Creating Change
Zaina, England
Muslimah Sports Association (MSA) aims to offer women and girls a safe and positive environment to participate in a number of different sports without compromising their religious or cultural beliefs. MSA delivered a sports project including football and basketball as part of the Barking Model City program, supported by Laureus Sports for Good. Zaina, 17, is an MSA participant and a Let Girl’s Play Ambassador with The FA.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your sports journey up until now?
My name is Zaina and I am 17 years old, currently studying at school in East Ham in London. I have always loved sports from a young age and have participated in multiple sports clubs growing up. Currently I take part in football, swimming and kickboxing alongside school. I have had such a great interest in sport that I studied it for my GCSEs and have continued it into my A-levels.
I am also a football ambassador for the FA where I try to increase the opportunities available for girls. Fortunately for me I was raised by a very sporty mum who has only encouraged me to do what I enjoy. She herself is a football and cricket coach and this has allowed me to gain much more confidence in sports.
I have played football since primary school. However even at the tender age of nine I was able to see the clear differences in the opportunities available for the girls and boys. The boys had access to the football field every break time, there was a football club for the boys and they were able to play against other schools. This was never available for us. Seeing this, I wrote a letter to my headteacher telling her about my concerns. This made way for change and a girls football team was created. Also we were able to play every Friday and this became the day of the week we looked forward to most!
When I got to secondary school, which was a girls school, I saw that many of the girls were not participating in sports. For a few years I even stopped playing football because it was not made available to us. Then my mum discovered MSA which offered a wide variety of girls-only sports and it was honestly a dream come true. And from there my love for football only grew!
What did you try to capture with the photos? Was there a wider meaning?
The photos were taken whilst playing football at the pitch in Loxford Leisure Centre where I play football weekly through MSA. There are also photos of me with my family, playing football with my younger cousins and another time with my slightly older cousins. As a family we love to spend quality time together and one way is at the park playing football.
My grandparents, aunts and cousins are very supportive of me. My mum is my biggest sporting role model, as she has motivated and influenced me to go further in my sporting journey. My sister is also in the photos and we have always participated in extracurricular sporting activities together which makes it much easier to feel comfortable in new environments.
I tried to show that football is for everyone and no one should feel as though they cannot take part simply due to the colour of their skin or their gender. As a Muslim girl with an ethnic minority background I know the struggles of participating due to the lack of role models who we can identify with. However, I believe this should not stop us from doing what we enjoy and instead we can become the role models for the girls of tomorrow.
What role does football play in your community? Is football an inclusive sport that anyone can play?
For me and many other girls I know that also play, football is an outlet. When I play football, I am able to forget about the stresses of school and exam pressures and I can play at ease. It definitely helps release endorphins and can make everyone feel happier.
What are the opportunities for women and girls to play football in your community? What impact has the MSA program had on you and your community?
Fortunately there have been many more opportunities opening up for women and girls so that they can take part comfortably. However, this is not enough and there is so much more that needs to be done so that we can further increase girls participation in sports. Because there are many who still believe that football is simply a boys’ sport and girls who do play football are ‘tomboys’.
MSA has positively impacted so many women and girls. It provides a comfortable environment where we can play without worry or judgement. Honestly it has completely changed my life and without MSA football probably would not be such a big part of my life.
What ambitions do you have for the future?
I am hoping to successfully finish my A-levels and go on to gain a sports psychology degree so that I can help more women to thrive in sports.
What do you think the future looks like for sport in your community and country? What do you want to change? How would you improve gender equality?
I think that we are on the right path to reducing the gap between men and women in sports with the introduction of new opportunities for women and girls. For example, the new law that states that all girls must have equal access to football in schools. However we must continue this change as we have come far but we have not come far enough yet.
