Girls on Tour

MERSEYSIDE BUSINESSMAN TOM BAKER OFFERS FEMALE STUDENTS FOOTBALL EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME

219 Sports is giving UK students the chance to live the ultimate soccer experience in the United States.

An unforgettable eight-day Showcase Tour, in February 2026, will see female student athletes from across the UK travel to the USA to play against top college teams, receive elite coaching and train in some of the world’s most impressive sporting facilities.
The tour offers more than just matches. Players will go behind the scenes of world-class stadiums and training centres, network with American college coaches and experience life as a student-athlete in the United States. Off the pitch, the group will enjoy the best of the Sunshine State from world-famous beaches and theme parks to unique entertainment experiences.
Women’s soccer in the USA is at a totally different level compared to the UK. The sport is celebrated, not just played. The US Women’s National Team has lifted the World Cup four times, while its players are national icons with global endorsement deals and millions of social media followers.
College facilities across the US rival - and often surpass - professional football clubs in Europe. Athletes have access to state-of-the-art gyms, strength and conditioning suites and expert recovery support, all designed to maximize performance. Importantly, US colleges are legally required to provide equal scholarship funding for male and female athletes. This means more opportunities for female players in the States than are currently available in the UK, particularly in soccer where scholarships are plentiful.
“This is more than just a tour,” says Tom Baker, the Merseyside-born, Managing Director at Educational Consultants 219 Sports based in Texas. “It’s the first step in building a future. Players won’t just compete; they’ll showcase their talent in front of coaches, build their recruiting profiles and open doors to life-changing opportunities.
“The US soccer scene really is premier league, and beyond, with unprecedented opportunities for women, compared to what’s available in the UK. The US leads the world in investment in women’s soccer. The National Women’s Soccer League secured $240million in funding in 2023 alone, including a $53million media rights deal — the first standalone deal for a women’s league.”

219 Sports offers a service to help talented UK athletes, whatever their background, earn scholarships to study and play in the United States. It has 60 young athletes going on scholarships in 2025/26 and they even steer students through the visa process to enter the USA.

Tom said: “The US wants the very best athletes and the best academics to build a strong economy. 219 Sports have become an established and credible organisation working with leading universities across USE to help elite athletes to gain scholarships.”

• Women’s soccer player Abby Sheriff is one of 219 Sports success stories. Abby was placed on a scholarship in 2023 at Jones College in Mississippi and won the NJCAA National Championship in her first season.

About 219 Sports
Tom Baker, who was born in Liverpool and whose family still live in the City Region, founded 219 Sports in 2020 to change the way talented UK athletes earn scholarships in the United States. He wanted to offer a service that puts UK students first, not just an agency where they become a numbers game.

After four years of studying and playing soccer at the University of Charleston in West Virginia, Tom saw the size and scale of sporting environments in the US and how life-changing the opportunity can be. However, he also knew from his own personal experience that it lacked the vital ongoing support. Tom has picked out the good bits that other firms offer and added knowledge from his own experience to ensure that 219 Sports provides an unbeatable service.

So far, it has placed more than 200 student athletes across 30 plus American states, securing more than $5million worth of funding.

For more information on 219 Sports go to: www.219sports.co.uk
Tom Baker — tom.baker@219sports.co.uk

Media Contact: Paul Smith — paul@paulsmithassociates,co.uk

PAUL SMITH ASSOCIATES
13th October 2025