Women's World Cup

If you are lucky enough to be at home during the day with no school or work to go to this month you could be enjoying the Women’s World Cup. Unlike the men’s world cup it isn’t talked about on every TV or Radio Show or written about in every newspaper but this doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve the same attention the men’s version of the competition gets.

The lack of press coverage isn’t helped by the fact that the tournament is being held over in China which means the kick off times are during the day so many people who are at school or work can’t watch it live. So this means if you want to watch it you have to get some kind of recording device in order to follow it’s progress.

If I asked many people to name an England ladies football team player many would probably struggle but if I asked them to name a player for the men’s side they would be able to tell me in a heartbeat even if they had never watched a game. In an era where England is not developing many world class athletes or sportspeople who go on to be the top in their sport our ladies has team one of the best female players in the world by the name of Kelly Smith who opened up her world cup account with two goals in her first game.

It’s not just ladies football but many other sports where our country has world class competitors but because these sports may no be popular they don’t get the recognition they deserve.

In the case of football the game is the same game with the same laws regardless of if you are male or female so they should be treated equally. Yes ok it isn’t going to happen over night but I hope as a country and a world we can get behind women’s football and female sports in general. We need to encourage females to succeed in sport and support them when they do.

For all you girls out there that want to get involved in football I say go for it. I know it is annoying that at the moment many female footballers have to have second jobs to pay the bills but can you really put a price on being able to put on your country’s jersey and play in a world cup? That opportunity in itself is immense and should drive young girls o want to achieve in football.

The only way we are going to get the press and media to increase their coverage of the women’s game is by getting out there and supporting it ourselves and by doing this we are going to create a better future for female sports in the UK.

If you have an opinion on women’s sport, how it is perceived or ideas on how to improve its standing then why not get involved in our topic of the week on the forum:

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=210#210

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com/