From supporting education and social-inclusion initiatives (like FBB) and leagues such as the Girls Super League to providing equipment and safe spaces for amateur women and non-binary teams to play, Nike is safeguarding grassroots football. In March, British world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith selected non-profit youth team Girls United to receive a CAF (Charities Aid Foundation) America grant as part of Nike’s Athlete Think Tank, commending the ‘amazing work [they do] for our community’.
All of the elite players on the shoot today stress the importance of grassroots football; reminiscing about discovering the sport in that carefree team environment, playing with boys first before breaking through when someone spotted their talent. It seems not much has changed when talking to the next generation: Bloomsbury Football player Ava Marie King, and Girls United FA’s Mia Hill, Mabel Luxford and Anna Harder. ‘I went to watch England and Germany at Wembley [in 2019] – the record attendance – and it was a good atmosphere,’ says under-12 goalkeeper Hill. ‘I was the only girl that chose football in PE.’
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