Helping Daughters and Dads Connect Through Football
Laura Everton, 26, is passionate about sport. As the Health Development Officer for Fulham FC Foundation, she manages the partnership with Women In Sport and delivers their programme of ‘Daughters and Dads: Active and Empowered’.
The Daughters and Dads: Active and Empowered programme is designed to empower females aged 5-11. It encourages them to be physically active and play sport in their communities, but more importantly, to become the physical activity leaders within their families where many girls are often overlooked.
The sessions are run to connect dads with their daughters through the enjoyment of physical activity and sport together. The sessions are run weekly and deliver theoretical sessions, words of the week, topics and information on different types of activity and the benefits.
Rough and tumble play and structured play is facilitated between the participants during indoor sessions. The outdoor sessions focus on fundamental movement skill and fitness activities.
The programme highlights just how impactful a father-figure’s relationship with their daughter can be when it comes to sport and activity. It encourages dads to be more active in their own lives and promotes the view that girls are just as capable and dedicated as boys when it comes to sport.
Laura Everton said:
“It’s amazing to see people taking part and smiling and laughing as well as truly benefiting and learning from the content that you’re delivering. The girls who took part in the programme recently were inspiring for me with their courage and determination throughout a really difficult year for them.
“I love meeting new people from all walks of life, so to meet and talk to so many new people and learn about them and their journey has been really insightful for me and taught me a lot about the communities that we work in.”
Participants particularly enjoyed the sessions and the new-found confidence that their daughters had accompanied by new skills. The dads reported that their own attitudes have changed and their view of girls and sport had changed.
Dad Ben Widdicombe has found the sessions invaluable:
“I have a son as well and I know that I play a lot more sport with him than I do with my daughter. I’ve always been very aware of the difference in how I play with and treat them both. This has been great to have the chance to play sport with my daughter and be a bit more physical with her.”
