How a soccer coach helps girls develop their confidence
Donna-Kay “Dkay” Henry is a former Division 1 athlete and Jamaican National Team player who spent nine years playing professionally across the U.S., Iceland, and Ireland.
We spoke to DKay about her journey and her project the She Can Confidence League:
Q: For those discovering you for the first time, can you share a short bio — who you are, what DKay Soccer is, and what inspired you to start the She Can Confidence League?
A: My name is Donna-Kay “Dkay” Henry. Today, I’m the Founder and Director of DKAY Henry Soccer, now operating as DKAY Henry Sports & Wellness.
Our mission is to build confident girls through sport who will grow into successful adults in our communities.
Growing up, I had a few female coaches who guided me at pivotal moments in my development. They didn’t just train me — they expanded what I saw for myself. The confidence they instilled in me changed how I carried myself on and off the field. Seeing women lead made leadership feel possible.
That experience shaped everything I’m building today.
The She Can Confidence League was created to combine high-level technical training with intentional identity development. It’s not just soccer. It’s leadership formation through sport.
Q: What problem were you trying to solve when you created the She Can Confidence League?
A: I was trying to solve the confidence gap in girls’ sports.
In traditional club programs, the focus is primarily technical and competitive. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) is rarely integrated intentionally. Girls are trained to perform — but not always supported in developing self-trust, communication skills, resilience, or leadership.
And unfortunately, many girls actually lose confidence at the club level. The pressure, comparison culture, and performance-only mindset can cause them to shrink instead of grow. We created She Can to combat that.
We intentionally integrate SEL into every session alongside technical training. Girls build skill and mindset simultaneously. They leave stronger in who they are — not just how they play.
Q: You speak a lot about confidence, how do you define it, and how do you intentionally build it through soccer?
A: Confidence is self-trust in action.
It’s the ability to take space, make decisions, recover from mistakes, communicate clearly, and continue forward under pressure. We build confidence through:
- Structured technical development (competence builds belief)
- Small-sided competitive play (decision-making under pressure)
- Weekly SEL themes (self-belief, leadership, owning your strengths, communication)
- Guided reflection at the end of every session
- Leadership opportunities within the league
We also plan to offer She Can year-round so girls are consistently building both their minds and their skills. Retention and continuous development are key. Confidence isn’t built in one season, it’s built over time.
Q: You’ve shared that one of your goals this year is to expand the She Can Confidence League. What does expansion look like for you, and why is this the right moment to grow?
A: Expansion means building infrastructure, access, and longevity.
In the short term, it means increasing the number of girls we serve across New York City and embedding the She Can model into schools and community programs.
Long term, it means expanding into new locations across New York and eventually other states — building this for the next 25 years.
We are also launching the DKay Henry Soccer Coaches Certificate, which includes both SEL and technical training. This allows Junior Coaches and current coaches to strengthen their teaching capabilities and align with our intentional confidence-building framework.
We are building a Junior Coach Pipeline where girls grow up in the league, gain leadership training, receive mentorship, and transition into coaching roles. This creates representation, work experience, and sustainability in the ecosystem.
We are currently seeking to raise $500,000 to fund the long-term sustainability of this program so we can keep it low-cost, accessible, and consistently high-quality.
With a team of 10 dedicated coaches and 3 administrative staff members, we are proud to take on this challenge and confident that we will succeed. We are not building this alone — we are building it as a structured, mission-driven organization.
The moment is now because women’s sports are gaining visibility, but grassroots systems must be strengthened to sustain that growth. If we build confident girls at ages 9–15, we strengthen the entire pipeline for decades.
Q: In your view, what is still missing in girls’ and women’s sports today?
A: Intentional representation and long-term leadership development at the grassroots level.
Our coaching team is 95% women and minority-led. Representation matters deeply. Many girls are coached primarily by men. While many male coaches are supportive, there can sometimes be a disconnect in lived experience and relatability.
When girls see women leading, teaching, competing, and building, it shifts what they believe is possible.
“If she can see it, she can be it” is not just our motto. it’s our structure.
What’s missing is consistent investment at the foundation level. We need more programs that are year-round, affordable, and focused on both identity and skill development — not just competition.
Q: What does it mean to you to make women’s sports impossible to ignore?
A: It means building excellence and infrastructure simultaneously. It means:
- Girls playing with confidence and technical precision
- Women leading programs and coaching at scale.
- Communities consistently showing up.
- Brands investing early.
- Young girls seeing clear pathways into leadership.
For us, making women’s sports impossible to ignore starts at the grassroots level — one confident girl at a time — and building systems that last.
We’re not just building a league. We’re building an ecosystem that develops confident girls into strong, successful women who positively impact their communities
Learn more about DKay and She Can Confidence League at dkayhenrysoccer.com. Follow her journey in Instagram @DkayHenrySoccer.
Know someone who also makes women's sports impossible to ignore? Nominate them here.
