Why Women's Pickup Soccer is Hard to Find in Chicago

Most pickup soccer in Chicago is male-dominated. We created a different solution.

The Problem:

  • Male-dominated spaces: Most pickup soccer is 80-90% men
  • Intimidating environments: Fast, aggressive play that excludes many women
  • No consistent women's options: Sporadic or seasonal programs only
  • Skill level barriers: "You must be this good to play" mentality
  • Location gaps: Nothing focused on South & West Side communities

Our Solution:

  • Women-only space: 100% women every Wednesday
  • All skill levels welcome: From never-played to competitive
  • Consistent year-round: Rain or shine, every Wednesday
  • Community-focused: South & West Side neighborhood organizing
  • Affordable access: Just $10 per game, equipment provided
  • Safe environment: Led by women, for women

This is Community Infrastructure, Not Just Sports

As a nonprofit organization, we're building long-term community organizing capacity through sports. Women's Wednesday is part of our broader neighborhood development work.

Learn About Our Community Organizing Mission →

See Our Women's Soccer Community in Action

From game day action to community celebrations - this is what women's pickup soccer in Chicago looks like

Women's pickup soccer game in action Chicago

Game Day Action

Every Wednesday evening

Chicago women's soccer community team photo

Strong Community

200+ women players

Women's soccer celebration Chicago community

Celebrating Together

Beyond just soccer

Ready to Join Chicago's Women's Soccer Community?

Find games, check schedules, and RSVP for Women's Wednesday on our Meetup page

View Women's Games on Meetup →

Community-Led Excellence

Our Women's Soccer program is volunteer-powered and neighbor-led, creating authentic community connections through sport

N

Nicole

Women's Program Co-Leader

Community volunteer dedicated to creating safe, welcoming soccer experiences for women across our neighborhoods.

N

Natalie

Women's Program Co-Leader

Passionate about building inclusive soccer communities where every woman feels empowered to play and grow.

Volunteer-Powered Programming

Our Women's Soccer program is built and led by community volunteers who believe in the power of neighbors supporting neighbors. Nicole and Natalie donate their time because they're passionate about creating spaces where women can thrive through soccer.

Community Growth Story

A message from our community leadership celebrating the success and evolution of Women's Wednesday

Hello, Women's Wednesday!

First and foremost

Thank you for coming out and kicking it with us. We are ecstatic about having you all join the Chicago Neighborhood Soccer community; this is for everyone! Everyone makes a difference, and the entire community is better for having you join it.

In these past 12 months, we have grown over 1,000 new members on meetup! Almost 20% of that has been women!

Special shout out to Community Leaders Shelby Ponder and Nicole Hack for working with us to make this happen

Building Something Sustainable

We plan on doing more for women's pickup soccer! To do that, we need to start charging enough to cover basic facility fees. We were happy to put a couple grand of our own money, and take that risk, to subsidize an opportunity for women to come out and play pickup soccer for the first two months.

Now that two months have passed, it's clear that this Women's Wednesday launch has been a great success!

We are excited to say Women's Pick-up soccer is here to stay.

Community-Driven Leadership

Our goal is to be community-driven. This means we want to include you, support you, and collaborate with you more.

Want to be an NBHD Community Leader? Everyone is invited to be a leader in our volunteer-powered community.

Sincerely,

Chicago Neighborhood Soccer Community Leadership Team

🎉 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Women's Tournament 2025

September 2025 • Chicago's First Annual Women's Pickup Soccer Tournament

🏆 Tournament Registration is Live!

Join Chicago's inaugural women's pickup soccer tournament this September. Showcase your skills, meet amazing players, and celebrate our incredible community!

📅 Tournament Date: September 2025

What Makes This Special:

  • First-ever dedicated women's tournament in Chicago
  • Built by and for our Women's Wednesday community
  • Multiple skill divisions for fair competition
  • Team formation support for individual players

Tournament Features:

  • Professional referees and field setup
  • Awards ceremony and team photos
  • Food trucks and community celebration
  • Safe, supportive competitive environment

This is Community Organizing in Action

Our tournament isn't just about competition - it's about building the kind of community infrastructure that makes neighborhoods stronger. When women have spaces to lead, organize, and celebrate together, entire communities benefit.

🏆 Women's Tournament 2025 Registration

Register now for Chicago's first annual women's pickup soccer tournament in September!

Tournament Registration Form

Join our competitive celebration of women's soccer in Chicago this September

📅 Tournament Date: September 2025 • 🏟️ Professional Setup • 🏆 Awards Ceremony

We'll send you tournament details and team information soon!

Join Our Weekly Women's Community

Register your interest for Women's Wednesday games and community updates

Women's Soccer Community Registration

This is a grassroots form - it will only be for us to reach out once to follow up with information if you want to subscribe. You will not be subscribed to anything by filling this out.

If nothing else, putting your name here is like signing a petition to help us show funders our community support. And if any huge updates come along, we'll email.

We'll contact you with game details and community updates!