roccaro took part in the Chicago Sky’s “Block the Negativity, Post Up Positivity,” panel on mental health covering the intersection of social media, female athletes, and mental health outcomes. 

“I’m incredibly excited to partner with NAMI Chicago again and make an impact in a space that is so personal to me,” said Roccaro. “Everyone can benefit from better mental health resources, and it’s awesome knowing that I’ve been able to play a role in helping NAMI make a bigger difference in people’s lives by sharing a bit of my story and giving others hope for the future.” 

In keeping with the spirit of the award, the Chicago Red Stars and Roccaro partnered with NAMI Chicago to promote ‘Ending the Silence,’ a collaborative program with Boys and Girls Club of Chicago. ‘Ending the Silence’ aims to break down stigmas around mental healthcare and provide young people with resources for maintaining their mental health. Roccaro shared her personal mental health journey and took questions from participants about how she has used her platform to draw more awareness, her mental health struggles as a professional athlete and how she supports her teammates on and off the field. Roccaro and NAMI Chicago will be recognized during the Red Stars’ [Appreciation Night] match September 21 where NAMI Chicago will receive a $5,000 donation from the league and Nationwide.  

Club supporters will have the chance to vote for a player nominee as part of a fan vote beginning October 1. The nominee with the most fan votes at the end of the month will receive additional funds to donate to their community partner and an organization of their choice. 

At the end of the season, one nominee chosen by a panel consisting of Lauren Holiday and representatives from Nationwide, the NWSL, NWSL Players Association and NWSL Media Association, will be named the winner of the 2024 Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide and receive $30,000 to designate to a charitable organization of their choice. The winner of the award will be announced the week of the 2024 NWSL Championship, presented by Google Pixel. Additionally, all 14 player nominees will be honored as part of Championship Week celebrations. 

For more information on Cari Roccaro, NAMI Chicago and the Lauren Holiday Impact Award, click here.