She Kicks Magazine

Last year I was lucky enough to be asked by 'She Kicks' magazine if they could interview me.

She Kicks - does what it says on the tin. It is a magazine for girls who love their football. It talks about current players, about current matches and about the womens sport in general. It interviews women in the sport;

• How did they get involved
• Who inspired them
• How hard has it been to make it through to a higher level
• Where do you want to get to
• What advice would you give o others.

Womens football is getting more popular, month or month. More girls are taking part in football. When I started playing there were two girls in the whole of the Derbyshire league, myself and a girl called Jess. In my first season I would turn up and the opposition would be whispering 'it's a girl' (as if they had never seen one before). Both myself and Jess were good players - we played for different teams, so the seasons afterwards the lads just got used to us and accepted us as footballers. Now, when I have refereed the odd children s match it's quite unusual for there not to be a girl in the team,

Now, ten years on I am back in the 'It's a Girl' again. When I turn up to referee, teams start to whisper, the crowd starts to whisper. It makes me giggle to be honest; Hopefully over the next few years, more and more girls will become referee's and again it will become a norm. I've always been the sort of person who takes the road less traveled, I don't know why, it's just me. 

I see myself as a footballer, or a referee. I don't see myself as a female footballer, or female referee. I like to be treated exactly the same as any referee or footballer,

That being said, I do want to show younger girls that they can have a career in football, whether it be on or off the pitch;. 

• Yes you do have to prove yourself. 
• Yes you have to work really hard
• Yes it's a long hard road, which is often up hill

Bit it's worth it.

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