The Crusaders Experience, Part One: Spongebob is Born.

Following my previous articles about the state of women's football in South Africa, I have decided to take a different route this time round by telling a story. Not a piece that sparks debate or raises issues surrounding the topic, just a story.

I was a part of Crusaders FC in the season of 2011. I had just moved back to South Africa after leaving Saudi Arabia and, amongst preparing to write my GCSEs, finding a football club was a priority. I was referred to Crusaders FC, whose home ground was St Stithians College in Johannesburg, and immediately began the registration process. I turned up to the first training session as one of four girls and one coach. I was often one of two players every other day. Unsatisfied with this, I looked to join a second club in Randburg. I was quickly informed that this would be of no use, as the Randburg team and coaches were leaving their home ground and merging with Crusaders. And there it all began...

Turning up to the 'new' Crusaders training session was very different to my first experience. A total of approximately 15 girls attended, and I was warmly welcomed as a new member and player. I was told to bring in an ID photo so that I could register to play in the leagues with my new team, and I was overwhelmed by the professionalism and proper regulations surrounding the team. This was my first opportunity to play football at, what felt like, a semi-professional level, and so my passion and dedication to my favourite sport reached new heights. Initially slightly intimidated by the evident talent that existed at Crusaders, I quickly gelled with my teammates as well as secure my position as the center player and, frequently, a striker. 

I trained 2-3 times a week with a match on the weekend, and football became more of a focus than it had ever been in the past. I was thoroughly enjoying the serious environment I was playing in and realised that playing for Crusaders wasn't as simple as just being a member: I was part of a growing community of football-crazed girls, like myself, with an abundance of opportunity on offer, and people that took me seriously. My obsession for football was becoming more and more noticeable, to the extent that not going to training or matches was punishment. This was indeed the case as I was 'banned' from football for two weeks by my parents for skipping a maths lesson. (I can say with confidence that those two weeks were excruciating). As Crusaders entered the most competitive parts of their season, I was becoming increasingly more committed, and was sacrificing most of my weekends to play in some of the most important matches. However, I did not think twice about what I would be doing on a Friday evening when being told there was a match to play.

Crusaders grew and success started to mount as we entered more than one league, one being full of young boys' teams. Like any football club, at any level, we enjoyed victory many times but suffered defeat on occasion, too. However, Crusaders was rapidly becoming a team to look out for on the field, with players as young as 14 playing in women's leagues. Crusaders is where I was given the nickname 'Spongebob' by my coach, Evan, for (apparently) tackling like a sponge. I like to think that, because this was in one of my first matches at Crusaders, my tackling improved, even if the nickname stuck. The combination of players in Crusaders during my time there made us almost unstoppable, with every match being played with the most admirable sense of drive and fervor. We came the closest to the definition of 'team' that I had ever been fortunate enough to experience. And not only were we a team, we became a family.

Leaving Crusaders to tend to the next chapter of my life at boarding school in England wrenched tears from myself as well as my coaches, who had played such significant roles in my football career in such a short period of time. Despite being dubbed the 'Spongebob' of the team, the 'Crusaders Experience' will forever be a part of me. I was lucky enough to attend the end-of-year prize-giving during a visit to South Africa on my half-term break, and my impact on the team was marked by the 'Most Valuable Player' trophy of the 2011 season. My abilities to be descriptive are not sufficient enough to illustrate the significance of this award to me, and made my departure from Crusaders that much harder.

Shortly after starting football in England, the first training session was met by overwhelming emotion at the huge differences between this college team and Crusaders. Even though I was unaware of the success that was to come during my two years there, I couldn't help but feel desperate to be back at Crusaders. I could tell immediately that girls did not share the same passion as I did for football, with lots of screaming and laughing apparent on the field, and a coach that seemed to have very little control. Even though this all changed and I found my place in a team that went on to win many games and have players get selected to play regionally, it was different. However, it would be unfair of me not to point out that school football and club football are separate to each other, both with different environments. And both which I thoroughly enjoyed and thrived in.

But I will always be the #11 player nicknamed Spongebob. That, I will carry everywhere I go.

This is longer and more elaborate than I planned it to be; I may have gotten slightly carried away. Following this is a 'Part 2' story about the journey and expansion of Crusaders, its players, and its coaches beyond their home ground, and as a symbol of hope in the developments of girls' football.

All for now,
Gabi

Desperate For 'The Gap'.... To Be Bridged Between Men's and Women's Football in South Africa.

So, Danny Jordaan is the new President of SAFA (South African Football Association), but what part of his campaign is focused on women's football? When reading articles about his plans to kill off 'failure and mediocrity' in South Africa in terms of football, one would feel hopeful

that Bafana Bafana will eventually be a more believable squad at a World Cup level, but will there be any attention paid to 'The Girls'? Is Banyana Banyana, or girls' football in general, a part of Jordaan's plans to reconstruct the state and development of football in South Africa? We can only hope that these involve improving research and funding of women's football in the country.

The day before the SAFA EXCO elections took place, I had the opportunity to chat with the Head of Women's Football at SAFA: Fran Hilton-Smith. Ms. Hilton-Smith has been acknowledged by the South African State Presidential Awards for the Development of Women’s Football in South Africa. I was eager to know more about her plans and hopes for the future of women's football, and exactly what her opinion was on the state of the sport. I also spoke with Jos Dirkx, founder and director of the award-winning NGO 'Girls & Football SA' organisation, who gave me her opinion on the matter. Her organisation focuses on the development of girls and young women in South Africa through sport, media and education, as well as raising awareness on the importance of sport for women.

Let's face it, South Africa lags far behind behind in terms of women's football (particularly compared to the men's game). The support for and success of women's football pales in comparison to countries such as the UK and the USA.

In the UK, Arsenal Ladies Football Club dominates the Women's Premier League in England, whilst South Africa does not even have a women's professional league.

Ms. Hilton-Smith gave me insight on why SAFA have not introduced a premier league, and why the men's sides (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs) do not have a ladies side. Mamelodi Sundowns and Moroka Swallows are the only domestic clubs in South Africa that have a women's side, but what about the rest? How are they supposed to compete? Ms. Hilton-Smith claimed that clubs do not show much interest in having womens' sides when the Head of Women's Football advocated this. She added: "Some say it's bad luck to have women playing before them or using the change rooms!"

Is it not ludicrous that women are being denied the chance to play professionally because the men in the domestic clubs think it's 'bad luck' to have women play before them or using the change rooms? This is a mentality that SAFA needs to aim to eradicate. Ideally, if SAFA ever succeed in solving this problem, it would be the way to go for the success and growth of women's football. Rather, by encouraging and allowing female players to play prior to men's games, it is possible to generate interest for the women's teams, as well. Supporters will turn up to stadiums to watch the men's teams, so is there any harm in having the women play before them?

The main issue, however, is encouraging a willing sponsor to invest in a women's premier league. Ms. Hilton-Smith estimated that it would cost around R35 million and, although a professional league is a must, there is no sponsor coming forward for this. It is understandable that this is a lot of money, but why are there no organisations that are willing to take the risk? Sasol is Banyana Banyana's only sponsor, as well as the Sasol League's, but SAFA lost ABSA (Amalgamated Banks of South Africa) as a sponsor in 2012, leaving the ABSA women's league to struggle. The league is now only being run by the regional teams and sponsored by the Legacy Trust Fund, which invested R13 million into the women's regional league this year. Although this is nowhere near enough money to support a professional league, it will ensure that more girls are playing at a junior level that is taken seriously - and this is where Girls & Football SA comes in. When investment is in the devlopment of young women through football, there will be more talented players moving upwards, in addition to a stronger social structure in South Africa. Both Ms. Hilton-Smith and Dirkx shared the sentiment that, without a dedicated sponsor to women's football, growing the sport in the country would remain a challenge. A professional league is a must and, in 2013, there is no reason why potential sponsors should underestimate the potential of women's sport.

Another issue I raised with Ms. Hilton-Smith is the role of South African media in the development of women's football. We all know how much power the media has, so why can't it play a part in helping women's football grow? For example, Arsenal Ladies Football Club have their fixtures and results posted on the main sports page on the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) Sports website: one of the UK's leading broadcasting companies. Therefore, women's football in England has a much larger audience due to its high exposure. Could South Africa take a similar route by publishing more of Banyana Banyana's news on SuperSport, for example? Only 8% of the media is focused on the development of women's football, so increased exposure would lead to a larger dedicated audience which, in turn, would benefit potential sponsors. Ms. Hamilton-Smith claims that the media does "pretty well if they are given information and if something is happening," but this does not seem prevalent in South Africa at all. How many South Africans are aware of Banyana Banyana's matches and can easily gain access to the coverage of their matches?

 On a positive note, there are significant developments being made in the local leagues where girls are being given the opportunity to play at a semi-professional junior level. Under-13 and under-15 leagues have been introduced, which will give girls a place to pursue their passion of football and encourage them to develop, giving them more exposure to regulated and serious playing environments. This, hopefully, will pave the way for talented players to achieve more, such as playing nationally.

Interview with Founder and Director of 'Girls & Football SA', Jos Dirkx. 

Jos was born in Brazil and has traveled the world since, living in countries such as Bangladesh, Sudan and Eritrea, prior to moving to South Africa. Upon arrival in Cape Town, Dirkx launched Girls & Football SA in 2010 and later registered in April 2012 as a not for profit organisation. The founding of the organisation was propelled by her passion for social justice and gender equality. I interviewed her to add an additional perspective to my interview with Ms Hilton-Smith about this topic, asking her similar questions. She was extremely informative and helpful, and her passion and work towards women's rights around the world is admirable.

Girls & Football SA was, in part, started in reaction to the men's FIFA World Cup in 2010, where Jos noticed the overwhelming "attention and energy" that centred around the male football players. This prompted a few questions: what about the female players? What is the state of women's and girls' football in South Africa? It was in this year when Girls & Football SA started their work. The organisation works closely with Ms. Hilton-Smith of SAFA and, together, have helped the growth of women's football in South Africa which, according to Jos, has "made noticeable improvements over the recent years." Comparatively to the rest of the African continent, there have been significant changes in the space for women's football in South Africa. Prior to this, Jos stated that "attitudes around women that play football were exceedingly prevalent and often negative," and so work started to help get girls onto the field, and challenged the overall stigma about what it means to be a woman playing sport. What Girls & Football SA is also trying to accomplish is getting boys and men more involved in building an understanding around female athletes, which would hugely benefit the overall growth of the female football society and culture that exists in South Africa. Girls & Football SA aims to benefit the overall growth of the female football society to help develop a safe space around women's sport in South Africa.

One of the main arguments that has been put forward in this topic is the role of the media in women's football in South Africa, and whether it's involvement is prominent enough. Jos commented that the media has been considerably better over the last few years, and that stories reporting on women's football have a less sexist tonality than they did a few years ago. However, she also confirmed the overriding feeling that there is "absolutely not enough coverage" and that "women's football is often added as an after-thought." Women's football in the USA is absolutely celebrated and is not made inferior to men's football in any way, so why can this not be the case in South Africa? Whilst Girls & Football SA will continue to work on trying to change this mentality, the people of South Africa should try, too.

With regards to Fran Hilton-Smith's statement about the mens domestic clubs in South Africa having no interest towards a women's league, and the belief that it is 'bad luck' to have women playing matches before them or using the changing rooms, Jos gave me her thoughts. She commented: "In 2013, that is unacceptable. It's an issue we've long been trying to deal with; the simple solution of 'adding' a women's side to the existing men's is a no-brainer." The fact that this argument has become so outdated, where little effort has been put into the proposition by the mens clubs in South Africa, is worrying. Jos and Ms. Hilton-Smith apparently spoke about the issue around 3 years ago: Why not have women's sides? The resistance to including a women's league could be triggered by the fact that increasing the inclusion of women in the 'beautiful game' causes a change in an existing patriarchal structure, but why is South Africa so afraid of change? Why is SAFA and clubs in South Africa not willing to take risks? Given the fact that the female national side actually performs better than the men, Dirkx states it shouldn't even be a point of discussion. Overall, women's football does not receive the respect and appreciation it deserves.

Above all, Jos and Girls & Football SA focus on the importance of sport in the life of girls and women. I spoke about the development of football at junior levels and whether the future success of women's football in South Africa really does lie in the youth, and Jos is aware that "it does make a big difference when you start sport at a young age, where girls develop passion and interest when they're younger. Sport is one of the three points on our [Girls & Football SA] agenda, but for me it's not about girls going on to play football at a professional level. It's about what sport brings to your life." Jos and her organisation introduces the notion that girls playing football, and sport in general, does not necessarily equate huge, international sporting success (nor should it have to). A large element relates to equality: women playing football support the notion of a developed, equal and gender sensitive environment. What really matters is that women are given the chance to play competitively, even if it's in a male-dominated sport. Dirkx states: "It's not about starting from an early age, training for 12 hours every 3 days on the field. It's about self-esteem, self-respect, body ownership, standing your ground, knowing your rights and, if channeled correctly, this can all come through sports."

Organisations such as Girls & Football SA are key in promoting women's football, and giving girls a chance to pursue their hopes and dreams. Through an emphasis on gender equality, the football culture in South Africa will evolve and progress. South Africa, as a nation, needs to collectively drive themselves towards the transformation of all sporting institutions to be gender representative. Should this be implemented, success will follow, as well as the celebration of female football players.

Please take a moment to look at the Girls & Football SA website for more information about Jos and the work she does.

Survey on young people of South Africa about the general opinion of the state of women's football. 

To add to this article, I chose to create a survey to get insight from the young people of South Africa about what they thought about the state of women's football in SA. It was interesting, yet reassuring, to know that the general feeling was that women's football is supported, at any level. However, parallel to this, the majority of responses felt that women's football in South Africa needs a more professional approach, from coverage right through to coaching and quality of play. The majority of responses also showed that people are willing to get involved to watch women's football in South Africa grow, from charity organisations to fund raising events. This just shows that the people of South Africa are willing to put in the effort, given that they have a platform to work from.

South Africa need to learn to embrace change. Sport is such a huge part of South Africa's communities and culture, but it cannot be left in the state it currently is in. Women deserve a voice. Women deserve success. Women deserve to contribute to the sporting world.

All for now,
Gabi