Unified Sports Development - Ladies Soccer is a youth-led initiative expanding inclusive sports opportunities for girls with intellectual disabilities by introducing netball and volleyball alongside football, helping female athletes in Cape Town build skills, confidence, and community.
Youth leaders Eltheo Maarman and Charl Julie were motivated by the lack of inclusive sports programs for girls in their province and the challenges young women face—including early pregnancy, drug use, and marginalization—believing sport could be a tool for lasting change.
With funding, the team expanded into new communities, trained local leaders, and launched inclusive teams for girls across three sports, using parks and public spaces when formal venues weren’t available and partnering with the community for support, meals, and logistics.
The project reached 178 youth (with and without ID), created two new Unified Sports Clubs, added two new Unified Schools, trained five youth leaders, and engaged nearly 100 Special Olympics athletes, all while building a stronger sense of trust and visibility in the community.
Eltheo and Charl are proud to have created alternatives to negative influences in their community and say they’ve learned how to manage teams, recruit schools, and organize meaningful competitions—lessons they plan to use to grow their league and fundraise for the future.