Skip to main content

Creating inclusivity through leadership action

Orange flower

About

Play Proud is a leadership, network and coach-centred training programme developed by Common Goal. It aims to promote inclusion and safe spaces for  LGBTQ+ youth and adults, enabling them to be themselves on and off the pitch.

  • Create LGBTQ+ curricula and policies that can be used by organisation leaders and coaches to make programmes, organisations, and ultimately, communities more inclusive.
  • Build capacity of grassroots organisations to be able to incorporate the methodology into their programmes through training the first generation of Play Proud coaches.
  • Roll out a Play Proud Playbook to guide organisations’ facilitation of open and safe football programmes, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. 
  • Develop a strong network of Play Proud coaches who can exchange ideas and promote collaboration.

The programme focuses on empowering organisation leaders and sports coaches through activities covering leadership skills and tools, coaching inclusion methodologies, influencing change, and knowledge acquisition on discrimination towards LGBTQ+ communities. It equips participants with a Play Proud toolkit, empowering them to create inclusivity through leadership action.

Participants also design and implement local action learning projects designed to increase inclusivity and be a catalyst for concrete change.

  • 22 organisations engaged in 8 countries. 
  • 406,950 youth indirectly impacted by Play Proud programming. 
  • 100% completion rate.
  • 100% of participants feel they are more knowledgeable about gender identity and sexual orientation.
  • 100% of participants feel they are more knowledgeable about the challenges that the LGBTQ+ community face in sport.
Testimonials
See what our customers say about us
Julita Rudolf
Business Transformation Director Polska
Ringier Axel Springer Polska
"What I appreciate most about the 'What’s Next' journey is the time to reflect and learn from my peers. We’ve been guided through self-reflection, talked about the leadership that is needed now in dispersed groups, and discussed market changes. It has been a very powerful experience, especially now, when we all are facing new situations because of covid- 19."
Participant
Experian
“It was an amazing learning experience. I’m extremely grateful to be part of the programme. Thank you for believing me and giving me courage. I got more than I could imagine out of it and definitely not what I was expecting.”
Mads Ingholt
Manager, Group Leadership Development
Borealis
“We believe that to take on leadership is as much to embark upon a challenging personal development journey as it is a formal career step; a sine qua non in the development of leadership capabilities is therefore the individual’s hunger for personal challenge and development.”