- Pilot-year initiative places promising coaches with USL Championship and League One clubs to gain valuable experience, insight
- W League Head Coach Lekeisha Gumbs of Chicago City SC to join in residency with Republic FC’s technical staff
Today, The United Soccer League (USL) announced that Republic FC will participate in the league’s new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program: USL Forward. The multi-dimensional, leaguewide initiative focuses on professional development for technical staff, league and club executives, and local communities with the intention of increasing racial and gender diversity in leadership roles throughout the USL ecosystem.
“The development of the next generation of coaches is vital to the growth of the USL and soccer in America,” said Paul McDonough, USL President and Chief Soccer Officer. “To make progress in this area, up-and-coming coaches of all backgrounds need opportunities to gain expertise and experience at higher levels. USL Forward represents our commitment to expanding those opportunities for coaches in the USL ecosystem and having a real and long-term impact on coaching in our country.”
“USL Forward represents a bold and necessary step towards progress for our ecosystem, and the broader soccer landscape,” USL Vice President of DEI and Community Impact. “Building this platform along with its associated initiatives to drive diversity and equity has been a rewarding exercise in collaboration, and ultimately demonstrates what we can accomplish when we work from an ethos of shared understanding. I am confident that USL Forward’s initiatives such as the Pro Preseason Residency program, our Coaching Diversity Scholarships, and future endeavors will result in the type of systemic transformation that needs to happen to work with intent towards continuous improvement while simultaneously sustaining a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive ecosystem.”
In February, Republic FC will host Lekeisha Gumbs through the USL Pro Preseason Residency (PPR) Program. In its pilot year, the PPR Program is designed to identify high-performing, pro-aspiring BIPOC and women coaches and place them in a professional environment with an established curriculum. Gumbs is the head coach of the USL W League’s Chicago City SC and is currently a UEFA A License candidate. She guided Chicago to the 2023 USL W League Playoffs in her first season as head coach. In Sacramento, she will receive an immersive experience and real-world training and mentoring as she is embedded into Republic FC’s training environment as a resident coach.
“I am excited to be part of the pilot year of the USL Pro Preseason Residency Program. I am thrilled to be gaining experience shadowing fellow British coach Mark Briggs, in a setting which is new to me as a coach, said Lekeisha Gumbs. “I have gained all my experience working in the female side of the game, but I am enthusiastic to see the game from a different perspective.”
“February is the perfect time for Lekeisha to see everything that goes into getting a team ready for the upcoming season – on and off the field. We’re looking forward to having her join us here in Sacramento and supporting her coaching journey,” said Republic FC Head Coach Mark Briggs.
USL has developed the PPR Program following extensive research and interviews with stakeholders and subject matter experts, to address the numerous factors that affect black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) and women candidates seeking leadership opportunities on the sideline and in the front office. Following her time in Sacramento, the PPR Program will continue to support Gumbs through mentoring and other touchpoints as she returns to Chicago.
To read USL’s full announcement about the USL Forward program, the participating resident coaches and club, and the next phases, visit USLSoccer.com.
