Hollywood’s Sound of Gol Foundation launched a new partnership with Watford FC Women at Vicarage Road, to tackle a lack of representation on both sides of the Atlantic.
Actress Judy Reyes and director George Valencia – co-founders of the Sound of Gol foundation – met with representatives of the local community, supporters of the club and the Watford women’s squad and coaching staff, to outline their objectives.
What connects two entertainment industries and communities separated by more than 5,000 miles? While Valencia and Reyes live in Los Angeles, Valencia is of mixed Ecuadorian and Colombia descent and Reyes was born to Dominican immigrants. A decade ago, they founded the Sound of Gol, a foundation with a vision of making the game of football more accessible to young Latina women.
In the US, youth football is estimated to generate an estimated USD $4 billion, but success is determined by wealth, creating a tangible barrier to participation for many children of colour. According to a US study, there are approximately 64,000 coaching jobs in the US, 63.6% are currently filled by men; 36.4% by women. It is estimated that less than 1% of that number are Latina women working in youth football.
It was during their work with like-minded non-profit organisations in LA, New Jersey, Colombia, Ecuador and Puerto Rico, that the Sound of Gol founders were introduced to former Watford captain and US men’s national team defender Jay DeMerit.
Seven years ago, Valencia and Reyes created an animated educational series that was shown in schools throughout the US, introducing children to topics ranging from sexism and racism, to bullying and disability. Upon completing a ground-breaking LGBTQIA+ episode, the connection already forged with DeMerit led to Watford FC premiering the film in the UK to their fan groups and media. It was to be the start of a relationship which five years later, has taken on a new dimension.
In spring 2024, two young Latina women travelled from Los Angeles to Hertfordshire to participate in a life-changing opportunity. Facilitated by former Watford and Wales striker Helen Ward, now Watford’s Head of Women’s Football, they joined in training and coaching sessions under the watchful eye of Head Coach Damon Lathrope*, with the aim of taking the knowledge gained on their visit back to their communities in LA. A video was created of their journey: https://vimeo.com/946428580/61c9263820
In January 2025, Nayelli Barahona and Luzeleno Erazo will be joined by four other young Latina women who will fly to England to participate in a bespoke coaching programme organised through the partnership. Providing access and opportunity to foster sustainable change in the future.
In addition to the coaching programme, the partnership already saw an exciting reveal on Saturday, with guests at Vicarage Road introduced to a new mascot. Designed in LA, the mascot will become the first ever dedicated to Watford FC Women, and as of the 2025/26 season, will be ‘physically’ on-site for every Golden Girls home game, as part of new plans to engage football fans, both young and old alike.
Shorter-term, young fans of the club, as well as children from Watford’s local schools and football community are being invited to enter a competition to name the new mascot, with the name set to be revealed in January 2025.
The Sound of Gol foundation will also be represented on the Watford FC Women Board. Three individuals with a combination of Commercial, Communications and Content backgrounds in the sport will bring their skills and experience in an advisory capacity, as the club seeks to regain its position in the upper echelons of English women’s football.
George Valencia – Sound of Gol said: “In the US there is something called ‘athletic red zoning.’ You don’t cross your line. When we brought Nayelli and Luzelena to England, they were 20 years old, didn’t have a passport and had never left the country. This partnership with Watford gave them an opportunity they otherwise would never have had.”
“College recruitment is concentrated on a restricted number of leagues and try-outs are often restricted to those who have the social-economic status to be able to buy plane tickets and hotels. Long-term, we want to see a new system which can be scaled throughout the United States.”
“We want to inspire our community. We want more people who look and sounds like us to get involved in the sport. There are no Latina women on the US Women’s National Team.”
“One day in the future, maybe one of the Latina coaches we bring to Watford from LA will develop a talented player who will go to represent Watford. That really would be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
Judy Reyes – Sound of Gol, said: “Everything we are and what we do as adults is inspired by someone in our community who blazed a trail for us to follow. With this partnership with Watford Women, we want to expand our work and use football to create opportunity for
women of colour.”
“Lots of Americans are investing in European football clubs. George and I through Sound of Gol want to go beyond money and sport. We want to drive awareness of social issues, improve access to sport for people from our community, and create a cross-cultural awareness of issues that face young women on both sides of the Atlantic.”
“In the US we have big issues with LGBTQ rights and next month we may have a woman of colour as the new President of the country. This is a big moment in history.”
Helen Ward – Head of Women’s Football, Watford FC, commented: “It was a summer of change at the club after we were relegated from the Women’s Championship. We not lost only our status in the football pyramid, but it had an impact on our finances too.”
“I took on a new role and I’m very much ‘learning by doing.’ The women’s team have moved from the Trust to the football club. We have regular meetings, and the Commercial and Communications Directors sit on the Women’s Board. It’s the first time that the women have had a seat at the table, and we’re excited to explore new partnerships.”
“This partnership with Sound of Gol is about community. Everything that is important to us at Watford Women. I grew up down the road and Watford is home to me. We now want to develop our own story as a club – like through the new mascot – and get into more local schools. We want to grow the club and develop new partnerships, but only when those partnerships add value to the club.”
Jay DeMerit – former Watford captain added: “Watford is the original family club. When I come back from Vancouver, it’s like being
home. They took me in as a ‘green’ 22-year-old who arrived in England with just a rucksack, and they shared the culture of the game with me. The culture is what makes this game so special. It’s not just wins and losses, but it’s about showing up and being part of a community.
“There was no pathway for me into football when I was growing up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. So, I had to believe in myself and create my own journey. I know how hard it is to make it, and I went on to captain Watford and play at the World Cup. I want to use my experiences to support women to realise the same dreams that I lived.”
* Damon Lathrope is now the men’s team Assistant Coach. The current Watford FC Women Head Coach since the start of the current season, is Renée Hector.
