Former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes believes that female role models are crucial in addressing the lack of women in coaching roles. Speaking out about her own experiences and those of others, she highlights the importance of visibility and mentorship for young girls and women looking to pursue careers in football.
Hayes, who is currently the head coach of the United States Women's national team, says that having more female role models would help inspire a new generation of players. "It can be so disheartening sometimes when I see so limited females in the space," she admitted. "Not just in coaching, but across the game."
Hayes also spoke about her own journey into football and how supportive she was after becoming a mother to her son, Harry, while still managing Chelsea. She says that without the support of others, it may have been difficult for many women to continue pursuing their careers.
To address the lack of female coaches in the sport, Hayes suggests that clubs and organizations need to be more intentional about creating opportunities for women. This includes providing fully-funded professional training courses, as well as mentoring programs to help young girls and women get into the game.
One potential solution is gaming. The Football Manager franchise has seen its audience grow exponentially, with millions of people worldwide playing the latest version of the game. With a new women's football feature added in the most recent release, Hayes believes that this could be a powerful way to attract new players to the sport and inspire more girls to get involved.
"The more you can use technology to drive interest within the game, I think it's exceptional," she said. "If we can educate people through fully-funded courses, hopefully that has an impact on the system."
Hayes is optimistic about the potential of gaming to help increase participation in women's football and inspire a new generation of coaches. As part of her efforts, she is working with Xbox and Sky Sports to promote their own initiatives, including offering fully-funded professional training for women looking to start their coaching careers.
By highlighting the importance of female role models and creating opportunities for young girls and women to get involved in the sport, Hayes hopes that more people will be inspired to follow her path. As she says, "I think you can use gaming as a new pathway into football."
Hayes, who is currently the head coach of the United States Women's national team, says that having more female role models would help inspire a new generation of players. "It can be so disheartening sometimes when I see so limited females in the space," she admitted. "Not just in coaching, but across the game."
Hayes also spoke about her own journey into football and how supportive she was after becoming a mother to her son, Harry, while still managing Chelsea. She says that without the support of others, it may have been difficult for many women to continue pursuing their careers.
To address the lack of female coaches in the sport, Hayes suggests that clubs and organizations need to be more intentional about creating opportunities for women. This includes providing fully-funded professional training courses, as well as mentoring programs to help young girls and women get into the game.
One potential solution is gaming. The Football Manager franchise has seen its audience grow exponentially, with millions of people worldwide playing the latest version of the game. With a new women's football feature added in the most recent release, Hayes believes that this could be a powerful way to attract new players to the sport and inspire more girls to get involved.
"The more you can use technology to drive interest within the game, I think it's exceptional," she said. "If we can educate people through fully-funded courses, hopefully that has an impact on the system."
Hayes is optimistic about the potential of gaming to help increase participation in women's football and inspire a new generation of coaches. As part of her efforts, she is working with Xbox and Sky Sports to promote their own initiatives, including offering fully-funded professional training for women looking to start their coaching careers.
By highlighting the importance of female role models and creating opportunities for young girls and women to get involved in the sport, Hayes hopes that more people will be inspired to follow her path. As she says, "I think you can use gaming as a new pathway into football."
, you know how important it is for us women to have role models who look like us in the game? I mean, its not just about the coaching roles but even being a part of the game itself. My niece was always into gaming and I think that's how she got into football 
, now shes all about playing and even trying to coach her own team at school 
. We need more programs like this that can bring girls and women together to play and learn the game. And yeah, technology can be a great way to do it too, I mean who doesn't love football manager 
. The thing is though, its not just about the gaming part, its about making sure we have more opportunities for young girls and women to get involved in the first place 
. She's not just talking the talk, but is actually doing something to help level the playing field for women in football. I mean, can you imagine if every girl growing up had someone to look up to and say "hey, I'm a woman who makes it work in this sport"? It would be huge 
. And yeah, let's not forget about gaming 
I totally agree with Emma Hayes on this one... it's so important we have more female role models in coaching roles, especially at the youth level. It'd be amazing to see more women involved in the sport and being able to inspire others to follow their dreams too 
. Having fully-funded training courses and mentorship programs would definitely help create a more inclusive environment for young girls and women to get into football 
. And let's not forget about gaming - I mean, who wouldn't want to play Football Manager with the ability to manage a female team? 
especially with xbox and sky sports getting involved it's defo gonna make a difference 
and i'm lovin the idea of fully funded training courses too 
that way we can get more women in coaching roles and break down those barriers 
. What if they get burned out from gaming before they even try coaching in real life? Or worse, think it's all just a game (pun intended) and not take it seriously enough? I'm all for innovation, but let's make sure we're not just throwing money at a problem without actually addressing the root issues 
also gaming can be a game changer lol get it 
Still, I guess it's worth a shot, and at least Hayes is trying to create change - that's gotta count for something 
i mean have you seen her career? from being a coach to managing chelsea and now leading the uswnt 
it's crazy! she's so inspiring and relatable at the same time 
and gaming is a great idea too! i mean, have you played footy manager? 
they're offering fully-funded training courses and mentoring programs 
it's like, the more we can support each other in pursuing our passions, the better off we'll be 
. Let's get behind this and make sure girls have every opportunity to become involved in footy and pursue careers in coaching 
And yeah, fully-funded training courses and mentoring programs are super important too! 
they need more female role models like her 
gaming can also be a great way to attract new players to the sport 
let's hope more people will get inspired by emma hayes' story 
.