First-of-its-Kind Children’s Book to Highlight Gotham FC Players, Keep Her in the Game Initiative

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (Aug. 7, 2025) – Gotham FC, in collaboration with Dove and girl empowerment brand Rebel Girls, announced on Thursday the publication of a first-of-its-kind children’s book by an NWSL club to motivate young girls to keep playing sports and become the best version of themselves. The book, inspired by Gotham FC’s Keep Her in the Game initiative, presented by Dove, highlights the stories of Gotham FC stars and features educational tools for body confidence and mental resilience and training tips for young soccer players.

Changing the Game: A Playbook for Champions in Training shares interviews and personal anecdotes from Gotham FC’s World Cup winners, Olympic gold medalists, European champions and National Women’s Soccer League stars, focusing on their journeys through youth soccer to give young girls a different perspective on these elite athletes. In addition to Gotham FC stars such as Jess Carter and Rose Lavelle, readers can also enjoy profiles of three girls and one coach who are part of the Keep Her in the Game initiative, illustrating their own soccer experiences.

Created by Rebel Girls, based on their award-winning storytelling formats, the book will be distributed for free. A shareable digital version will be housed on gothamfc.com/rebelgirls and RebelGirls.com with the goal of reaching more than 1 million kids. Hard copies will be gifted to the girls in the Keep Her in the Game program as well as local libraries, schools and nonprofit partners. Gotham FC will also give away a number of physical copies to some lucky fans at the team’s Saturday match against the Washington Spirit at Sports Illustrated Stadium.

“Celebrating incredible women athletes is at the heart of both Gotham and Rebel Girls, and we are so excited to tell some of their stories,” said Jes Wolfe, Rebel Girls CEO, and Laura Petro, the vice president of brand and fan experience at Gotham FC. “With Changing the Game, we are celebrating Gotham players and community in a way that has never been done before. Through this partnership with Dove, we’re proud to set a new standard as Gotham becomes the first NWSL club to create a book for girls. We can’t wait to see how it inspires the next generation to keep changing the game.”

Nine Gotham FC players were interviewed, including Lavelle, the U.S. Women’s National Team star, and Carter, whose English national team just won the 2025 UEFA Women’s European Championship. There are profiles of Lavelle’s fellow U.S. Women’s National Team stars – Tierna Davidson, Midge Purce, Lilly Reale and Emily Sonnett – as well as the uplifting story of German goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger and her two battles with cancer. The book chronicles the upbringing of Spanish striker Esther González, the top goal scorer at the European Championship and the current leading scorer in the NWSL, with storytelling in both English and Spanish. And standout rookie Sarah Schupansky, a candidate for NWSL rookie of the year, shares the details behind her rapid rise.

To show young readers how they can stay involved with sport beyond playing the game, Changing the Game includes interviews with former U.S. Women’s National Team star Ali Krieger, who is now a Gotham FC ambassador and media personality, as well as Gotham FC general manager and former U.S. Women’s National Team midfielder Yael Averbuch West and former Gotham FC goalkeeper-turned-coach Michelle Betos.

Launched one year ago with the founding philanthropic partner Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, Keep Her in the Game, presented by Dove, is Gotham FC’s flagship social impact program aiming to combat the high adolescent drop-off rate of girls in sports. The program is designed to empower the trusted adults in girls’ lives – their coaches and parents – with research-backed training to help girls and gender expansive youth develop leadership skills, find their voices and stay committed to the sport.

Keep Her in the Game additionally delivers moments of joy and connection for the youths themselves through unique access to Gotham FC players and experiences at Sports Illustrated Stadium, including 750 girls expected to attend Saturday’s nationally televised match vs. Washington.