Love City FC / Leadership Academy

Love City Leadership Academy

What the game
is for.

A three-day leadership program for high-school girls, trans and non-binary soccer players in Philadelphia, run by the women of Love City FC.

Free to attend

Our program

Leadership and social change through sport

The Love City Leadership Academy is a three-day program focused on leadership development and social transformation through sport. Participants hear from college athletes, coaches, nonprofit leaders and the professionals breaking barriers in the game.

Athletes leave as supported leaders, with the tools and new pathways to make an immediate, positive impact on their teams and in their communities. We especially hope to reach low-income families and athletes local to Philadelphia.

Apply Support the academy

WhoRising 9th–12th gradersGirls, trans and non-binary soccer players in Philadelphia, with any level of interest in the women’s game.
FormatThree days, in personCoaching, conversations and workshops, on and off the field.
Last cohortJune 24–26, 2026
CostFreeMeals and transportation included.
Follow@lovecityleadNews on the next cohort.

What’s included

High-level soccer coaching
Conversations with current athletes
Workshops with professionals in women’s sports
A pitchside training experience with Love City FC
Two meals a day
Transportation
A certificate of completion
The chance to apply for a scholarship to the Girls United International soccer camp in London

Our mission

More women leading the women’s game

Our mission is to address the shortage of non-male leaders, coaches and professionals in the women’s game, and to empower the next generation of leaders to use the power of sport to transform their communities.

Our programming focuses on women’s soccer, and we acknowledge that the gender binary in our sport is exclusionary: potential leaders get left behind when we aren’t explicit about including all marginalized genders. We aim to build a diverse cohort of leaders with new tools to fight for gender equity at every level of the sport.

Our coaches

Taught by the women of this club

Havana McElvaine

Founder · U23 head coach

Havana is passionate about grassroots soccer and giving athletes at every level the best possible experience. Coaching youth soccer in Philadelphia, she saw firsthand the gaps in programming for girls and gender-fluid kids, and built this academy to make sure the women’s game’s success reaches back into the communities it’s meant to serve. Havana played Division I soccer at the University of Washington and is head coach of Love City’s U23 reserves. She is also a community organizer and an aspiring law student.

Carly Noella Nájera

Coach · art educator

Carly is an art educator committed to equity and justice. She is a youth soccer coach, a board member and co-founder of the Girls’ Empowerment Group at Kensington Soccer Club. Through advocacy that uses sport and art for personal growth, she builds confidence and leadership in the young people she mentors across Philadelphia, Bucks and Montgomery counties.

Juelle Love

Coach · Love City FC player

A Philly native who played at Shipley and for Fairmount, Fishtown, Cherry Hill FC and PA Strikers, Juelle went on to earn a master’s in finance at Creighton, play professionally in Mexico, and travel the world with the Puerto Rico national team. She is dedicated to making soccer accessible in local communities and to raising the next generation of fearless leaders. Juelle is a member of Love City FC’s inaugural WPSL team.

Our partners

Built together

Host club

Love City FC

Philadelphia’s women’s soccer club, with a pathway from open recreational soccer to the WPSL, the national pre-professional third division. We use soccer to build club and community in this city.

Fiscal sponsor

PILR

A community-based support system for urban youth sports families, connecting them to trusted relationships, practical skills and essential resources so young athletes can thrive.

Program partner

Girls United Football Association

A women-founded and led grassroots nonprofit championing gender equality through football in schools, clubs and communities across the UK and Mexico.

Why you should donate

Help us put role models on the pitch

Philadelphia is a massive sports city that has yet to prioritize women’s sports, which leaves a real gap in role models for young players. The academy gives them time with experienced leaders from every part of the women’s game, and it reaches the athletes most often overlooked. Every dollar keeps it free.

Donate

What the gameis for.