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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Girls football

21 replies

Somemumsodd · 07/02/2015 23:25

I am thinking of starting a girls football team and have coach and venue etc sorted (linked to existing club) but part of our research is to understand why parents seem reluctant to take girls to footy, even if they want to play? I am tired of mums saying 'oh yes x would probably love it, but x does ballet as shes a girl, has anyone experienced this?

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taxi4ballet · 08/02/2015 10:17

This is really interesting, because from our experience of the dance world, there is a stereotypical preconception in the general public... that it is perfectly acceptable for girls to play football but not for boys to dance!!!

Good luck with your team, by the way!

Original poster
Somemumsodd · 08/02/2015 18:29

It is kind of acceptable but still not usual - but yes it's probably even harder for a boy to not be alone in a ballet class!

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MyballsareSandy · 08/02/2015 18:39

Not our experience either - we live in London and both my girls are part of a local girls league. They've been doing it for approx. 4 years but I've noticed a lot more interest from other girls in the last 18 months or so and the club has grown and grown. Supposedly one of the fastest growing sports at the moment, girls footie.

It has helped that the England ladies are slowly getting more interest from the media - the Germany match was shown on bbc2.

Good luck with your new team, it's a great thing to get involved with.

BackforGood · 08/02/2015 18:41

Ive found for years, its the opposite. The girls want to p lay, but thee are not enough teams for them to join.
I mean, when they are little, they can just play in mixed teams, but once they get to an age where they want to play in girls' leagues, they are a nightmare to find.
Last week i was trying to find a team for some 10 and 11 yr olds who have been playing competitively at school and want to carry on, and theres not a single team in the (heavily populated) 1/2 of our huge city.
My dd plays in an u13 team, and there are only 2 tteams in the league withi the City. We have to cover 4 counties to get 10 teams in the league.
There's not a lack of girls wanting to p lay. There is a lack of structure / support for teams to start up.

Micah · 08/02/2015 18:51

Everyone knows girl football players turn into butch lesbians. That's why their parents won't allow it.

Same for ballet, makes boys gay.

It's not the girls not wanting to participate, it's the parents not allowing it. Don't know how you go about changing that.

If it's linked to an existing club, your best bet is to start with siblings who might be hanging about for their brothers.

Original poster
Somemumsodd · 08/02/2015 20:00

Thanks all - I am constantly surprised at how many sane parents say that their dd would like to play but they actually in effect can't be bothered taking them. Dance is warm and dry. Footy sidelines are not. I even had one lovely lady admit to me that she ignored her 8 year old requests to play as she is a girl. She eventually gave in and realised her dd was a natural. It is the fastest growing sport and hence I feel like setting a team up as I am sure the demand is there with a bit of a push to recruit

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Original poster
Somemumsodd · 08/02/2015 20:03

Micah of course how correct. I forgot. I am obviously destined to have a lesbian butch DD and wimpy gay DS who loves nothing better than a twirl in a skirt.

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taxi4ballet · 09/02/2015 11:42

Memo to all the boys (and girls) who stand in slack-jawed amazement watching my dd doing umpteen press-ups in PE classes...

Ballet works wonder for core strength!

Original poster
Somemumsodd · 09/02/2015 12:05

Love it. Same goes for hard core gymnastics - amazing for footy skills

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micah · 09/02/2015 12:10

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyE8YHZ2u6o

yeah, ballet and gymnastics is girls only. Too wimpy for boys...

Original poster
Somemumsodd · 09/02/2015 13:16

Haha

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Naicecuppatea · 09/02/2015 13:20

My DD in Y1 plays football at school and loves it, shame none of the other girls in her class are interested. She doesn't do ballet.

Original poster
Somemumsodd · 09/02/2015 13:30

Does she play in the school squad etc ? I am trying to understand why so few girls seem to join in unless there are lots already doing it in their area when they join - chicken and egg?

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Naicecuppatea · 09/02/2015 13:57

No, it is extracurricular I think, but takes place during school's lunch break. I'm very proud of her for wanting to join without knowing anyone else who played when she first started.

BackforGood · 09/02/2015 14:06

dd2's experience was she signed up to do an afterschool club in Yrs3 and 4 (was the only girl, with 20 boys) then when she was in Yr5, joined the school's own training / team which one of the teachers organised. There is a busy, competitive league between schools, and then she got picked for the District Squad and played several tournaments over Yr5 and Yr6 agains district sides from across the County. Once she was in Yr 5, the teacher then also started to invite younger girls to train too - but that was just the timing as it was.
However, once they got to secondary, it all just collapsed. They persuaded a teacher to do some training with them, but there was no competitive matches so people stopped going.
Some of the girls in the District squad had previously played in boys leagues - they are allowed to be mixed up to 11(?) I think.
We then got together as a ready formed team in a way, and one of the parents sought out a league which we now play in (at U13s now) but there is only one other local team in the whole area, so (as I said upthread) we have to travel a lot to the away games.

IME, it's lack of clubs / teams, not lack of people wanting to play - I have people ask me all the time if I know of any teams, as they know my dd plays.

LurcioAgain · 09/02/2015 14:08

Former women's Sunday league player here.

I think it's very patchy across the country to be honest. Last summer while visiting my dad, my DS (6) and I ended up playing jumpers for goalposts football with a guy and his 4 kids - 2 girls, 2 boys. The oldest girl was brilliant, her dad was proud as anything and very encouraging (and also very accepting of her naturally very competitive streak - I mention that because I have seen parents doing the whole "ooh, play nicely" thing when their daughter goes in hard for a tackle). But he explained that unfortunately there weren't any girls' teams in the area Sad and that the boys' teams wouldn't let girls play Angry.

Good luck OP - maybe a flier advertising it with pictures of great footballers on it - Rachel Yankee (most capped England player ever - of either sex) and Stephanie Roche (Irish international nominated for FIFA's goal of the year competition) for starters!

Original poster
Somemumsodd · 09/02/2015 14:14

Thanks both - invaluable input. I am getting more and more convinced of finding a way to launch it in the near future. Heavily populated city with very little provision for girls in reality like others have said.

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Susiesue61 · 09/02/2015 14:19

My Dd is 13 and has played for 5 years now. She does dancing as well Grin She is a stereotypical mad goalie.
We are lucky here I think, we have a girls league for our area. Our team are currently playing out of area in a stronger league (but not doing too well!)
Dd goes to a girls grammar and the football club there is hopeless. The female PE teachers won't take any interest so they have to rely on random male teachers to help. They recently came second in the school tournament run by our local league team - a huge achievement given the input from school

DeanKoontz · 09/02/2015 14:22

Dds school set up a girls football team earlier this year and were swamped with girls wanting to do it.

They also have after school football training that girls are welcome to do to (Mixed teams). Some do.

Dd did it for a couple of terms in yr2 but was put off by the boys verbal and physical aggression.

Original poster
Somemumsodd · 09/02/2015 14:41

Thanks Dean - we have several primaries within a mile or so, which between them have at least 17 classes per year group. That's about 500 DC per year and thus 250 girls roughly ? That's over 1500 girls across the 7 year groups. There must be demand !!!

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GoogleyEyes · 10/02/2015 18:55

My dd's school has football club after school (different ages in different days), if the schools near you do that maybe you could build on it? It's very skills-based and not competitive, which suits her as she's not any good at football, though keen!

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