Former Lioness Rachel Yankey has admitted she had to cut her hair and change her name as a youngster - just to play football.
Yankey addressed a group of young footballers as part of an emotional team talk at the Gatorade’s 5v5 all-female tournament, about the first team she played as an eight-year-old in Kilburn, north-west London. At the time, Yankey recalls, there were no girls who played football in her local area and there were no female role models she could look up to.
Gatorade launches the first video in its ‘Team Talk’ series featuring the former England and Arsenal icon and she shared how many barriers she faced as youngster just trying to play football as a girl.
Despite her passion for the game, her confidence was knocked when she was repeatedly told girls can’t play football. On a whim she cut all her hair off and joined a local boys’ team going by the name of Ray - after her initials Rachel Aba Yankey.
“It’s worrying to see the number of young people give up sport and cite a lack of confidence as the reason.” Yankey said. “No one sails through life without experiencing periods when your self-belief and confidence is rock bottom.
"My manager in the boys’ team was a painter and decorator. He just laid on sessions and made a safe space for the team to play. The confidence is built by somebody giving you the ball and allowing you to play, so as a youngster you play within a team and feel valued by your teammates”.
The disguise allowed Yankey the freedom to express herself on the pitch without being judged by her gender and the positive reaction she started to get from the side-lines, gave her the confidence to blossom as a player. By the age of 21, she signed a professional contract with the ambitious Fulham Ladies, becoming the first female player in England to do so.
The team-talks and admission from Yankey comes as global data reveals over four in ten (41 percent) parents believe that a lack of confidence and self-esteem prevent teens from taking up sport, and Yankey's role as one of Gatorade’s new team of ‘Confidence Coaches’, a move which comes in response to the data and ensuring young girls feel supported.
Yankey also expressed the need for an improvement to provide young girls the opportunity to play. “The barriers for young girls have changed; football is very organised now, you can’t play in the street you have to join a club and pay. The only way to change this is by creating a free safe space to play", she added.
Gatorade has held an annual five-a-side competition for 14- to 16-year-olds for the last five years, however the 2023 tournament marked the second year the brand has conducted an all-women’s contest.
The tournament featured nine female teams from across the Netherlands, including young talent from Eindhoven AFC. Each team fought hard to qualify for the final and to represent their local communities on a global stage. Legendary Dutch team Cruyff Academy from Tillburg lifted the trophy and were crowned champions following the unique tournament in Eindhoven, the day before the UEFA Women’s Champions League final.
