Harris Helps Grow The Game With Impactful Trip to Liberia
At the start of December, Orlando Pride Goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris traveled with U.S Women’s National Team Head Coach Jill Ellis to the nation of Liberia to visit the Monrovia Football Academy. Harris and her coach had some memorable moments as they worked with Monrovia Football Academy and the state of Liberia to promote women’s soccer and women’s rights.
On one of Harris’ first days in Liberia, she watched the training at Monrovia Football Academy with Madam Ellen Johnson, the President of Liberia and the first female president in Africa. After that, she spent some time talking with the children at the academy about the game of soccer and the valuable skills that it teaches you. Harris and Ellis were working with the children as both teachers and coaches.
Harris and Ellis traveled to Liberia to not only promote the growth of the game, but to help promote the empowerment of women and girls in Liberia. They were working with Monrovia Football Academy, the first school in Liberia to connect education and soccer. Ellis was named as a Monrovia Football Ambassador, creating the connection for possible future relations between U.S Soccer and Liberia.
You can see some of these moments in the Instagram posts from Harris below.
Harris’ trip was organized by the U.S Embassy, U.S Soccer, and Sports United, the Department of State’s division dedicated to sports. She said on Instagram that she hopes to return to Liberia soon.
