Dear Editor,
Growing up, I was told that football is a man's sport. I was told that women or girls who played football were considered 'tom boys' -- a term used to describe a female who does things a man would usually do.
On Saturday, October 31, I attended a Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Grassroots Festival for Girls, which was under the FIFA 'Live your Goals' Campaign. It was held at the Kirkvine Sports Club in Manchester.
The festival was geared towards exposing and encouraging young female football aspirants aged six to 12 years. More than half of the girls who were present expressed interest in being a part of the national female squad. And, why shouldn't they?!
We are now in the year 2015 and football is no longer just a man's sport. It is for anybody who has the patience, the drive and the willpower to want to learn the technical aspects and other critical components of the game. While most of the girls demonstrated natural God-given talent, others showed signs that they were willing to learn the game and to have fun doing so.
These girls showed passion and love for the game. From my experience on Saturday it is very important that we as a nation realise that football for women is just as important as it is for the opposite gender.
I encourage you young ladies, our future 'ballaz', live your goals. I would also like to congratulate FIFA, JFF, and Digicel for recognising the need for such a developmental programme, and for creating a partnership that will help young ladies to realise that it is important to have goals and, even better, to work towards them.
Akilah Campbell
campbellakilah@yahoo.com
Live your goals, female 'ballaz'
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Growing up, I was told that football is a man's sport. I was told that women or girls who played football were considered 'tom boys' -- a term used to describe a female who does things a man would usually do.
On Saturday, October 31, I attended a Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Grassroots Festival for Girls, which was under the FIFA 'Live your Goals' Campaign. It was held at the Kirkvine Sports Club in Manchester.
The festival was geared towards exposing and encouraging young female football aspirants aged six to 12 years. More than half of the girls who were present expressed interest in being a part of the national female squad. And, why shouldn't they?!
We are now in the year 2015 and football is no longer just a man's sport. It is for anybody who has the patience, the drive and the willpower to want to learn the technical aspects and other critical components of the game. While most of the girls demonstrated natural God-given talent, others showed signs that they were willing to learn the game and to have fun doing so.
These girls showed passion and love for the game. From my experience on Saturday it is very important that we as a nation realise that football for women is just as important as it is for the opposite gender.
I encourage you young ladies, our future 'ballaz', live your goals. I would also like to congratulate FIFA, JFF, and Digicel for recognising the need for such a developmental programme, and for creating a partnership that will help young ladies to realise that it is important to have goals and, even better, to work towards them.
Akilah Campbell
campbellakilah@yahoo.com
Live your goals, female 'ballaz'
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