Girls Bend it like Beckham

Girls from Ormskirk and West Lancashire schools proved that the future is female when they took to the football field at Edge Hill?s Ormskirk Campus this week for coaching sessions organised by third year Sports Studies students. The group of five male Edge Hill students were behind the promotion of girl?s goals as part of the event management module of their degree course, particularly in the run up to the European 2005 Championships to be held in the North West region this June.

Year seven and eight girls from Glenburn and Ormskirk High schools and St Bedes Catholic High were put through their paces by coaches from Edge Hill women?s football team who have recently completed their FA coaching awards. England team player Kelly McDougall, who is a second year Sports Studies student at Edge Hill, advised the future footballers on how to make their mark in the fastest growing women?s sport in the country.

Barbara Bell is Sports Studies lecturer at Edge Hill: "We hope to make today?s event an annual one, as it has been very well received by the schools. There is a link with the curriculum for our third year students, and teachers in schools certainly welcome the opportunity for girls to take part in the coaching sessions by our recently qualified students."

Kelly McDougall welcomed the opportunity to speak to the girls about how to progress their football skills:

"There?s no doubt that the opportunities are increasing for girls to get involved in the sport, but not every school offers football as an option for girls," said Kelly. "Girls should have a much wider choice of sports and from a very early age to encourage even more to participate sports that have traditionally been male dominated."

Pic: girls from Ormskirk High School catch football fever with (L-R) students Jamie Harvey, Anthony Murphy and Karl Feather and (centre) England player Kelly McDougall