Angel City Football Club Scores a Win for Disability Inclusion

When the Angel City Football Club (ACFC) faced off against the Gotham FC, Easterseals SoCal (ESSC) was front and center for a special night highlighting disability inclusion at BMO Stadium, with more than 100 ESSC partners and team members in the stands!

An Official Accessibility Inclusion Partner of ESSC, the Los Angeles-based, top-tier, professional women’s soccer team is not only helping to make game day more accessible for everyone but is also shining a light on an important issue: Autism can present differently in girls than in boys, sometimes making it harder to recognize and potentially delaying diagnosis and access to services.

A Day of Fun and a Dream Come True!

The celebration kicked off with an afternoon Fan Fest and continued throughout the evening game, with Easterseals signage featured throughout the stadium and its Every1 With Autism Belongs PSA playing on the jumbo screens.

But it was an extra special day for one young ACFC fan! During halftime, the team unveiled a special PSA highlighting diversity and inclusion, featuring Angel City defender/midfielder Nealy Martin and Ava, 12, who is also featured in ESSC’s Every1 With Autism Belongs PSA.

Ava was diagnosed with autism when she was 10 years old and has received autism services from ESSC in the past. A former soccer player herself and a big ACFC fan, she was thrilled to meet Martin and be featured.

“It was so much fun,” said Ava’s mom, Cassandra Cando, “and such a cool experience to see Ava on the jumbotron and to watch the game. It’s a beautiful stadium, none of the seats are bad and the fan base is nice too. Ava had such a great time!

“But she gave me rules ahead of time,” Cando laughed. “I wasn’t allowed to scream or point at her and say, ‘That’s her!’”

Cando also remembered how much fun they had filming the PSA this summer during a visit to the team’s state-of-the-art practice facility. “It was so much fun watching them practice, with drones flying overhead. Nealy and the entire team were so sweet.”

Soccer, Inclusion and Community Come Together

The fun continued with an ESSC sensory pop-up tent featuring an ACFC and ESSC-themed coloring activity, a friendship bracelet activity (like Ava and Nealy in the PSA) and a regulation station, giving fans a welcoming space to engage and recharge.

“More than 525 families visited ESSC’s sensory pop-up tent,” said Dr. Paula Pompa Craven, Chief Clinical Office, Autism Services, “and the response was extremely positive. Families thanked us for including everyone. Some came across us just as they were looking for a place to recharge.”

Nearby, an ESSC information tent also provided families with information about Easterseals services and offered a co-branded giveaway.

The Fan Fest also featured a panel on inclusion with Angel City alumni players Ali Riley, Cari Roccaro, and Merritt Mathias, giving fans another opportunity to connect with the team and celebrate the power of sports to bring people together.

A Win-Win for Disability Inclusion

“Our partnership with Angel City Football Club is grounded in a shared commitment to accessibility and inclusion,” said Nancy Weintraub, Chief Advancement Officer, ESSC. “Together, we’re working to make matchdays more welcoming for all fans.” 

“From sensory-friendly supports and ASL interpretation to clearer accessibility information throughout the fan experience,” she continued. “It’s been a terrific collaboration and we’re excited about what we can accomplish together to help ensure everyone feels like they belong.”

Sounds like a win-win for disability inclusion to us!

For more information, visit Easterseals Autism Services.