February 2, 2022 marks a day fostering and celebrating women and girls' participation in sports. As we celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day, we asked our clubs to call out a woman who is making a difference in the sports community. From former players to technical staff to industry creatives, the league is filled with strong women who are breaking down barriers and paving the way for other girls and women participating in sports on and off the field.
**HOUSTON DASH Erin O’Neill – Team President** Jessica O’Neill will make history as the first team president of the Houston Dash. O’Neill, who was introduced today and will join the team in March, is a rising star within the sports business industry. A native of Tampa, Fla., she spent most of the last decade working for Tepper Sports Enterprises with the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC. Once in Houston, O’Neill will focus on improving the player and fan experience at the Club and growing reach, engagement and revenue all areas of the Dash business. **PORTLAND THORNS Tracy Nelson – Head Coach of the Portland Thorns U17 Academy** Tracy Nelson has been the head coach of the Portland Thorns U17 academy team since 2017 and served as the academy director from 2020-2021. With a passion for developing the girls’ game, Nelson has been coaching in Oregon since 2002, and obtained her USSF A license in 2004. Since then, her experience includes eight seasons at the helm for Clackamas Community College and various roles within the Olympic Development Program. After a standout career with the Pilots at the University of Portland from 1991-1995, Nelson took her talents abroad, representing Umea IK in 1996 and Millwall FC in 1997. In addition to coaching for the academy, Nelson is now a Health and Physical Education Instructor at Clackamas Community College and a mother to two children.
**NJ/NY GOTHAM FC Marisa Kurk – Graphic Designer**
Marisa works tirelessly to bring cool and gorgeous design to Gotham FC. She's passionate about women's sports getting the same caliber work as men's sports and spends countless hours on every single design need for the club across the board. She was visually in charge of the rebrand, and our social media wouldn't be nearly as good without her contributions and enthusiasm.
**ORLANDO PRIDE Christi Edson – Head of Strength and Conditioning and Sports Science**
Christi has been with the Club for four years, starting as a Performance Nutrition Intern before earning a full-time position as First Team Sports Performance Coordinator with Orlando City SC. In January 2021, Christi moved to a Pride-specific role. As Head of S&C and Sports Science, Christi is responsible for leading the development of a best-in-class sports performance program for our players, getting them ready for the physical demands of both match and training days, and also providing player recovery plans.
**NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE Vannesa Fulcher – Equipment Manager**
Vannessa Fulcher has served as the North Carolina Courage’s equipment manager since the team’s move from Western New York in 2017. In those five years, Vannessa has been the go-to for training and gameday logistics, but she has also helped the Courage in every aspect of team life, often going way above and beyond to fill the role of administrator. Vannessa is a true unsung hero and is a tireless advocate for our players. From showing up hours before each match to ensure the locker room is perfect for the team, to staying hours after each game and training session to clean, organize and prep so the team can perform at their very best, the Courage wouldn’t be who they are without Vannessa. This National Girls and Women in Sports Day (and every day), we are proud to recognize our friend and colleague, Vannessa Fulcher.
**OL REIGN Amy Griffin – Executive Director, OL Reign Academy & Girls Academy President**
Amy Griffin has made a profound impact in women’s soccer. Originally from Washington, Griffin grew up playing soccer in her youth and through high school. She attended the University of Central Florida, where she played goalkeeper and would later be inducted into the Central Florida Hall of Fame. Griffin went on to play for the U.S. Women’s National Team from 1987–1991 and was on the squad that won the first ever FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991. Griffin then pivoted into the coaching scene, where she quickly flourished. She was one of the first nine women to obtain a United States Soccer Federation level "A" coaching license. It is undeniable that Griffin is a talented coach, but beyond that, she is sited as a mentor by many of those that have had the opportunity to work with her. She has been involved in coaching in the Olympic Development program, a staff coach for both the NSCAA and the U.S. Soccer Federation, various colleges including Santa Clara University and the University of Washington and now plays a large part in developing the youth game for young women as she is currently OL Reign Academy’s Executive Director and Girls Academy. She is also the coach of the U.S. Deaf Women's National Soccer Team.
**RACING LOUISVILLE FC Sarah Nollner – Director of Marketing**
A Louisville native, Sarah attended San Diego State University and interned in social media and communications at Xolos, becoming one of only a few women working at the LigaMX club. She focused on marketing to Hispanic audiences as a grad student and in the process consulted for events such as the Mexican national team’s U.S. tour and Copa America. In November of 2016, Sarah became the first employee of what would go on to be known as El Paso Locomotive FC in the USL Championship, embedding herself in the soccer community to see what kind of team the region wanted — not what just our owners wanted. By involving supporters and impactful community members from the beginning, she helped establish culture around a club that ranked seventh of 30 league teams in attendance in 2021. After 12 years, Sarah returned home last fall to work as the senior director of marketing for Soccer Holdings, LLC, parent company of Racing Louisville FC and Louisville City FC.
**WASHINGTON SPIRIT Briana Scurry – Former USWNT goalkeeper and Spirit investor**
Briana Scurry is one of the most successful goalkeepers in US Soccer history and is an important member of the Spirit family. Scurry has made an impact felt by everyone involved in the Spirit organization through her roles as an assistant coach and trusted mentor to the players and now as a club investor.

Match Highlights

Match Highlights