U.S. Soccer Goes Female-First: New All-Female National B License Course Launches in 2026
In a move with real potential to shift the coaching landscape, the United States Consortium of State Associations (USCSA) and Women and Girls in Soccer (WAGS) have unveiled an all-female U.S. Soccer National B License Course, targeted at youth coaches across the country.
This is more than a pro-female coaches announcement: this effort strengthens a visible pathway for more women in coaching to raise their license level, earning capacity and overall value.
In brief:
- To sign up for this special U.S. Soccer National B License course on the U.S. Soccer Learning Center — click here.
- Registration for the six-month course is now open and will remain open through November 14, 2025, and the course begins in January 2026 hosted by New Jersey Youth Soccer.
- The U.S. Soccer National B License is one of the highest tiers of the federation’s coaching education curriculum, designed to challenge and refine coaching skill, leadership, and tactical knowledge.
- What makes this initiative special is its all-female cohort, providing an opportunity for mentorship, and collaboration. U.S. Soccer has run Female B License courses in 7/22, 1/23, and 7/23 and it is important to support these initiatives.
- Critically, after completing the B License, graduating coaches can be reimbursed the $2,900 course fee by the Jill Ellis Scholarship Fund and course sponsors (WAGS / USCSA). Financial assistance for travel, lodging, and meal expenses may be partially covered through a travel stipend.
- Each of USCSA’s 16 member state associations is guaranteed at least one coach slot in this cohort. Applicants will be notified by December 8th if accepted, and coaches will have until December 22nd to complete registration.
“WAGS is privileged to sponsor our first-ever All-Female National B Course, advancing our mission to empower and support female coaches in their educational journey,” said Kerry Diederich, WAGS Executive Director. “We look forward to our collaboration with the USCSA and its 16 State Association members to provide this pathway to higher license for female coaches, ensuring their personal goals in soccer can be realized. Fulfilling this initiative also reflects the long-standing vision of our Chairwoman, Lula Bauer, who has long championed expanding access to the highest-level coaching education for women in the game.”
The Backdrop
WAGS: With more than 50 years of history, WAGS is one of the oldest organizations in the U.S. dedicated to advancing soccer opportunities for girls and women. It has already pioneered all-female courses (such as its National C License cohorts) and coach education paths.
USCSA: Launched in 2024, the Consortium is a network of state soccer associations aimed at aligning resources, scaling operations, and promoting growth. Today it comprises 16 US Youth Soccer state associations and claims representation over some 900,000 players.
Their collaboration is supported by U.S. Soccer’s “Growing the Girls Game” grant, under the Innovate to Grow initiative.
“As we continually work to enable coaches to acquire and further develop knowledge, and skills, we recognized the importance of empowering more female coaches to gain further coaching qualifications,” said Evan Dabby, USCSA President and CEO of New Jersey Youth Soccer. “Through this collaboration with Women and Girls in Soccer (WAGS), enabled by the significant support from US Soccer, our goal is to expand upon that ambition to create more opportunities for women in the sport.”
New Jersey Youth Soccer is a founding member of the United States Consortium of Soccer Associations, which was founded in early 2024 with a vision to create a highly functioning network of state associations focused on growing soccer participation.
New All-Female U.S. SOCCER National B License Course
The National B License Course runs for six months and follows a blended learning format. It includes two in-person meetings and, on average, one virtual meeting per week. The online portion features live webinars with guest speakers, individual meetings with assigned coach educators, and independent learning assignments. The in-person sessions emphasize small group activities and individualized field work.
To qualify, coaches must be at least 18 years of age, old a U.S. Soccer C license for at least one (1) year and have three (3) or more years of coaching experience (any level) plus have access to a team playing 11v11 (U13+) for the duration of the course. Additional qualifications may apply.
Reimbursement for the coaches course: In 2019, U.S. Soccer launched the Jill Ellis Scholarship Fund to empower and advance female coaches, together with the SheChampions Mentorship Program, presented by Volkswagen, to provide hands-on support to women navigating everyday challenges in the coaching industry. As you probably already know, Jill Elis is the former U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach and the 2x FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion Head Coach.
To learn more about the USCSA, visit Consortium Of Soccer Associations. Also make sure to follow our official LinkedIn page. Further, we encourage you to visit WAGS online and follow them on social media: @wagsinsoccer
WAGS is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Its mission is to provide opportunities to sponsor, develop, or provide educational and character-building programs for the benefit of girls and women through teaching and promoting an interest in the game of soccer. WAGS is on the web at www.womenandgirlsinsoccer.org. WAGS Tournament is on the web at www.wagstournament.com.
The United States Consortium of State Associations (USCSA) is a game-changer in the soccer ecosystem, currently representing 16 USYS State Associations and more than 900,000+ players. Working in collaboration with U.S. Soccer and US Youth Soccer, the USCSA’s mission is to maximize and unlock the true potential of state associations by creating a highly functioning network of state associations.
