Latest news with #AnitaAsante
BBC News
6 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Ex-Lioness helping Faversham mums get into football coaching
A former Lioness star has teamed up with a grassroots football club in Kent to encourage more mothers into volunteer Asante, who made 71 appearances for the Lionesses and now manages Women's Championship side Bristol City, has launched the This Mum Campaign with Faversham Strike Force comes as figures show that 83% of mothers were not involved in their children's sports won the quadruple with Arsenal in 2007, said: "We know how important female coaches are as role models for girls, especially when it comes to staying in sport and being active into their teenage years. "It's vital we find ways to halt this decline in female volunteer coaching, especially at a time when more girls than ever are inspired by the Lionesses and other female sporting heroes." New research by sports charity UK Coaching revealed the total number of female volunteer coaches fell by 10% between 2022 and Ally Walters coaches the women's team at Strike Force. She started coaching at university and returned to it after having her daughters."Particularly since I've had girls, I want them to see women in sport," she said."I also want them to see that as a parent, as a mum in particular, you can also have your own hobbies."If women aren't volunteering, you're missing out on 50% of all the people who could be." UK Coaching provides resources and advice to support women and mums taking their first steps into volunteer drop in coaches, however, comes amid a huge increase in the number of people watching women's sports, with the Women's Euro due to kick off next month and the Women's Rugby World Cup in Handyside, a coach developer at UK Coaching, said: "The recent decline in the number of female volunteer coaches is a worrying trend."But this research shows that there's clearly a huge pool of mums out there who want to coach if those barriers can be overcome."
The Sun
13-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Lionesses Euros 2025 kits unveiled with nod to famous 1982 design for England and the team's pioneers
ENGLAND have revealed the new kits to be worn by the Lionesses at this year's Euros taking place in Switzerland in July. The new home shirt, designed by Nike, pays homage to the pioneers who played for the national side in the seventies and eighties. 4 4 Among the past and present Lionesses featured in a promo video unveiling the new home and away kits is skipper Leah Williamson and retired defender Anita Asante. Strikers Alessia Russo and Michelle Agyemang also star as well as Kerry Davis, the first black footballer to play for the team. Seconds into the footage the former forward, who played her first senior England game in 1982, can be seen posing in the home jersey. The shirt, which is white, features blue and red horizontal colour shifts. It incorporates the traditional three lions crest and also bears a little resemblance to the one worn by England's men's team during the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Inspired by a concept described by Nike as 'deeds not words' England's new kit pays tribute to the Lionesses' iconic victories. This includes their 2022 Euros final triumph at Wembley when Sarina Wiegman's side sealed a dramatic 2-1 win against Germany . The team is also set to play in blue shorts at this year's tournament. And goalkeeper shirts donned by Mary Earps and Hannah Hampton are light green in colour with a dark green round neck trim. England's away kit includes a sleek black shirt with a blue three lions crest on the left shoulder and a Nike swoosh on the right. It also includes shades of red, purple and blue on its side gusset. 4 According to Nike both strips have been manufactured using a system designed to move sweat away from the skin for faster evaporation. England's kits are set to debut when the Lionesses take on Portugal at Wembley and Spain in Barcelona in the Women's Nations League The games will take place on May 30 and June 3, just over a month ahead of England's Euros opener against France on July 5.
Scottish Sun
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Lionesses Euros 2025 kits unveiled with nod to famous 1982 design for England and the team's pioneers
England Women stars past and present pose in new home shirt which features merged red and blue colour tones SHIRT ALERT Lionesses Euros 2025 kits unveiled with nod to famous 1982 design for England and the team's pioneers Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ENGLAND have revealed the new kits to be worn by the Lionesses at this year's Euros taking place in Switzerland in July. The new home shirt, designed by Nike, pays homage to the pioneers who played for the national side in the seventies and eighties. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Nike have unveiled the kits Lioness stars are set to wear when they compete in the Women's Euros in July 4 The new kit which resembles the famous 1982 England shirt will also be worn by the Lionesses during their Nations League clashes with Portugal and Spain 4 Kerry Davis, Anita Asante, Michelle Agyemang and Lucy Bronze are among the past and present Lioness heroines featured in a video launching England's new kit Among the past and present Lionesses featured in a promo video unveiling the new home and away kits is skipper Leah Williamson and retired defender Anita Asante. Strikers Alessia Russo and Michelle Agyemang also star as well as Kerry Davis, the first black footballer to play for the team. Seconds into the footage the former forward, who played her first senior England game in 1982, can be seen posing in the home jersey. The shirt, which is white, features blue and red horizontal colour shifts. Read More Football Stories GOOD NEWS Goodison Park SAVED with Everton to turn it into 'most iconic stadium in league' It incorporates the traditional three lions crest and also bears a little resemblance to the one worn by England's men's team during the 1982 World Cup in Spain. Inspired by a concept described by Nike as 'deeds not words' England's new kit pays tribute to the Lionesses' iconic victories. This includes their 2022 Euros final triumph at Wembley when Sarina Wiegman's side sealed a dramatic 2-1 win against Germany . The team is also set to play in blue shorts at this year's tournament. And goalkeeper shirts donned by Mary Earps and Hannah Hampton are light green in colour with a dark green round neck trim. England's away kit includes a sleek black shirt with a blue three lions crest on the left shoulder and a Nike swoosh on the right. It also includes shades of red, purple and blue on its side gusset. 4 Sarina Wiegman's players are due to play Jamaica in a friendly in June in their final home fixture before the start of the Women's Euros in July Credit: Getty According to Nike both strips have been manufactured using a system designed to move sweat away from the skin for faster evaporation. England's kits are set to debut when the Lionesses take on Portugal at Wembley and Spain in Barcelona in the Women's Nations League The games will take place on May 30 and June 3, just over a month ahead of England's Euros opener against France on July 5.
The National
04-05-2025
- Sport
- The National
While officials breathe sigh of relief trans issue won't disappear
The illustration of its standard is relayed in the story of an academy under-15s team – FC Dallas – beating the US women's national team in 2017, at a time when the US were two-times FIFA Women's World Cup champions. It is a story held up as 'proof' of the deficiencies within the women's game, scorning at where it is. The issue with this example, of course, is that it simply showcases the physiological differences between women and men, the differentials in oxygen capacity, muscle capacity, strength, power, height, speed. For those who need to hear it, it is like comparing apples and oranges. This week as the sense of relief could be heard coming all the way from Glasgow and London as the SFA and the FA, on the back of the Supreme Court ruling, revealed legislation banning transgender women competing in women's football, the external view of the majority would be that it is one of unambiguity given the basics outlined above. There had been a long period of obfuscation over the issues of trans players within the women's game with a nervousness around whether such a call would stand up to legal scrutiny. Last week's Supreme Court ruling removes any ambiguity on that part. But while this week's news has been regarded as a move in the right direction, it is not a call that has been met with universal approval within the game. Read more: It is understood that there are senior players within the Scottish set up who feel that the decision is not in keeping within the spirt of the women's game, with so much of its identity based around inclusion and solidarity. Football, of course, was a closed shop to women until the ban forbidding them to play was lifted in 1974. The cultural echo of that cold shoulder has resonated throughout the game, even now decades after it was lifted; it took until 1998 for the SFA to assume direct responsibility for women's football. This, then, is a demographic who have had to fight for their place in the sport, to fight for everything that goes with it but the biggest fight they have had is for respect. They have had to do it the hard, slow way, fighting against a current of dismissal and a casual resistance. For some, the trans ban supports that. The argument is that it protects women's sport, its integrity and the space for women themselves to compete and challenge on a level playing field. But for others, who have come into the sport after being the sole girl on a boys team, or who have grown up on the outside of populist circle of fitting societal norms there is an empathy with those who are overlooked. For them, football offered community, a sense of belonging, a camaraderie and a family. There is an unease among some of these players that they have now denied that to others. This week at a showcase dinner in London, Chelsea defender Anita Asante dedicated her Game Changer gong at the Women's Football Awards to the trans community. It is also certainly to escape a feeling that there has been a disingenuous nature to some of the discourse around the argument and the narrative. There are many - Donald Trump and his ilk being the obvious example – for whom any consideration of women, their rights and their autonomy is nowhere near the forefront of consciousness when it comes to this discussion. The wider conversation on this topic became polemic with a bilious, loaded nature to discussion, wading into bullying territory at times. The Supreme Court ruling in many ways gets the SFA off the hook when it comes to defining legislation but it is unlikely to entirely negate the bigger conversations around this topic. AND ANOTHER THING There is a case to be made for Erin Cuthbert being the best midfielder in the WSL this season. The Scotland internationalist was part of the celebrations this week as Chelsea claimed a sixth successive title. Still just 26 – it does feel like she has been around the game for so long – Cuthbert is coming into the prime years of her football career. That can only be a benefit to Scotland and their international rebuild that is about to kick-off as they seek to be a team who can qualify for major tournaments. But as Cuthbert enjoys her profile as one of the stars of one of the biggest leagues in Scottish football, it is worth offering a thought for those who made such a journey possible. The SFA this week launched a 'Trailblazers' initiative to identify women who represented Scotland at any point between 1972 and 1997 but who do not receive a cap. That the SFA are now committed to ensuring that these players are giving their place among the history of the women's game is to be applauded as they look to retrospectively give a respect that was conspicuous by its absence for so long. AND FINALLY Fiona McIntyre was a worthy winner this week of the 'Unsung Hero' award at the prestigious Women's Football ceremony in London. The Managing Director of the SWPL has been an exceptional ambassador for the growth of the women's game in Scotland and works her socks off to keep the trajectory of its journey on an upward curve. Her effort deserves to be seen and acknowledged.
The Herald Scotland
04-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
While officials breathe sigh of relief trans issue won't disappear
It is a story held up as 'proof' of the deficiencies within the women's game, scorning at where it is. The issue with this example, of course, is that it simply showcases the physiological differences between women and men, the differentials in oxygen capacity, muscle capacity, strength, power, height, speed. For those who need to hear it, it is like comparing apples and oranges. This week as the sense of relief could be heard coming all the way from Glasgow and London as the SFA and the FA, on the back of the Supreme Court ruling, revealed legislation banning transgender women competing in women's football, the external view of the majority would be that it is one of unambiguity given the basics outlined above. There had been a long period of obfuscation over the issues of trans players within the women's game with a nervousness around whether such a call would stand up to legal scrutiny. Last week's Supreme Court ruling removes any ambiguity on that part. But while this week's news has been regarded as a move in the right direction, it is not a call that has been met with universal approval within the game. Read more: It is understood that there are senior players within the Scottish set up who feel that the decision is not in keeping within the spirt of the women's game, with so much of its identity based around inclusion and solidarity. Football, of course, was a closed shop to women until the ban forbidding them to play was lifted in 1974. The cultural echo of that cold shoulder has resonated throughout the game, even now decades after it was lifted; it took until 1998 for the SFA to assume direct responsibility for women's football. This, then, is a demographic who have had to fight for their place in the sport, to fight for everything that goes with it but the biggest fight they have had is for respect. They have had to do it the hard, slow way, fighting against a current of dismissal and a casual resistance. For some, the trans ban supports that. The argument is that it protects women's sport, its integrity and the space for women themselves to compete and challenge on a level playing field. But for others, who have come into the sport after being the sole girl on a boys team, or who have grown up on the outside of populist circle of fitting societal norms there is an empathy with those who are overlooked. For them, football offered community, a sense of belonging, a camaraderie and a family. There is an unease among some of these players that they have now denied that to others. This week at a showcase dinner in London, Chelsea defender Anita Asante dedicated her Game Changer gong at the Women's Football Awards to the trans community. It is also certainly to escape a feeling that there has been a disingenuous nature to some of the discourse around the argument and the narrative. There are many - Donald Trump and his ilk being the obvious example – for whom any consideration of women, their rights and their autonomy is nowhere near the forefront of consciousness when it comes to this discussion. The wider conversation on this topic became polemic with a bilious, loaded nature to discussion, wading into bullying territory at times. The Supreme Court ruling in many ways gets the SFA off the hook when it comes to defining legislation but it is unlikely to entirely negate the bigger conversations around this topic. AND ANOTHER THING There is a case to be made for Erin Cuthbert being the best midfielder in the WSL this season. The Scotland internationalist was part of the celebrations this week as Chelsea claimed a sixth successive title. Still just 26 – it does feel like she has been around the game for so long – Cuthbert is coming into the prime years of her football career. That can only be a benefit to Scotland and their international rebuild that is about to kick-off as they seek to be a team who can qualify for major tournaments. But as Cuthbert enjoys her profile as one of the stars of one of the biggest leagues in Scottish football, it is worth offering a thought for those who made such a journey possible. The SFA this week launched a 'Trailblazers' initiative to identify women who represented Scotland at any point between 1972 and 1997 but who do not receive a cap. That the SFA are now committed to ensuring that these players are giving their place among the history of the women's game is to be applauded as they look to retrospectively give a respect that was conspicuous by its absence for so long. AND FINALLY Fiona McIntyre was a worthy winner this week of the 'Unsung Hero' award at the prestigious Women's Football ceremony in London. The Managing Director of the SWPL has been an exceptional ambassador for the growth of the women's game in Scotland and works her socks off to keep the trajectory of its journey on an upward curve. Her effort deserves to be seen and acknowledged.
