Female football players warm up before a match.
Doha, Qatar: Amidst the ongoing 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal has released a comprehensive article titled “Embracing Women’s Football Growth at Your Club: Kit, Boots, and Facility Considerations.”
Written by Katrine Okholm Kryger from Switzerland and the UK, along with Athol Thomson from Qatar, the article underscores essential aspects for fostering the expansion of women’s football. The article, accessible on Aspetar’s official website, aspetar.com, outlines a series of pivotal takeaways.
One of the primary recommendations involves the provision of women’s fitted kits for all women’s and girls’ teams, ensuring optimal comfort and performance.
Additionally, the article suggests avoiding light-coloured shorts in training and match kits to minimise the risk of visible leakage for players.
To extend support, clubs are urged to facilitate access to appropriate sports bras, addressing both financial and accessibility considerations.
In the pursuit of inclusivity, the article advocates for the inclusion of hijabs and long-sleeved kit options. By catering to diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, clubs can demonstrate their commitment to openness. The notion of embracing women’s football goes beyond attire; the article stresses the importance of footwear that caters to women’s specific foot shape and traction requirements.
Beyond the field, facility considerations hold significance. The authors note the significance of proper pitch maintenance, emphasising the preference for natural surfaces over artificial ones.
Training schedules should account for necessary breaks, including restroom visits, and match facilities must include access to restrooms and appropriate shower facilities.
The availability of sanitary products is also highlighted as a fundamental aspect.
According to the Aspetar article, the women’s football landscape is experiencing rapid growth at both elite and amateur levels on a global scale. Clubs are recognising the potential and introducing women’s and girls’ teams, expanding their horizons.
“An important message is to not simply copy men’s football but to consider the key essential sex-specific requirements when growing or introducing women’s football teams in a club. The article focuses on three main areas – the kit, the boots, and the facilities.”
“Football is football. Women play on the same sized pitches with the same balls and shoot at similar sized goals as men. It can, therefore, seem easy to implement women’s teams in clubs as the pitches and most essential equipment can be shared between sexes. This is different from many other sports where the game is adjusted between sexes such as in basketball (ball size), handball (ball size) or volleyball (net height).”
The global and multicultural nature of football necessitates sensitivity towards players’ cultural and religious backgrounds. The option for players to wear sports hijabs is a testament to this diversity. The article advocates for the availability of kit-matching hijabs at all levels of play, whether through sponsorship deals or independent club initiatives, it explained.
