The Dream Team

The GIST: Project 8 — the company founded by Canadian soccer star Diana Matheson to develop a domestic pro women’s soccer league in Canada — is officially ready for takeoff. Yesterday, Matheson unveiled the new name and branding for the six-team Northern Super League (NSL) with plans for an April 2025 kickoff. LFG.

The details: The NSL announced the launch of two additional clubs in Ottawa and Montreal, adding two teams in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Halifax. Each club is owned and operated by independent ownership groups, and the league itself will launch with four founding partners: Canadian Tire Corporation, DoorDash, CIBC, and Air Canada.

The format: The inaugural NSL season in 2025 will feature a 25-game regular season, followed by playoffs and a national championship. Similar to the PWHL, the NSL is stepping onto the pro scene with a salary cap structure and minimum salaries instead of building toward these elements like the NWSL did.

The name: The NSL was intentional about its name, likening the league to a “big bang” event that established a new “universe” for Canadian women’s soccer. Unlike the majority of pro women’s leagues, the NSL specifically omitted the word “women” from its name to put it on equal footing with men’s leagues. Additionally, the NSL colorway, font, and logo is inspired by the aurora borealis.

Zooming out: The NSL announcement adds to a long list of wins for Canadian women’s sports in the past year, from the launch of the PWHL to the announcement of a WNBA franchise in Toronto.

• And as recent data on Canadian women’s sports fans proves, this is the time and Canada is the place to start spending sports marketing dollars. From nothing will come everything.

The GIST: Last week, Nike hosted its first-ever Coach The Dream event at its world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. The goal was to highlight the impact of coaching on the next generation of athletes and discuss how the sports ecosystem can evolve to keep kids in the game through conscientious coaching, which could lessen the gender gap in youth sports. Put her in, coach.

The experience: Nike brought together athletes (including retired WNBA star Sylvia Fowles), coaches, nonprofit orgs, and journalists to address participation gaps in youth sports, especially when it comes to gender. Attendees experienced the benefits of Nike coaching firsthand from running global head coach Chris Bennett and master trainer Kirsty Godso.

• Plus, Nike Community Ambassadors — store employees trained to coach youth athletes in their communities — led a session on inclusive coaching practices. Leveling the playing field.

The context: Last October, data from Nike and Dove’s Body Confident Sport project showed teenage girls drop out of sport at twice the rate of boys, which is unfortunate considering the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF) has found that sports participation lowered girls’ levels of depression and anxiety.

• There’s also a gender gap in coaching at the youth level — of the 6.5M youth coaches in the U.S., only 26% are women, according to Nike’s director of social and community impact Matt Geschke.

The impact: Coaches are uniquely empowered to make a difference: 74% of respondents for the Body Confident Sport project said their coaches had a positive impact on body confidence. Nike VP chief impact officer Vanessa Garcia-Brito told The GIST it was helpful to learn that girls want their coaches to directly address issues that impact their body confidence.

• “They want that from them, they expect it from them, and when they don’t get it, that is demotivating as well,” she added.

Zooming out: Beyond providing clothing and equipment, Nike can leverage its roster of expert coaches to shape the global sporting pipeline. By addressing the gender gap in participation and coaching, Nike has a head start in creating the next generation of women athletes — ones that will be lifelong ambassadors of the “coolest” Gen Z brand. We stan.

Whether you’re gearing up for a game or prepping for a big boardroom meeting, a clear mind is key — just ask Kate Scott, the Philadelphia 76ers play-by-play announcer.

• The last thing Kate wants to worry about is her ’fit, which is why she partners with Armoire, the clothing rental service for hustling, bustling women.

• Ready to level up your fashion game with brands like Joie, Theory, and Paige? Use code THEGIST for up to 50% off your first monthly membership. Nothing but net.