GETTYSBURG, Pa. — From a young age, Noel Brown forged her own path.
"We didn't have a girls' soccer team," she said. "So I actually had to play on the boys' team."
She went on to play Division I soccer and has now coached for more than two decades.
"I definitely resonate with the fact that women's sports aren't always given a fair shot and the opportunities they should be," said Brown. "But there's always a way."
While she works with college-level athletes, she knows firsthand how important it is to mentor young women in the sport. So twice a week, she works with the Gettysburg Youth Soccer Club.
"They start here in our program at the age of 8," explained Brown. "Our goal is to train and develop them all the way up until they graduate."
10-year-olds Nora St. Clair and McKenna Spokus have been playing for several years. And they know how vital it is to work together.
"Helping out your teammates to score, it's not all about them scoring," said St. Clair. "It's about the whole team."
"It's just a really fun sport to connect with other players," said Spokus.
When they aren't playing out on the field, the girls are getting in on some FIFA Women's World Cup action.
"It's a good example for them to get out there and see high-level soccer players," said Brown. "The United States has done a great job marketing women's soccer. So these girls know Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Sophia Smith is the new hot name. So these girls are excited for it and know all about it."
And those strong women competing on the big stage have become their role models.
"I think it's really inspiring and helps me to keep going in soccer," said Spokus.
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