On International Day of the Girl we are celebrating the 245 girls in London who have been given the opportunity to play football at school thanks to the Love the Game programme launched by nonprofit Girls United and Nike earlier this year. Girls United’s latest campaign shares the stories of the trailblazing girls who are transforming the way we perceive sport.
Love the Game is breaking down cultural and socio-economic barriers for girls, coaches and teachers, giving them access to sport in an open and equal way, something that many might never have experienced before. Since April this year, the programme has seen girls build their confidence through 140 weekly sessions, game days and active workshops. At schools like Henry Fawcett Primary (in Lambeth), after participating in Love the Game, some of the girls have built up enough confidence to now showcase their skills in their school’s mixed football team.
10 year old Kiara from Edmund Waller Primary School shared, “My favourite thing about Love the Game is tackling, practicing kick-ups and playing games because it makes me feel really happy and it makes me get more exercise. As I started playing football I started to develop skills and I felt confident. I was a bit shy to play football because I thought I’d get teased [by people] saying I don’t know how to play football. I feel really confident now.”
Romina Calatayud, Girls United Founder and CEO, said: “Love the Game is designed to increase representation of girls from all backgrounds in football. We have seen the girls discover their love for sport and take the space they deserve so that they can create healthy habits for life, school and beyond. We want to continue growing our impact until girls and boys alike feel that they are made to play.”
The programme's main focus is building environments where girls can fall in love with sport by experiencing coaching that allows them to develop their skills and be themselves on and off the pitch. Through girls-only sessions to build confidence levels and overcome initial barriers, through to active workshops for 180 boys and girls, the programme uses a multi-faceted approach to break down gender stereotypes and build visibility around female athlete role models.
“International Day of the Girl is a time for us to elevate girls’ voices and our collective efforts to expand their opportunities to access and benefit from play and sport,” shared Sarah Hannah Nike VP London. “That’s what makes our partnership with Girls United so critical. Together, we’re working to create a more equitable future by helping girls break barriers and develop a lifelong love for sport.”
Abigail Ingram, London Manager at Girls United, says “Love the Game provides an opportunity for the sport to become part of the girls’ lives and something they want to continue with, instead of trying to convince them to take it up at a later age. Being able to offer a sport to males and females on par with each other at school is fundamental as a society in order to make it equal for everyone to enjoy football as much as we do at Girls United.”
Girls United and Nike are continuing their partnership and have just started a new term of 12 free weekly football sessions for girls, with 4 more to come throughout the year. The programme is also currently recruiting more female coaches and coaches from ethnically diverse communities and hosting professional development courses to support teachers in building inclusive, nurturing environments and aid girls in their on and off-pitch development.
“I like playing football because it makes me happy. Football has helped me improve my confidence because I used to be shy when I used to play with my brother and always lose. But now since I’m doing girls’ football club I think I’m actually getting better - I know what I’m doing!”, says Grace, 10 years old, from Henry Fawcett Primary School.
To find out more about the Girls United mission and to be part of their impact, visit girlsunitedfa.org/global-members.