Portland Community Football Club Named a 2026 Project Play Champion by Aspen Institute

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland Community Football Club (PCFC) has been named a 2026 Project Play Champion by Project Play, a national initiative of the Aspen Institute that recognizes organizations creating meaningful opportunities for youth through sports.

The recognition highlights PCFC’s “Getting Girls in the Game” initiative, which expands access and inclusion for girls in soccer, with a particular focus on Latina youth and historically marginalized communities across Oregon. According to Project Play, the program creates a supportive pathway from elementary through middle school soccer while emphasizing mentorship, belonging, and long-term participation in sports.

Project Play Champions are selected annually for taking innovative actions aligned with Project Play’s national framework for youth sports development, which promotes access, quality coaching, youth voice, and inclusive participation. The Champions network now includes more than 160 organizations nationwide.

We’ve been recognized for taking new, meaningful action to help build a youth-centered sports ecosystem where every kid has the opportunity to play and thrive.

“At PCFC, we believe every child deserves the opportunity to play, grow, and belong through sport,” said Jerika Ferguson, Interim Executive Director “Being recognized as a Project Play Champion affirms our commitment to building equitable pathways for girls and underserved youth in our community.”

PCFC’s “Getting Girls in the Game” initiative launched in 2025 with an all-girls third-grade team led by a female coach mentor. The program has since expanded to include middle school coed teams supported by female role models and mentors who help create positive, developmentally appropriate experiences for young athletes.

Project Play, the signature initiative of the Aspen Institute’s Sports & Society Program, works to help communities build healthy youth sports ecosystems through research, partnerships, and advocacy. Its “Sport for All, Play for Life” framework has influenced organizations nationwide seeking to make sports more accessible, affordable, and inclusive.

For more information about Project Play Champions, visit Project Play Champions.

For more information about Portland Community Football Club, visit [INSERT WEBSITE].

Media Contact:
info@pcfc.co
Portland Community Football Club