A Mom, A Coach, A Changemaker with “Just One Soccer”

In the heart of Newark, New Jersey, Christina Andagana wears many hats: coach, mother, mentor, and community leader. Her journey in soccer began on the sidelines. When her daughter joined a recreational league at a young age, Christina quickly noticed a troubling pattern: girls, particularly girls of color, were often overlooked. She saw how much her daughter loved the game, but she also recognized how many girls did not receive the same level of attention and encouragement. This insight ignited a desire in Christina to change these experiences for her daughter. Christina didn’t have a competitive sports background, yet she found herself involved in coaching, determined to open doors for those young girls on the field. As a result, this desire led her to Just One Soccer, a program dedicated to teaching leadership, teamwork, and community through the sport. 

“For a really long time, I wanted to coach,” Christina explained, “but I second-guessed myself because I never played.”

That hesitation mirrors the experience of many women of color in sport, who historically face cultural and structural barriers to participation and leadership opportunities. Yet Christina persisted, driven by a belief that knowledge, empathy, and representation matter more than any coaching resume. Now, as an assistant coach in the Just One neighborhood program, she leads by example and empowers her players to have fun and be confident in their abilities. 

The power of representation is both symbolic and transformational. Christina understands firsthand how having a female coach shifts the dynamics for her players.

“Having a female on the field gives you a different perspective as a mom,” she shares.

Women coaches can better recognize when a girl is being too hard on herself or when she just needs someone to listen. That emotional awareness builds trust within her youth sports team, especially those girls who are still finding their voices in competitive spaces. 

Christina’s approach to coaching centers around the child. Through soccer, she teaches her athletes confidence, accountability, and empathy; values that connect with Positive Coaching Alliance’s mission to change the culture of youth sports, creating a more accessible and positive experience. Her guiding philosophy echoes Just One Soccer’s motto: “It just takes one person, one action.”  For Christina, that one action is showing up for her daughter, for her player, for their families, and for the next generation of girls and women leaders in sport.

Through PCA’s mini listening campaign in Northern New Jersey, we’ve had the privilege of meeting and learning from community leaders like Christina and programs like Just One Soccer. Their insights and experiences are helping guide conversations around cultural proficiency and gender equity in youth sports, and they highlight the important role women of color coaches play in creating more opportunities for girls to participate and thrive.

In Newark’s diverse neighborhoods, many families face various challenges, including limited resources and immigration-related stressors. Despite these adversities, community initiatives like Just One Soccer create pathways for hope and resilience. Through word of mouth, more girls are joining Christina’s team and staying to play. Her message to her athletes is one PCA proudly stands by: be the helping hand to others. She uses soccer as an opportunity to develop her players into future leaders in their community.

With support from PCA, Christina is part of a growing movement aimed at increasing the number of girls participating in youth sports. By empowering coaches like Christina, we have the potential to change lives. And this is just the beginning. As PCA continues engaging with communities across Northern New Jersey, we look forward to learning from leaders like Christina and supporting efforts that expand opportunities for women of color coaches. Stay tuned for more stories, insights, and ways to get involved in this growing movement.