Boost For Aspiring Female Footballers

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 01 November 2014 | 23.18

By Becky Johnson, North of England Correspondent

A pioneering new academy is offering future stars of women's football the opportunity to train while studying for their A-levels.

Trials have begun for teenage girls who want to join the academy at Leeds City College.

A major attraction is the links it will have with America, where most budding female footballers dream of playing.

The academy is partly run by UK-based agency Sports Recruiting USA that helps talented players win scholarships with universities in the US.

Rosie Gill, 16, is among those hoping for a place. "Women's football over there is bigger than it is in England" she told Sky News.

"It's just bigger and better over in America."

The profile of women's football in Britain is growing. Later this month the English side will play Germany at Wembley in front of its biggest ever crowd. The match will form part of England's preparations for the World Cup next year in Canada.

Yet girls feel there are a lack of opportunities at grassroots and university levels in Britain. By contrast American universities offer lucrative sports scholarships. Teams have big sponsors and players are paid enough to play as full-time professionals.

Scotland international Kim Little left Arsenal after six years to join Seattle Reign. She told Sky News: "Of course the first thought should be to produce players and to make them want to stay in this country.

"I think the position of women's football in this country is at a great place but to put young girls in the American scholarship environment where they are training every day is a great thing.

"I know friends of mine have gone across and they are training in the early morning every day and getting that mentality is definitely a good thing. To take the American mentality over here of training that much will be good for the game."

Molly-Mae Sharpe, 17, is going to America next year but wishes there were the same opportunities here.

"I just don't feel it's fair that the money is so different," she said.

"Sometimes women have to pay to play football and men get millions of pounds every year to play."

She doesn't believe that will change in her lifetime.

But her coach, FA tutor Anthony Gallagher, says he believes with the right financial backing women's football will continue to grow in Britain. 

"I can't say for sure if women's football will be as big as men's football. But if you look at the United States, women's football is the fastest growing sport in America."


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