Miss Kick FC: The Documentary by Girls Soccer Network

Over the summer, Girls Soccer Network went behind the scenes and got an up close and personal look at one woman’s journey in launching a new team in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL). From Ted Lasso to the super popular All or Nothing series to the plethora of soccer documentaries on Netflix, “soccer cinema” is hot and yet another example of how the game is expanding here in the U.S. and abroad.

Yet, there are barely any films, TV shows, or documentaries on how the game of soccer, or in this case, football, touches women. So we made one (watch it here). We felt it was important to document this and share the story of an inspired young women’s passion for the game and how she’s created a life for herself in and around it.

Here’s how it all happened.

Last winter, I had a call with Grace Vella, the 25-year-old founder of the English brand Miss Kick. Grace wanted to talk to me about a project she was about to embark on here in the U.S. She didn’t want to reveal too much then, but we made a plan to meet a few weeks later when she was to be coming to Los Angeles, where I run Girls Soccer Network.

At that point, I hadn’t gone out of my home/office to meet many people face to face. I was still cautious and in pandemic mode, but something told me I needed to do this. For years, our communities crisscrossed. Many of Girls Soccer Network’s most enthusiastic community members in the U.K. are fans or ambassadors of the Miss Kick brand. These girls, anywhere from 9-17, are what I call “baby influencers.” They are passionate about our communities and love to share what we do. They are, in my opinion, the lifeblood of our brand, and I am very aware that if I keep them entertained and feed them quality content, Girls Soccer Network will continue to thrive. I knew for Miss Kick, it had to be the same.

So, on a fine day in March, I shut my laptop and met face to face with a young woman whose love of the game is palpable, if not infectious. For those who don’t know Grace, she is a doe-eyed, sweet-cheeked operator. And I mean that in the best way. She is transparent with her plan, intentional in her actions, and, like all promising founders, has a way of making work sound life-changing and fun.

Grace explained that she wanted to grow Miss Kick here in the United States and had a unique and clever plan to do so; she was going to create her very own team here in So Cal, register it in WPSL, stack it with unbelievable talent, and get one of the top coaches in NCAA college football to coach it.

Right, I thought to myself, thinking that was a bit of a tall order. But when she told me that the coach, Scott Juniper, would join us at the end of our coffee, the caffeine suddenly made my ears perk up quite a bit. Scott is the head coach of the UC Irvine Women’s Soccer Team, one that I’ve kept an eye on as they made a terrific run in last year’s College Cup. She explained the team would be centered in Orange County and play at The Great Orange Park and mentioned some of the players they would sign. All they needed was a shirt-sleeve sponsor and someone who could help get the word out. When she told me the name would be “Miss Kick FC,” I just smiled.

When someone’s vision is clear, it’s easy to jump on board. I also knew immediately that I wanted to help tell the story of Miss Kick FC because, more than anything, it was proof of this giant momentum in the world of women’s football. Sure, there are sold-out stadiums and record-making broadcast media deals – all of that is huge and massively important, but perhaps the story of Miss Kick FC demonstrates this point just as well, if even on a micro level. The fact that a trendy U.K. brand wanted to connect itself to an amateur team to grow its presence here in the U.S. shows the sport’s power and meaning to young women in this country.

Miss Kick FC, the 8-minute documentary, is a snapshot of our time. It’s not a typical team follow documentary but rather shows how deeply influential the game is to Grace. Once a player herself, for Liverpool nonetheless, she could not get the game out of her system when her playing days ended. Instead of relying on nostalgia, she created a way to stay involved by filling a need. Grace saw the disparity of the game growing up, and wanted to be part of changing that.

In the 8-minute film, we hear from the players why they were so motivated to play for Miss Kick FC – because it’s a brand and a team with a purpose. This, to me, is a beautiful example of how soccer/football is stretching its tentacles into everyday life; it’s expanding into media and fashion and has a much bigger purpose than winning and losing.

We hope you’ll take a moment and watch Miss Kick FC, the documentary and share it with your friends. Click here to watch.

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