"If I told you I have played football for 15 years, you'd probably assume that I'm decent. Unfortunately, I am not. I have three left feet and a not-very-convincing shot on goal. Despite how many years I have put into the sport, these things show little to no improvement. I play football for the joy of it: the rush of the first whistle; the exhilaration of making a successful tackle or a clever pass;"
"I grew up at a time when football was largely considered a men's sport. In the 90s, there were about 80 girls' football clubs in England (there are more than 12,000 now); there wasn't a women's premier league until 1994; and by the time I was in my 20s, boring jokes about women knowing the offside rule were wheeled out with disappointing regularity."
"I'm fed up with starting team after team for beginners, only to watch all those who have never kicked a ball before get better than me by the end of the season. So this year, I wondered if I could break the cycle: could someone like me a player so awful at football that if you watched me play you would truly, honestly, gasp ever get any better?"
A player with 15 years of football experience remains technically poor but continues to play for the joy, adrenaline, and emotional release the game provides. She recalls growing up when football was male-dominated, with few girls' clubs and late development of a women's premiership, and remembers being excluded by boys at primary school. Frustration grows as novice teammates frequently surpass her skill level, prompting a decision in her mid-30s, after having children, to seek structured coaching and attempt measurable improvement. A coach warns the process will be difficult, and the effort aims to break a longtime cycle of stagnation.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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