Why Girls in Football Matter: A Message from Natalie

My earliest memory of football is one that reinforced the idea that football was ‘for boys.’

Growing up, my older brother, who is four years ahead of me, absolutely loved football. It was his sport. Every weekend, I’d watch him play, with my dad coaching and my mum cheering him on.

Now, I am lucky to be close to my brother and I really looked up to him a lot, and still do. I remember thinking it was the coolest thing – that my brother could go and play football with all his mates, slide around the pitch, score goals, and celebrate like superstars. I remember thinking it was like all the boys on that team were famous, with all the parents there to watch and cheering on the sidelines. And as a little sister, I was so proud.

Even as I got older and stopped going to his matches, I still looked forward to my brother coming home, ‘smelling of football’ and asking all about it.

But to me, when I was younger, football was just something boys did. None of my girl friends or cousins played, and because of that, I never even tried it. I never had the opportunity to see if I liked football until much later at school when I was practically forced onto the team because I was good at it. But by then, the fun had been taken out of it, and I found it boring.

I often wonder – would I have felt differently if I had experienced the sport without pressure when I was younger? Would I have found more joy in football if I’d had the chance to play just for fun?

Team sports can offer so much to a child’s development. Of course, all sports have their benefits, but team sports add that extra layer of teaching teamwork, sportsmanship, confidence, and the power of friendships and connection. And because I never got into football, I didn’t take part in a team sport until I was in secondary school. That’s almost ten years of development I could have missed out on!

Football Fun Factory’s Ethos

Breaking down barriers to football and getting more children involved in the beautiful game is all it’s about at the Football Fun Factory.

We believe that every child, regardless of gender, age, or ability, should have the opportunity to fall in love with football, free from pressure, competition, or expectations. It’s about creating an inclusive environment where every child gets to play and have fun.

And the more girls that get involved, the more girls will get involved! Because when young girls see football as something for them, the game becomes what it should be – for everyone.

Find your nearest Football Fun Factory session to get your girl involved.