Women's football stars visit Sheffield school to encourage young girls to take up the sport

Two women’s football stars have visited a Sheffield secondary school to encourage more young girls to get into the sport.
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Former Arsenal and England forward, Kelly Smith MBE, and songwriter Chelcee Grimes, who is also a player for Fulham Ladies, attended Firth Park Academy to deliver football training sessions to 22 young schoolgirls on Monday, March 9.

Both women are football ambassadors in the Barclay’s FA Women’s Super League and through the FA Girls’ School Partnerships hope to ensure greater access for young girls to play the sport.

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Firth Park Academy students pictured with Barclays Football Ambassadors Kelly Smith and Chelcee GrimesFirth Park Academy students pictured with Barclays Football Ambassadors Kelly Smith and Chelcee Grimes
Firth Park Academy students pictured with Barclays Football Ambassadors Kelly Smith and Chelcee Grimes
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They put the Firth Park girls through their paces by teaching them basic football skills such as dribbling and passing, before ending the session with a team game.

Kelly, who was once kicked off her school’s football team just for being female, said: “This is where you can really influence and encourage girls at this age to play football.

“For myself and Chelcee, we didn’t really have that opportunity in school so now Barclay’s are trying to mainstream football in schools and giving them this experience of playing football in PE lessons it is important. Football is a game for everyone in our opinion and it builds so much confidence, resilience, communication skills, teamwork.

“I’m so grateful now that we’re in such a good place for women’s football and that we can be here to help and influence these young girls and help progress the game.”

Barclays Football Ambassadors (L-R) songwriter Chelcee Grimes, who plays for Fulham Ladies, and former Arsenal and England forward Kelly Smith MBEBarclays Football Ambassadors (L-R) songwriter Chelcee Grimes, who plays for Fulham Ladies, and former Arsenal and England forward Kelly Smith MBE
Barclays Football Ambassadors (L-R) songwriter Chelcee Grimes, who plays for Fulham Ladies, and former Arsenal and England forward Kelly Smith MBE
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Kelly and Chelcee work at a grassroots level to show that football is an option for girls and aim to give every girl access to the sport in schools by 2024 while helping to raise the profile of the women’s professional league.

Chelcee remembers someone shouting “Why is she playing?” from the sidelines during a match when she was the only girl on her school team.

She added: “For me personally I’m not an England international like Kelly is, I’ve changed direction and am now in the media industry but I think the skills are very similar in whatever you do.

“Being in a team and knowing that you’re never really going to be successful in anything you do if you do it alone, that was drilled into me from the age of nine. It also taught me resilience – I talk about Liverpool being three-nil down in Istanbul to come back and win the Champions League final.

“You can be three goals down at half time but turn it all around and I think that is just like life in general.”