Black Star shares details amid upcoming player showcase amid data proving power of Black soccer fandom

The GIST: Today, Black Star — ForSoccer’s media and events brand cultivating Black soccer culture — announced the player lineup and an exclusive capsule collection for the Allstate Next Wave National Showcase, the first national showcase displaying the skills of the top-ranked Black women soccer players in the U.S.

• Black Star’s event looks to cultivate a pipeline for young Black talent in the women’s game. Black soccer fans, especially young ones, are finding space on the pitch, something that sponsors and organizations can find ways to support.

The showcase: The event, which selected 28 rising Black women’s soccer stars, takes place from November 22-25 at Prairie View A&M, an HBCU in the Houston area. The showcase is backed by heavy-hitters in the space like Togethxr, Allstate, and the Black Women’s Player Collective (BWPC).

• The roster includes stars like Texas forward Avia Hughes and Puerto Rican Youth National Team player Jayla Walton, who are already receiving the all-star treatment. Domo Wells, the Washington Spirit’s creative director and designer behind the team’s sold-out Cherry Blossom capsule collection, designed a collection for this squad called ‘Growing The Game.’

The data: While soccer participation and fandom has been criticized for a lack of multicultural inclusion, that’s changing. According to Black Star, 28% of newcomer fans are Black (vs. 16% white).

• YouGov, meanwhile, found that 56% of Black soccer fans are between 18-34 years old, and 24% are just between the ages of 18-24, both figures higher than national averages. And this has an effect on who’s playing: The NWSL player pool is now 12% Black, up 3.8% from 2020.

A final thought: As we’ve reported before, more than 65% of Black soccer fans become more connected to the sport after seeing Black players flourish, and the impact could be profound in women’s soccer: Over 75% of Black soccer fans root for the USWNT while 50% cheer on the USMNT. Those looking to reach and impact these communities should invest in women’s sports.