U.S. Soccer Announces Participants for 2026 SheChampions Coaching Mentorship Program, Presented by CVS Health
21 Female Coaching Candidates benefit from Jill Ellis Scholarship Fund and mentoring from established women’s soccer coaches
In its fifth year, the SheChampions Coaching Mentorship Program, presented by CVS Health, continues to support and develop the next generation of female coaches by pairing 21 candidates in U.S. Soccer “A” and “B” license courses with experienced mentors from across the game.
This year’s list of mentors includes highly experienced women’s soccer coaches, such as former USWNT assistant coach and Houston Dash technical director Twila Kilgore, as well as former midfielder for the Republic of Ireland women's national team Shannon Smyth Eisberner.
The full list of mentees and mentors can be found below:
The SheChampions Coaching Mentorship Program, founded in 2019, works to empower and advance female coaches through mentorship, financial support and community building. The program’s inaugural cohort launched in 2021.
“U.S. Soccer’s dedication to supporting the growth of female coaches is both inspirational and should be a role model for the rest of the world,” said U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Emma Hayes. “There are a lot of barriers for young female coaches who have aspirations to make this a career, and the cost of getting licenses as well as having female role models to guide them, are two of the big ones. U.S. Soccer is addressing both of those issues, and I have no doubt the work being done now will benefit our women’s soccer ecosystem greatly down the line at all levels of the game.”
The mentorship program is split into two 17-week cohorts in the spring and fall of each year and matches each mentee to a lifelong mentor. The participants work in youth, college, adult amateur and professional environments across the United States and Canada and each hold a “B”, “A” (Senior or Youth) or Pro coaching license.
The mentees attend 1:1 mentor meetings, mentor pods (1 mentor, 3-4 mentees) which focus on topics of choice, and carousel meetings with the full cohort. The program also includes executive coaching access via Vision Pursue with Jon McGraw, which specializes in helping coaches foster a performance mindset and has earned accolades from professional sports organizations and companies nationwide.
The Jill Ellis Scholarship Fund provides full financial assistance for participating candidates, including accommodations, meals, instructor time, educational materials and in-person meetings throughout the course.