What is it like... to coach football to girls in a Muslim country


  • English
  • Arabic

For a lot of the girls I work with it is the first time they have done anything such as football. The first thing that is good about the girls is that they love the game and turn up every week. They actually want more sessions, so it's a good thing they are so enthusiastic and wanting to learn. They really enjoy playing and that is a positive thing. For many of the girls who I worked with in the United States, it was more of a means to an end. It was a full college scholarship, which is what they were playing for more than, sometimes, the fun of the game.

These girls here get nothing out of it, but the fun side of things. So it's quite good to work with a group who are just wanting to play because they enjoy it more than anything. That's the positive side of working with the girls here. Most of the girls that I have worked with are from 10 to 12 years, with a few 14 and 16-year- olds. The demands of the game are really the same [as with the boys]. They do have to train for it. They do have to do what we call SAQ, which is the speed, agility and quickness training. It works with their footwork, co-ordination, power, speed and things.

So we do have to do quite a bit of football specific training with them to improve their endurance for the demands of the game and reach the next level. Many of these girls don't even have the basics technical skills needed, so we are really starting from scratch with a lot of them, which was a huge change for me. The structure in the United States is very different. They start in sports as three-years-old and by the time you get to 10 or 11 they have got most of the basics down. You are really moving on, just trying to improve on what they already do.

With the girls here, they haven't got the basics because they have never been coached before. They have never been in a structured environment. They just play with the boys on the field or they have a kick around. The first thing I did was set up a basic coaching session, which was 90 minutes long. That started going and I then realised that I really needed to change things quickly and go back to even more basic than that because they have never been in structured coaching before.

So my biggest challenge was, 'OK, where do I need to start from and how to go from here?' The positive side of things were that we had many, many kids come out, wanting to be coached, play and reach the next level. The kids just play football all day, every day. For girls, a training environment has to be created. What I have found over the past 10 or 12 years is that the girls don't care so much about winning. It's not like they don't like winning - they do, of course - but their priority is friendships. They are very much team- oriented and they don't like letting each other down. So you have to teach girls that it is OK to compete.

Lee Mitchell is director of wellness at American University of Sharjah and has spent the past 15 years on the coaching side of professional football. He was on the national staff in the United States, educating and developing local coaches.

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Fighter profiles

Gabrieli Pessanha (Brazil)

Reigning Abu Dhabi World Pro champion in the 95kg division, virtually unbeatable in her weight class. Known for her pressure game but also dangerous with her back on the mat.

Nathiely de Jesus, 23, (Brazil)

Two-time World Pro champion renowned for her aggressive game. She is tall and most feared by her opponents for both her triangles and arm-bar attacks.

Thamara Ferreira, 24, (Brazil)

Since her brown belt days, Ferreira has been dominating the 70kg, in both the World Pro and the Grand Slams. With a very aggressive game.

Samantha Cook, 32, (Britain)

One of the biggest talents coming out of Europe in recent times. She is known for a highly technical game and bringing her A game to the table as always.

Kendall Reusing, 22, (USA)

Another young gun ready to explode in the big leagues. The Californian resident is a powerhouse in the -95kg division. Her duels with Pessanha have been highlights in the Grand Slams.

Martina Gramenius, 32, (Sweden)

Already a two-time Grand Slam champion in the current season. Gramenius won golds in the 70kg, in both in Moscow and Tokyo, to earn a spot in the inaugural Queen of Mats.

 

Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
DMZ facts
  • The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
  • It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
  • The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
  • It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
  • Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
  • Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
  • Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012. 
  • Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23

UAE fixtures:
Men

Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final

Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final