With more girls getting involved in the sport of football and the slogan: Let Them Play reverberating across the local soccer landscape – a Saint Lucian business woman is providing an opportunity for the young players to rumble.
Today (Saturday), several female teams will participate in the Marcella Johnson Girls Football festival, which takes place at the Corinth Playing Field.
Northern United All Stars Football Club in collaboration with the Gros-Islet Football league, hosted a media launch, this week, where attendees were briefed about the competition.
In attendance were representatives of the Gros-Islet Football League, participating football clubs and the title sponsor- Marcella Johnson.
The festival was created to support and encourage female footballers in Saint Lucia.
Speaking to the media,Ms Johnson recalled that she grew up from “humble beginnings” in the Marchand community. Citing the importance of education to get out of the daily struggles of life, she said, this was vital in her journey, transitioning from a 25-year banking career to a business woman.
She underscored her interest in the development of the youth as a top priority. “By having this festival, it is empowering women …and I saw this as a way of giving back to the women, (and) helping them to see how lucrative it is and having careers in sport that can take them places,” the LUX Car Rental owner and business executive declared.
While observing the lucrative gains that female players in the world acquired from the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Johnson says, the corporate sector can play a role in unleashing the potential of female players.
Ms. Johnson explained that her Foundation and supporting crew works with the schools “to help young people” and by interacting with various coaches “we saw the need for helping women in football.”
At the launch of the Girls Football Festival, Coach Trevor Daniel emphasised that while more girls than boys are involved in football at a young age, the dropout rate for girls increases significantly as they grow older. He attributed this to a lack of engaging activities and opportunities tailored to keep them interested in the sport.