Chelsea Manager Emma Hayes Worried About Accessibility of Football For Schoolgirls

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes is an unwavering champion for women's football in the UK. Her words are delivered with such passion that you can't help but share her enthusiasm for the game. She speaks honestly, passionately, and with such conviction that you can't help but share her vision for it yourself.

She expresses concern about the accessibility of football for schoolgirls, noting that this begins at grassroots level. That was the subject of a government review launched in September following England's Euro 2022 triumph.

The lack of inner-city talent

In August, after England won Euro 2022, the Lionesses wrote an open letter to the Prime Minister pleading for more access for girls' football. Studies revealed that only 63% of schoolgirls could play the game in PE lessons and many did so with their parents watching on from the sidelines.

In response, the Football Association devised a four-year strategy that called for 70 Emerging Talent Centres run by elite football clubs and "Wildcat" programs within walking distance of every child under 11. Additionally, they pledged to partner with 34 Community Trusts, creating a Wildcat program in each one, as well as increasing girls' clubs across England to 1000.

Eartha Pond, a former Arsenal and Tottenham player, is an enthusiastic supporter of the Wildcat initiatives. However, she feels it's not enough to encourage young people from ethnic minority backgrounds into sport. She has witnessed first-hand the difficulties they face: "They lack access to facilities, as well as financial means to travel long distances for training sessions."

The lack of facilities

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes expressed concern about the accessibility of football for schoolgirls during a government review into women's football. She was quoted saying that while boys in the academy game typically have parents who take them somewhere or take them on the train to do it, there's no such option for girls.

The Lionesses' success at Euro 2022 has been celebrated, yet concerns about diversity persist. Hayes believes it begins at the grassroots level; she wants women's football academies moved into cities so coaches can teach the game to urban children and develop inner-city talent. Additionally, clubs should be rewarded for nurturing players from these areas with compensation should another club take them away. While this goal may be impossible to reach, Hayes doesn't believe it to be unreasonable either.

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The lack of funding

Football is often the first sport that comes to mind when talking about girls' sports, yet it isn't always equal opportunity for all girls to play at the same level. Despite being one of the most beloved high school events, girls still don't always get an equal opportunity at participating at this elite level.

Title IX, the federal law which prohibits discrimination based on gender, states schools cannot exclude female students from athletic teams and must give them an equal opportunity at tryouts.

However, it has been reported that girls do not receive as much funding for school-sanctioned sports as boys do.

This means they receive less money for things like helmets, pads, pants and jerseys. Furthermore, transportation can be more costly for many sports.

It is not only discriminatory against girls, but it makes it hard for them to secure funding. Furthermore, this can have a detrimental effect on their academic performance as well as other areas.

The lack of diversity

Emma Hayes is one of the UK's most passionate supporters of women's football. With almost 30 years of experience advocating for equality within the sport, she remains one of its biggest optimists.

At an event launching the expert panel for a government review into women's football, it was hard to ignore her anger and disappointment. She was clearly fed up with the lack of diversity in the game and furious that young girls don't get the chance to play it. Her frustration was palpable.

She also raised the issue of differential opportunities for boys and girls to play football in primary school, a topic which has long been an issue for the Lionesses boss who believes it begins at grassroots level.

In 2020, sky sports recognized and began taking steps to address systemic racism as part of its PS30m initiative that sought to bring about positive changes in communities nationwide. They have collaborated with dozens of current and former players from diverse ethnic backgrounds to give them a platform to share their stories, inspire creativity and motivate the next generation of female footballers.

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