Family On And Off The Field

Houleye Deme, Monaco

To raise awareness of the breast cancer awareness campaign Pink October, we teamed up with ground-breaking women’s football brand ALKÉ for a special collaboration in France. Starting in October 2020, the Pink October campaign by ALKÉ saw 11 amateur clubs across France wear a specially designed pink kit as a means of raising awareness about the fight against breast cancer. The kits were worn by women soccer teams during October games and sold to players, fans and supporters, with the benefits donated for breast cancer research. Goal Click worked with three of these clubs – JUP (who founded the campaign in 2019), AS Monaco Football Féminin, and Manita – to document their teams during October and into 2021.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football life? 

My name is Houleye, I am 20. I live in Nice in the south of France, but I used to live in Le Havre. I am a student in International Trade, and I am a football player at AS Monaco Football Feminin as well. I came here in July 2019. I started to play when I was 13 years old, and I've never stopped playing since that time.

My first club was a little club close to my house called L’US Tréfileries, where I learnt how to play football, the football basics. Then, I played for Le Havre Athletic Club, where we got promoted and I played/practiced with the first team when they were in Division 2. They are now in Division 1, the elite. I left my city to live in Nice, in order to play for Monaco and I am happy to be here.

What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?

I showed my teammates, the coaches, and the physio. We were at our games, at our practices, and in the locker room as well. I tried to show what we are building and creating. We have a goal to achieve so we are making our connections tight to reach our goal. What is amazing is that we are more than teammates, we are building a family on and off the field. We have everyone's back; we take care of everyone.

Are there any good stories connected with the people you photographed?

We won a game 2-1 after we were losing 1-0. It was a frustrating game! In one photo we can see that everyone is happy, and it is really heart-warming to see this, especially now we are not playing anymore because of the pandemic that affects the whole world. There are always good stories to tell with my teammates. But I think it was when we went to ski with the whole team a month ago, everyone was so happy to see each other.

What are the opportunities for female footballers in France?

There are many opportunities to play in France. Playing in France you can reach the top division easier than in the United States. Everyone has a way to be at the TOP. There are a lot of things to learn here in France and the football is played in many different ways.

What does football mean to you?

Football is the "island" where I like to relax, to have refuge. When I am at my lowest, I like to go to practice and take my mind off things. It is the place where I like to take a deep breath when I am falling apart. I live here alone and knowing that I have people that I can lean on makes me feel better.

Why was it important for you and your club to get involved in the Pink October campaign with ALKÉ? 

As a woman, I can be impacted by breast cancer. I am lucky to be healthy. Unfortunately, there are a lot of strong women that are suffering because of this disease, which is sad. It was a way for us to raise awareness of breast cancer.

What we want to tell the people that have this disease, it is that they are the strongest people on earth and that they are beautiful as well! We want them to stay hopeful, to stay as strong as they already are, and to keep smiling even though it is hard. We, the club, my teammates, coaches and I love them and support them!

How did it feel to play in the Pink October kit?

It was an honour for us to work with ALKE and wear this kit! A pure happiness, because we knew why we were wearing it. It is also really beautiful :)

What is the future for French women's football?

Women’s football is getting more and more interesting for everyone, even for the people that were pretty sexist and would say that women shouldn’t be playing football. Women’s football is getting more important in the world.

Has anything changed since the 2019 WWC?

I think the WWC was a huge help for the development of Football Feminin. People are getting more and more interested in the women that play football, and it's a big improvement. People are now seeing less difference between men and women, even if there is still a huge step to be equal. They understand that girls really like to play football and that we have our place on the field. People are now coming to watch the games at the stadium - not as much as during the World Cup, but still!

Do you have a message for the next generation of girls who want to play football?

I would like to say to the young girls that they should trust themselves. Know that your confidence is the key, even if people say that you are not able to do it, you should do it anyway. Surround yourself with people that are positive and helpful, people that remind you that you are a great person before being a good player. You are talented.