Jamie Weston, who was previously the senior vice president of marketing for the National Football League, was recently named the first commissioner of Major League Volleyball.
“[Imagine] the run club idea, the book club idea, the dinner club idea,” said Weston, one of the Day Ones. “It’s around football and it’s around coming together with great women, but football is the center of it, which I don’t see existing anywhere else.
“That, to me, is what makes it so cool, it’s focused on football and women,” Weston added.
The Chargers Social Club will be centered around three pillars: connection, culture and contribution.
“We really wanted to bring women together, share the culture that surrounds football — especially the culture that women are a part of and have been leading for a while — and then also we want to contribute to the future of the game, which for us in this group, means supporting girls flag football,” Birdsall said.
The connection aspect of the Chargers Social Club is simple: meet up with like-minded individuals with a goal of creating strong friendships and bonds.
“We’ve got a really great group of women that work at the Chargers who have had many ideas,” Bell said. “Now it’s actually taking the time and pushing ourselves to bring more like-minded people together and share our experiences with other women in the area.”
Angela LaChica, a Day One who is the Founder & CEO of the LaChica Sports & Entertainment Group, said the club’s mission is “to use a huge platform to elevate women in the sports industry and give back to the community in such a meaningful way.”
Football culture, of course, will be at the center of the club.
Those within the Bolts are hoping to plan a road trip to an away game while also hosting tailgates at SoFi Stadium for home games.
Florence said the chance to grow the game of football to a growing audience was met head on by the Chargers organization.
“We’ve had this support from ownership to all of our executives, it’s really just creating a safe space for women to feel like they are a part of the game,” Florence said. “On the field, it’s men. But we want to create our own traditions and our own moments and our own memories.”
Nichelle Hines, an actress and fitness coach who is also a Day One, noted the club is for all no matter what their knowledge of the game is.
“I think one of the things that makes it special is it’s coming out of a particularly male-dominated sport, a male-dominated situation, but also that they’re seeing a group of women that are simply here to help each other and give back, navigating these waters,” Hines said. “But the core of who we are is helping each other and find a way to become the best versions of ourselves not through competition, but through community.”
As for the contribution pillar of the club, that is primarily rooted in girls flag football, which was sanctioned by the California Interscholastic Federation in 2023 and is among the fastest growing sports in the entire state.
The team currently sponsors the “Conquer Chargers” girl’s club and hosts major tournaments such as the “Girls’ Flag Invitational,” with more room for growth on the horizon.
“These girls playing flag football right now are trailblazers. Some of them have established their programs at their school, some of them helped us get it sanctioned throughout the state. We want to help them build this sport,” Birdsall said.
The Chargers Social Club is still in its infancy, but it’s easy to see why the possibilities are endless.
“The thing that’s most exciting for me is what this can become. This started as conversations back and forth … and then it grew into this platform,” Bell said.
“I’m just excited about where it can go,” Bell added. “We hope we’re going to meet new friends and build new communities.”
Florence added: “The vision, the ultimate goal, is to create something that really transcends sports and brings women together.”