Common Goal and E-Motion Expand Create the Space

Common Goal and E-Motion Expand Initiative with Backing from Oak Foundation and FOX Sports

In response to a growing crisis of care, Common Goal and E-Motion are teaming up for the next phase of Create the Space – a mental and emotional health initiative designed to transform teams and organizations into communities of care.  

Over the next three years, Create the Space will bring accessible tools and strategies directly to organizational leaders and program practitioners working in vulnerable communities across North America and the Caribbean. 

With multi-year support from Oak Foundation, and with continued backing from Create the Space founding partners FOX Sports and its parent company Fox Corporation, the new phase kicked-off with the launch of an Organizational Leaders Cohort that brought together ten soccer for good organizations from the Common Goal Community to learn, share experiences and embed practical systems of care within their teams and communities. These organizations work across Canada, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico and the United States of America.  

The initiative reflects a clear point of view: while clinical mental health services remain essential, the systems around young people every day – teams, schools and communities – must also become spaces that actively support wellbeing.  

Through the ten-week programme, organizational leaders took part in a blended learning experience combining digital learning, facilitated workshops and small-group coaching.  

The cohort was built around E-Motion’s grief-conscious and movement-based methodology, supporting leaders to integrate coping practices and relational approaches into their daily environments. The goal was for football for good organizations to identify opportunities to strengthen their work through access to resources, tools and knowledge— helping them transform trusted teams and organizational spaces into more intentional communities of care, where young people, coaches and staff feel supported both on and off the pitch. 

Together, these leaders have already increased their knowledge and readiness to embed care into their work. 

100% of cohort members feel ready to respond to loss with care rather than urgency to fix 

64% of cohort members increased their readiness to respond to community hardship 

71% of cohort members feel more equipped to support coaches and staff in navigating mental and emotional wellbeing 

The initiative is taking these steps against the backdrop of a nationwide shortage of mental health professionals across the United States, including just one school counselor for every 376 public school students. Across the Common Goal Community, organizations had consistently reported rising mental health needs among the young people they serve, and 73% of school counselors say student mental health is the top demand on their time.  

“The vastness of the mental health crisis we are facing requires us to not only look to healthcare systems for solutions,” said Common Goal Chief Executive Officer Mary Connor.  

“Teams have so many of the right ingredients to increase protective factors for mental health while also supporting coping and resilience in the face of challenges. This program invites organizations to integrate care practices at every level – on the pitch, on the sidelines and in their organization – to literally create the space for mental and emotional wellness. 

This approach recognises that many communities today are carrying layers of collective grief – shaped by structural inequities, displacement, violence, the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing global crises. Through sport, Create the Space aims to equip organizations with practices that help individuals and communities process loss, strengthen connection and build resilience together. 

In 2023, FOX Sports embedded stories of mental health and inclusion into its World Cup coverage, furthering its commitment as the first and only national FIFA World Cupä broadcaster to take Common Goal’s 1% pledge and dedicate a portion of its World Cup airtime to advancing the Common Goal mission. The award-winning collaboration with the U.S. Women’s National Team sent a powerful message: vulnerability is a sign of strength, not weakness. Since then, the partnership has supported efforts to move the conversation from awareness to action.  

Naomi Girma

Vivianne Miedema

Jessie Fleming

“With Create the Space, I hope soccer can continue becoming a more inclusive, empathetic and supportive space. I think the game already has that power, but it’s about asking how we can help even one young person feel safer, seen or supported. Because of how much time players spend with teammates and coaches, soccer can have a real impact — especially for young people who may not have that support elsewhere,” said USWNT defender Naomi Girma. 

Athletes continue to play an important role in the initiative. As part of this next chapter of Create the Space, an audio series featuring athletes who have been vocal advocates for mental health in football and deeply connected to the topic through their own experiences was developed. Contributors including women’s soccer players Girma, Becky Sauerbrunn, Jessie Fleming, Meghan Klingenberg, Vivianne Miedema, Jasmyne Spencer, Ann Cook and FOX Sports soccer analyst and former U.S. Men’s National Team player Stu Holden have shared personal reflections and experiences related to mental health to help engage staff, coaches and young people around key topics explored throughout the cohort. 

“At its best, soccer already holds so much of what we need to take care of ourselves and each other. Our partnership with Common Goal gave us the opportunity to elevate athlete voices that are honest, deeply human, and willing to speak to the parts of life we don’t talk about enough. As the world gathers around the game, we hope this series becomes a source of steadiness and connection for anyone who needs the reminder that they are not alone,” said Myra Sack, Founder & Executive Director at E-motion.   

Their voices help bridge the professional and grassroots levels of the game, reinforcing that care, vulnerability and leadership are shared responsibilities across the sport.

“FOX Sports is proud to deepen its support of Create the Space and the meaningful work Common Goal and E-Motion are doing to advance mental and emotional wellbeing through the power of sport,” said Terri Hines, Executive Vice President, FOX Sports. “This next phase reflects a shared belief that the game can be a catalyst for care, connection and lasting impact beyond the pitch.” 

The initiative demonstrates how soccer for good organizations can evolve into recognized hubs for mental health support, influencing wider practices across youth and community sports. While soccer inherently fosters wellbeing through movement, mentorship, and joy, true psychological safety must be intentionally modelled and embedded. 

Create the Space is designed to make these practices visible and replicable across the industry. By uniting philanthropy, media leadership, and grassroots expertise, this collective approach shows what is possible when every level of the sport—from broadcast studios to community pitches—moves as one to prioritize mental health. 

Learn more about the participating Common Goal Community organizations:  

Football for Her	Football for the World
GOALS Haiti	Más Sueños AC
Open Field	Project GOAL
Rêves Passion Montréal	Safe-Hub Philadelphia (AMANDLA)
Street Soccer USA Los Angeles	Urban Initiatives