Defender Tierna Davidson Nominated by Gotham FC for 2026 Lauren Holiday Impact Award

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (April 28, 2026) - Gotham FC nominated club captain and defender Tierna Davidson for the 2026 Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide, recognizing an NWSL player for outstanding service and character off the pitch.

All 16 nominees were revealed by the league on Tuesday.

Davidson is working with Girls Leadership as her community partner, an organization that also is collaborating with her in the design and implementation of her new impact program, The Power Lab. Girls Leadership works to equip districts, schools, athletic programs and youth-serving organizations in the country and internationally with the resources and training to create environments where girls exercise the power of their voice and are inspired to lead.

Girls Leadership is a founding nonprofit partner of Davidson’s new ACL injury prevention program, The Power Lab, which she has constructed over the past nine months. Girls Leadership is co-designing and will co-facilitate advocacy-related content in upcoming workshops for girls and their parents. In addition to supporting Tierna’s program, they are also the nonprofit partner of Gotham FC’s Keep Her in the Game program, presented by Dove, which aims to combat the high adolescent drop off rate of girls in sport.

“I’m incredibly honored and excited to be Gotham FC’s nominee for the Lauren Holiday Impact Award. This recognition means a lot to me because it reflects work that is deeply personal and rooted in creating real change for the next generation,” said Davidson. “Partnering with Girls Leadership and continuing to build the Power Lab has been an opportunity to help bridge the gap between knowledge and access, and I’m honored to represent an organization committed to empowering young women on and off the pitch.”

After tearing her ACL twice and witnessing many teammates face similar injuries, Davidson recognized both the urgency of the adolescent ACL injury crisis and a critical gap, in which existing prevention research often fails to reach girls in accessible, empowering ways. As the only NWSL representative selected for the inaugural FIFA Impact Programme, she committed to extensive training in the impact space and leveraged her platform, lived experience and unique positioning to spotlight this disconnect – where research exists but implementation falls short.

Launching this spring, the Power Lab is a new initiative designed by experts in the ACL injury prevention space, including an orthopedic surgeon and leaders from U.S. Soccer’s Soccer Forward organization, to support the whole athlete, combining injury prevention with confidence-building and leadership development. Beginning with pilot sessions and expanding to national virtual workshops this fall, this first-of-its-kind program reflects Davidson’s commitment to creating lasting, scalable impact for the next generation of female athletes by translating knowledge into practical tools for girls, parents and coaches.

Along with her Power Lab initiative, Davidson is also on the Aspen Institute’s Project Play National ACL Injury Coalition to further promote ACL injury awareness and prevention, and is a public advocate LGBTQ+ representation, pay equity and human rights.

The Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide, was introduced in 2024 to honor Lauren Holiday, the two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA Women’s World Cup champion, National Soccer Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian ESPY Award. The award spotlights players who exemplify dedication and commitment to giving back in service of their local communities.

Of the 16 club nominees, one will be announced as the winner as part of the 2026 NWSL Awards, presented by AT&T, during Championship weekend. At that time, Nationwide will make a $50,000 donation to the charitable organization of the winner’s choice.The winner will be determined by a panel of judges that will include Holiday, NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman and representatives from Nationwide, NWSLPA and the Media Association.

Fans are also invited to show support for Davidson through the Fan Impact Challenge. The competition will be hosted on nwslsoccer.com from August 14-29. The nominee with the most fan engagement will be announced as winner of the Fan Impact Challenge and the charitable organization of that player’s choice will receive an additional $10,000 donation from Nationwide.

For the second year, the Fan Impact Challenge includes an added sweepstakes. One fan, randomly chosen from those who voted for the winning nominee, will receive a jersey from the team of their choice.

For more information on Davidson and the Lauren Holiday Impact Award, click here.