A group of female footballers at Robert Clack School were given a huge surprise on International Women’s Day by West Ham United Women’s players Lisa Evans and Kirsty Smith.
The pair of Scottish International joined a video call with the young footballers as part of the Club’s Players’ Project.
Located just a few hundred meters away from the West Ham United Training Ground, Robert Clack School has been partnered with West Ham United Foundation through its Community Hub School programme, funded by The Premier League Charitable Fund and The Professional Footballers’ Association, and designed to provide positive educational pathways for students.
With it being International Women’s Day, Evans and Smith explored a range of topical subjects with the students. From overcoming stigma playing football as young girls to how good support networks helped them silence the sceptics and realise their potential as professional footballers.
“I’m really thankful for the advice they gave us,” said Maisie. “The stories they told us about how they overcame challenges to become professional footballers really inspired me and the rest of the girls.”
During the discussions, a particular importance was placed on the progress with regards to female role models in football. Reminiscing on their pathways to becoming professional footballers, Smith described how she pursued her dreams during a time with poor visibility for women’s football.
“Growing up and not having the role models was very difficult,” she added. “But I had a dream, and I was not going to let anyone tell me that I couldn’t be a footballer. Not giving up is something that really resonates with me, because look at us now, it’s what we wanted, and we never gave up on it.
“Thankfully now, there’s so much more respect for the women’s game. You can see how much it’s grown and that’s a credit to the players from the past.”
With Smith and Evans playing football as children in the early 2000’s, the young people wanted to understand how much the landscape of female football has altered, and the Hammers duo were keen to offer words of encouragement.
“The game has changed so much,” Evans remarked. “I don’t think neither me nor Kirsty ever thought that we’d be seen as role models. Women’s football has become so much more accessible for everyone.
“If we’d had the role models that we have in today’s game, it would’ve been a better place for us. We would’ve been more likely to pick football up earlier and be more motivated from a young age. We didn’t have the same opportunities that are out there now.
“Of course, there’s a lot of improvement that still needs to be made. If you compare it with the men’s game, we’re still a long way off from where we need to be, but it’s important that we represent Women’s football in the best way possible and make sure you all love it as much as we do.”
Commenting on the impact of the call, one student, Amna, said: “It’s such a great opportunity to be able to speak to professional West Ham United players. All the answers they gave to our questions made me feel inspired to follow my dreams and to not let anyone's doubts stand in my way.”