My interest in football was sparked in primary school, watching the boys play on the field in the summertime. One day, my friends and I plucked up the courage to join in with the boys, we didn’t care what they thought, we just did it! The boys didn’t pass to us and completely ignored our presence, but this didn’t stop us. At that age we were so determined to prove ourselves, nothing could get in our way.
Playing at school, a competitiveness grew among me to prove myself. I joined the boy’s village team by myself at 7 years old. Continuously I was ignored, laughed at and was told I wasn’t as good as the boys. Despite being knocked down, I never gave up. All the hardships I faced from childhood instilled a boldness in me to prove myself to others. My love for the sport had grown immensely. It had now become a part of me.
Despite years passing, every primary school I attended failed to set up a girl’s team. I now fully understood that boys would always be favoured, and my only choice was to be a better footballer than them. Social conventions dictated that men owned football, and they were unwillingly to make room for women.
In my teenage years, girl’s village teams became more popular. Here, our coaches saw us for our abilities and wanted nothing more but to turn us into good players. However, no matter what we did to better ourselves, we were never good enough for the boy’s standards. It was in secondary school I saw that no matter how hard I tried, the boys would never accept us as a part of football.
As a female footballer I grew thick skin and decided men’s opinions of us doesn’t make me any less of a player. The exceptional standards set by professional female footballers have pioneered pathways for young girls to not only succeed but to feel they belong.
While women know they belong in football, there remains a lingering feeling that men continue to dominate the sport. Will women ever be granted the equality we deserve? Only time will tell.