Diversity Equity & Inclusion

Ballard FC was founded by our community and for the community. We are motivated to deliver the best possible experience for our fans, staff, and players alike.

In that spirit we fully believe in the importance of cultivating and maintaining a club culture that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. We see these factors as not only important to our club culture, but also vital to our success on and off the pitch as an organization.

Diversity – We recognize that everyone has different experiences, backgrounds, and needs. We further believe that embracing these differences makes us a stronger and more agile team that best reflects a unified community that we’re so proud to represent.

Equity – We understand that not all have been provided with the same resources and opportunities. We are committed to closing that disparity and providing equal means to all. 

Inclusion – We welcome all walks of life to feel comfortable with who they are and how they express that. We create a safe space by removing barriers to ensure that everyone feels a sense of belonging, particularly traditionally marginalized groups (such as BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals). 

Ballard FC is hard at work to consistently improve and amplify this culture. Here are some things we’re actively doing:

• We are members of Common Goal and have been selected for the 2024 cohort of Play Proud, a grassroots movement to foster better LGBTQ+ inclusion. We are spending 100 hours in dedicated training this year with leading industry professionals and clubs around the country to learn about issues facing the LGBTQ+ community and foster better inclusive practices.
• We partner with numerous local grassroots organizations in Seattle who further this work, including, but not limited to: Rain City Soccer Club, America SCORES Seattle, WA Youth Soccer, and Family First Community Center in Renton.
• We host an annual Pride Night match, which features as a match theme and fundraiser for local LGBTQ+ non-profits.
• We maintain our independent non-profit, the Ballard FC Foundation, which provides free camps and clinics for underserved youth all across the region — year round. 

We also recognize that there will always be more to do to bolster our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts and we love hearing from our fans, who help to hold us accountable as an organization. You can contact us at hello@goballardfc.com with your own thoughts or recommendations.

Lastly, we also recognize that in this current climate in America, some of these terms can mean different things to different folks and language around these topics may change. We encourage you to do your part – as will we – to be familiar with what these words mean and how we can make a positive difference in our own community.

We’re confident in our approach to this work and in centering DEI in all that we do. We believe it’s a staple of the culture and our friendly and welcoming neighborhood, which we serve to lift up and propel forward as your community club.

Most of all, we hope you feel more welcome here now and to see you at a match soon!

In community,

Camden Francis, Sam Zisette, and Tiffany Mallick