Gotham FC and Dove's commitment to girls in sports is beautiful | OneFootball

NJ/NY Gotham FC is in the middle of their preseason and will begin NWSL play in about a month. In the meantime, the team has been preparing for the new season both on and off the pitch. Major changes to the roster have highlighted the offseason, with many stars leaving.

While it has not been all fun and games, fans are still looking forward to the new season. Gotham FC put in the work to sign new players, and they even announced an incredible deal off the pitch as well.

On Thursday, the NJ/NY side announced a new partnership with Dove. The beauty brand will be a new sponsor on the back of the team's jersey, but that is small compared to what this "record-setting partnership" will do.

Gotham FC's partnership with Dove is fantastic

According to Gotham, Dove will invest in girls' sports via the team's Keep Her in the Game initiative. Launched in August, the program began "to directly address the disproportionate rates at which adolescent girls opt out of sports, by offering curated resources and programs to empower youth players on and off the field."

The partnership between Dove and Gotham FC will, as mentioned, not only see Dove as a sponsor on the back of the kit right above the players' names but also see them sponsor Keep Her in the Game. This highlights both the Bats and Dove's commitment to women's sports. Dove's involvement will also help the NWSL side expand its reach with the initiative.

Ryan Dillon, Chief Business Officer at Gotham FC, expressed his excitement about the partnership to gothamfc.com. He said, “We are excited to team up with Dove to create key pathways for young female athletes to stay in sports, develop confidence, and become strong future leaders. We are honored to represent their tireless work with key jersey placement. The partnership is taking effect at a crucial time when supporting girls in sports has never been more important.”

In addition, the partnership puts a spotlight on "Dove brand’s commitment to keeping girls in sports through the Body Confident Sport program." This is part of the Dove Self-Esteem Project, which is a program that focuses on boosting the confidence and self-esteem of young people.

Truthfully, this is Gotham FC's best move of the offseason because it focuses on giving back to the community. The money earned through the partnership will go toward the Keep Her in the Game initiative. The Bats can really make a mark on girls in sports while also giving them tools to be confident individuals in everyday life.

As such, the impact this can have on girls off the pitch makes the move even sweeter. A big part of Keep Her in the Game is to help girls develop "resilience to help them face life’s challenges on and off the pitch." The influence the program can have in aiding girls to become confident and fearless individuals is bigger than the beautiful game itself.

Gotham FC is giving back in a very meaningful way. Thanks to Dove, they will reach more girls, hopefully inspire more to continue playing sports, and positively impact them where the lessons learned help them in everyday life.