From the pitch to the boardroom: inspiring future female leaders

Image credit: @hersport.ie via Instagram

When we talk about why sport matters for girls, we often focus on health, fitness, or fun. But there’s another reason that gets less attention: leadership.

A growing body of research shows that a huge number of women in senior leadership roles today have one thing in common: they played sport when they were younger. According to data shared by Her Sport Ireland, more than 90 percent of women in executive-level positions played sport, and more than half competed at university level.

Why does this matter? Because sport helps build the exact qualities that strong leaders need: teamwork, resilience, time management, clear communication, and the ability to bounce back from setbacks. These aren't just skills for the soccer-pitch, they're skills for life.

At Alamein FC, we see this potential all the time in our players. It’s in a captain giving a pep talk before a big match. In the player who lifts a teammate after a tough loss. In the quiet leadership of someone who always shows up, ready to do the work.

We also know that girls drop out of sport at much higher rates than boys, and this is often around the age when confidence dips. That’s why keeping girls engaged matters so much. We’re not just supporting today’s players, we’re helping to grow tomorrow’s decision-makers.

Now that we’ve wrapped up Female Football Week for another year, we encourage you and your girls to continue enjoying and participating in sport (and may we suggest soccer?) all year ‘round. Encouraging girls to stay in sport isn’t just good for them, it’s good for all of us.

(Sources: Her Sport Ireland, Women’s Sports Foundation, Forbes, Sport Australia)