The Importance of Role Models in Girls’ Football
At Alliance Girls’ Football Club we continue to reiterate just how important it is for young girls to have football role models – women who have made a career out of the game, and those who encourage and inspire our players – and, for us, this starts with our team of incredible female football coaches. Let’s take a closer look at why role models in girls’ football are important, and how the industry needs to encourage this…
Having a competent female coach can be beneficial for girls football development.
Every young male footballer all over the world, with a dream of becoming a professional player, has someone they look up to and aspire to be like. Typically, these players are globally well known; Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Mohamed Salah and so on. When you ask your older brothers, fathers, or even grandparents, they will also have a male footballer that they looked up to when they were younger, Diego Maradona, Pele, David Beckham, to name just a few. This SHOULD be the same for young girls, regardless of their gender. They should have the opportunity to look and see professional female footballers, on social media platforms, on TV, and in stadiums all over the world. But unfortunately, when young girls get asked who their role models are, their answers aren’t usually female footballers, they are male footballers. When their older sisters, mothers and grandparents get asked, they too produce male professional footballers as people they know and recognise in the footballing world.
So, why is this?
Women’s football is many years away from being as big as the men's game, with many believing it won’t ever grow as big. However, there has to be some appreciation towards the level of growth that has occurred in the last decade. There are now numerous professional leagues, with full-time professional athletes, professional girl’s academies, and international tournaments that mirror the men's game. Whilst many will be able to name some of the legends of the women's game over the last decade, like Kelly Smith, Abby Wambach and Marta, many still won’t. The new generation of famous female footballers include the likes of Lucy Bronze, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan who are leading the way in generating popularity and global support for the women's game. These are sponsored athletes, by HUGE brands like Adidas and Nike, who play in full-time professional leagues at well recognised clubs like Manchester City, and also represent their countries on the global stage at World Cups, Olympic Games and European finals.
A female coach who has been there and done that, can connect with girls and influence their development both as a player and a person.
Whilst female role models are vital in encouraging young girls to pursue their dreams in football, males too can play a positive role in supporting and motivating females. When men are open-minded, and welcoming of females in such a male dominated sport, this shows other males how to be equal and inclusive. The more males that support females, encourages other men who may not be so open-minded or welcoming to the idea, to follow in their footsteps. At the end of the day, we all know it will take a very long time for the female game to catch up to the men's game, so if men can be more accepting and helpful in supporting the progression of the female game, then the rate at which growth will happen, will be much quicker. Alliance FC’s very own head coach and founder, Mehran Rowshan, is one such ally, progressive and staunch supporter of helping to grow Girls’ Football, but, more importantly, to instil confidence and self-belief in young girls that they can truly pursue the game and succeed.
Without such role models leading the way for the women's game, young girls wouldn’t have anyone to look up to. Here at Alliance Football Club Dubai, we recognise the importance of having role models, and females at the forefront of everything we do within the girl’s department. We have UEFA-qualified female coaches, full-time staff who are female, and part-time female coaches who have all played football to the highest standard in their home countries. We even have a UAE national team player – how inspiring is that? Sharing their stories and experiences with our girls at Alliance, positively influences them in ways which men cannot. They create a foundation where our girls can see careers in football are possible for girls, they can relate to their experiences and hardships along the way, and most importantly, they get real life contact with females who have all been where they currently are. Our girls can ask questions, have regular discussions, and experience professional coaching by females. The more players we can positively influence to pursue their dreams and want a career in football or sport, shows the positive impact we have made on their lives, even in the smallest of ways. Showing them that anything is possible, and to be brave and resilient in a male-dominated world, gives young girls the foundations to have a positive career in anything they choose to do.
