To celebrate the strides made by Graham James Primary Academy in championing women's football, West Ham United Women's team players Emma Harries and Mel Filis recently paid a visit to the students in Essex.
As a Premier League Primary Stars partner school of the West Ham United Foundation, Graham James Primary Academy has successfully elevated the profile of women’s football, with dedicated support from West Ham United's official charity, who lead on the school’s PE delivery.
Premier League Primary Stars, the Premier League's primary school education programme, uses the power of football to inspire children aged five to 11, encouraging them to stay active and develop essential skills. Spearheaded by teacher Sarah Dibble, the after-school football team at Graham James Primary Academy has experienced significant growth, now engaging 22 girls.
In an effort to further nurture this growth, the Foundation extended an invitation to Harries and Filis to participate in an assembly for key stage two and three students. Reflecting on the session, Mel Filis emphasised the impact they can have on young girls aspiring to pursue football careers.
"Sometimes we don’t realise how influential we can be on the young girls that come and watch us play. It’s something we’re more aware of now, and we love meeting young girls and fans, so we’re more than happy to be involved."
The girls' football team at Graham James posed insightful questions to the England internationals, focusing on the growth of the women's game and the balance between excelling on the pitch as well as academically.
“It was really nice to see how enthusiastic the girls were to hear our advice,” she continued. “A lot of them have some very big aspirations within football, and being in the position that we’re in, we want to give them some tips on how they can achieve that while still enjoying the process.”
Harries, who recently earned a first-class honours degree in Early Childhood and Primary Education at Buckinghamshire New University, relished the opportunity to interact with the schoolchildren and highlight the importance of combining sports with education.
“My degree was focused on working with these age groups, so it was really great to be in this type of environment,” she said. “Although doing a full-time degree alongside football was really challenging at times, it was super rewarding. I wouldn’t change a thing! I was really pleased to be around the girls and showing them that doing both is possible!”
Despite their young age, the experiences of West Ham's attacking pair growing up in the footballing landscape in terms of coverage for the women's game differ markedly from those of the students at Graham James. While strides have been made, the notion that 'football isn’t for girls' still lingers. However, by engaging with schools in the local community, Harries and Filis aim to reinforce the idea that football is inclusive and for everyone.
“Some of the more senior players will tell you how different their experience was coming through school and growing up trying to become a professional player,” Filis remarked. “Obviously, me and Emma are still very young, and even our experience is so different from schoolchildren today. I was the only girl playing football in my school, which can feel quite isolating. So where we can, we want to encourage more girls to play so they don’t feel that way.
“Personally, I think this is so important, as the age that most girls stop playing is between 15 and 18, which is sometimes down to that social element where football for girls is not as accepted as it should be, so hopefully us being here today has validated their passion for football and encouraged them to keep playing long into the future!”
