Our Story
Born in 2014 from the hearts and imaginations of a group of storytellers, The Sound of Gol Foundation came to life as a character in the animated series, LaGolda.
The series follows a football-obsessed eleven-year-old Colombian girl and her team of international orphans as they travel the world playing matches and shining a light on the issues that affect kids globally.
The Foundation was their fictional home, a place of purpose that gave them their missions and sent them out into the world.
Each episode of the animation was met with a live-action documentary, a reminder that the stories children tell can find their way into the real world. And so, not long after, the Sound of Gol itself crossed that same threshold, becoming a real California-based entity, grounded in the belief that the communities and children who need the most deserve nothing less than our full attention.
Football was the backdrop, but the series reached further, into conversations about racism, gender equality, hunger, autism, special needs and the many quiet struggles of everyday life. The series was told in both Spanish and English, accompanied by a classroom curriculum shaped by professional educators, so that the stories could live on long after the screen went dark.
To trace the journey of the Foundation would be to follow a thread without end, and perhaps that is exactly as it should be. For over twelve years, The Sound of Gol has carried us across places and communities in search of a deeper understanding of need. It is along that path that purpose continues to reveal itself, often in unexpected ways. The responsibility, then, is ours to recognize its call and respond in the ways we are best equipped to serve.
We have moved through many seasons, weathering change and finding our footing again and again. Football remains the heart of the movement, a sport that carries within it something timeless and true. But the deeper understanding has always been that the game is a doorway, not a destination. It is the reason we gather, the common language through which we exchange ideas, passions, and cultures, along with the quiet hope that we are not as far apart as the world sometimes suggests.
It has become inherently clear to us that The Sound of Gol Foundation, like LaGolda, was created to challenge the system.
Vision
A future where women and girls of color are fully represented on and off the pitch as players, coaches and leaders in every corner of women’s football.
Mission
To break barriers in football, unlocking access and creating opportunities for Latina players and coaches.
Expanding access. Building pathways. Redefining the game.
The Problem
Youth football in the United States is a $3–4B industry, where access is limited by income. Particularly for women who aspire to coach and play at the highest levels of the sport, money, not talent, determines opportunity.
Our Approach
We are a global nonprofit organization using the world’s game of football to break down systemic barriers and create real pathways for women and girls of color.
In a system defined by “pay-to-play,” talent is often overlooked. We work to change that—expanding access and removing financial roadblocks so that Latinas and other underserved communities can fully participate, compete, and grow within the game.
Beyond access, we provide real opportunity. Through inclusive programs, leadership development, and global partnerships, we equip women and girls to gain confidence, pursue higher levels of participation, and lead both on and off the pitch.
We believe that when women and girls are given the chance to thrive, they don’t just change their own futures—they transform their communities and help reshape the game itself.