Growth Through Sport to Host Two Free Screenings of Coach
Documentary Short Follows SF State Soccer’s Tracy Hamm’s Pursuit of a UEFA A Coaching License
February 22, 2019—On March 16 in San Francisco, Growth Through Sport will host two free screenings of Coach, a documentary short that follows Tracy Hamm’s quest to earn a UEFA A coaching license. Just one percent of more than 43,800 coaches who currently hold the prestigious license are women.
Hamm is entering her fifth season as head coach of the San Francisco State women’s soccer team, which has not had a losing season since she came on board. In 2018 the squad reached the postseason for the first time since 2010.
A former standout player at UC Berkeley, Hamm’s earlier efforts to pursue a top coaching license from U.S. Soccer were thwarted by requirements that candidates seeking waivers to bypass lower certification levels must have played three years of professional soccer. At the time of Hamm’s college graduation in 2006, no professional women’s league existed in the United States.
Both screenings of Coach will take place at San Francisco State and will be followed by a Q&A with Hamm and one of the film's directors. Prior to the early show, Hamm and her college players will run a 90-minute clinic for girls grades 6-8 on the Gators' home field.
Executive producer Courtney Carroll Levinsohn, founder of Growth Through Sport and herself a former star player at UC Berkeley, explained why she wanted to bring Hamm’s journey to the screen. “I have two young sons, and I want them to grow up in a world where it’s normal to see women in positions of authority in sports—and not just as athletes. I hope Tracy’s story encourages our society to examine how some rules are written, however unconsciously, in a way that keeps women from reaching those upper echelons.”
Coach has been selected to show at the 2019 Fort Myers Film Festival in late March and is scheduled for public release prior to the Women’s World Cup in June.
What is UEFA?
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is the governing body of soccer in Europe, home to the strongest leagues, players and coaches in the world. The UEFA A coaching certification is one of the most rigorous in existence. It allows coaches to manage women’s teams at the professional and international level, including those that compete at the World Cup.
Details for screenings of Coach:
When: Saturday, March 16
Where: San Francisco State (Knuth Hall)
Start times: 4:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. (both free)
Clinic: 1:30-3 p.m. ($10)
How to register: https://www.coachthemovie.com/screenings
Directors: Jordan Axelrod, Matthew Ellison
Run time: 25 minutes
Cameos of note: Peter Crouch, Mido
Press inquiries: info@coachthemovie.com
About Growth Through Sport
Growth Through Sport (GTS) helps athletes of all ages develop the competitive and emotional skills to both excel in sports and have fun doing so. Based in New York City, the organization also partners with local clubs to support sport as a vehicle for positive social change. Within the soccer community, GTS focuses on increasing access to the game by helping coaches, educating parents, and empowering players. Together with Brooklyn City Football Club (BCFC), it recently sponsored the inaugural Brooklyn Women's Cup, which hosted 55 girls and adult teams and was the first soccer festival in New York City created solely to support the women's game. Courtney Carroll Levinsohn, founder of GTS, also sits on the board of BCFC.
More information is available at www.growththroughsport.net.
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