Meet Coach Danielle Leone, Micro Soccer Director at Girls Unite soccer club in San Francisco. She’s the mastermind behind the Weee Kickin’ It program for 3-5-year-olds and teaches beginner goalkeeping with a style that blends storytelling, poetry, and even dance. Known as Coach Dani, she’s touched the lives of hundreds of young soccer players in the Bay Area, and her journey into coaching is as unique as she is.
“I’ve done a lot of exciting things in life, but nothing lights me up like coaching 3-8-year-old soccer,”
Coach Dani’s story is one of resilience and authenticity. As an openly proud trans queer woman, she has journeyed through many roles in life—writer, musician, nanny—before finding her passion for coaching. “When I started coaching, at 50, I had no idea what I was doing, soccer-wise. I had some performance chops, a lot of energy, and voice, and I knew from nannying how to engage kids and play with them. Turns out, that’s a lot!”
Now in her 60s, she continues to play soccer 2-3 times a week, often with people a fraction of her age. “For my 60th birthday, I played 6 hours of soccer, and I like to say I’m training for 7 at 70!”
Coach Dani proudly leans into her identity, wearing her Protect Trans Kids T-shirt, rainbow shoelaces, and a She/Her hat. “Kids sometimes ask me why I wear two different shoelaces, and I say, ‘Because I think it’s cool to be different.’ And leave it at that.”
Her teams finish every practice and game with a powerful chant: “Progress!” “For the kids, it means we got better at soccer today than we were yesterday. For me, it means that, and then some. It’s a prayer to all the parents and any adults anywhere who can hear us. The prayer says, please, get over your mean old hangups and do what time does, and kids do, so well: just click forward. On three: Progress!”
What is Play For Pride Week?
Play For Pride Week is an initiative by United Soccer Coaches that celebrates diversity and inclusion in soccer, encouraging teams and players to use their platforms to support the LGBTQ+ community. This annual event brings clubs, coaches, and players together to raise awareness, show solidarity, and foster a culture of acceptance in sports.
Through activities, fundraising efforts, and public displays of support, participants can demonstrate their commitment to making soccer a safe and welcoming environment for everyone, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. From rainbow-themed gear to organizing inclusive soccer events, the week is a chance for the soccer community to come together and play with pride.
Let’s celebrate Coach Dani and all the incredible people fostering inclusion and love for the game this Play For Pride Week!
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