Listen to thisThe 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (WWC) took place between July 20 and August 20 in New Zealand and Australia. It was the largest ever, with the most teams participating, most tickets sold (1.8 million), new and better partnerships, and increased media coverage—and with it, increased viewership (FIFA Statistics, 2023). The WWC brought in $570 million USD in revenue, the second highest income of any global sport only after the 2022 Men’s World Cup in Qatar (Carp & Dixon, 2023). Arguably, it was the best WWC to have taken place since the tournament's inception in 1999. Nine of the 32 participating teams were coached by women, and the number of Black women footballers playing increased significantly with the addition of teams from Zambia, Morocco, and Haiti. On August 20, at the end of a thrilling final, a new WWC champion was crowned, Spain’s La Roja (The Reds).
Although the WWC draws attention as an exciting sports event, it also serves as a notable instance of the legacy left by inequitable structures and policies in the world of sport, which results in missed opportunities and altered life trajectories for highly talented athletes (Bruening et al., 2005; Gabay, 2013; White, 2021). Theorized through the lens of Black Feminist thought and my own experiences as a Black woman in football, the WWC serves as an ideal case study to delve deeper into the role of Black girls and young women in sport and how it has evolved over time. I consider what the increased representation means for young Black women and girls as well as the new opportunities presented for youth serving organizations to engage more directly with Black girls and young women. Such engagement would not only foster support for Black girls in football, but also aligns seamlessly with the overarching mission of youth serving organizations - emphasizing the enhancement of overall youth well-being and development.
Writing through the Lens of a Black Feminist, an Immigrant, and a Midfielder
This reflection and analysis is framed through the lens of a Black Feminist scholar who possesses a genuine passion for sports and recognizes the intersectionality of sports and social services as a crucial yet insufficiently explored domain within the field of youth services (Collins, 1989). There are several reasons for applying a Black Feminist lens to this reflection. First, as Black Feminists, we believe that Black women’s lives and experiences are valuable and their stories should be celebrated (Arinze & McGarry, 2021; Gabay, 2013), both in contexts that fall within and transcend the game of football and sports. In addition, Black Feminisms offer an intersectional approach in which race, gender, and multiple oppressions explode (Arinze & McGarry, 2021; Hylton, 2022). Black Feminisms acknowledge the existence and impact of these explosions while upholding the value of the experiences of Black women footballers. Further, activism and social justice are key tenets of Black Feminism (Collins, 1989). There is ample evidence that Black women have always fought for change and equity in sports and broader society (Davis, 2016; Gabay, 2013; Ogbe, 2022). Indeed, Black women athletes have paved the way (Davis, 2016). Finally, Black Feminism offers new knowledges and insights about football that perhaps have been silenced and overlooked amidst the often white, male voices in the world of sport.
My perspective is furthermore informed by years of active participation in football – I was a midfielder. Football to me is the most beautiful game. It is simple yet filled with emotion. I often say that football comes from the grassroots and lives in the community (Hylton, 2023b). As an immigrant, the team of my birthplace, Jamaica, is always in my heart. Canada, where I have spent most of my life, also has a strong team for which I cheer. I cheer for Black girls and women footballers no matter where they are in the world. Their victories are mine as well; their stories advance those of Black women, football, sports, and Black histories more broadly.
Watching the WWC was exhilarating. The athletes were showcasing their skills and highlighting the legitimacy of women’s sports. I felt like a little girl playing again, heart racing and full of joy. I was proud of teams like Jamaica, which made history by being the first Caribbean nation to advance to the knockout stage—I echoed their cry, “we likkle but we tallawah.” For Canada, it was a disappointing world cup, as we/they did not advance out of their group stages, and other issues such as pay equity, the lack of youth development programs, and the retirement of its longtime superstar, Christine Sinclair, were dominant narratives.
Representation Matters
At the 2023 WWC, Black women were noticeable, with the tournament featuring the largest-ever number of Black women players. Among the diverse group of Black footballers were the United States’ Sophie Smith and Trinity Rodman, as well as rising stars such as teenagers Linda Caicedo of Colombia and Salma Paralluelo of Spain. Canada featured home-grown talents Kadeisha Buchanan and Ashley Lawrence. Europe can also claim some of the best footballers at the tournament, such as Kadidiatou Diani (France) and Lauren James (England). Thembi Kgatlana of South Africa, Nigerian superstar Asisat Oshoala, and Barbra Banda of Zambia showed what is to come from Black African footballers. Khadija Shaw of Jamaica, Melchie Dumornay of Haiti, Marta Cox of Panama, and Kerolin Nicoli Israel Ferraz of Brazil well represented the Caribbean and Central and South America. Black girl magic was on full display. These players showcased to the world the many ways in which Black woman can exist on the football field. From their different religions and cultures to their different skills and styles of play, even to the colour of their braids and nails, they represented and were unapologetically Black women. Indeed, their way of being was an expression of culture and joy that had not been present in previous tournaments.
Black Girls and Sports Culture: Hair and Resistance
“Black girls are the purest form of art” (Okantah, 2023) — meaning that, whatever the context, Black women have always contributed to shaping the culture of their environment. As Nikki Giovanni alludes to in her poetry (Giovanni, 1993), Black women make everything better! The Black women on the US team took the internet by storm when they graced the WWC in their stylish gender-neutral suits, designed by Nike and Martine Rose. Crystal Dunn stood out particularly due to the avant-garde yellow wrap-around sunglasses that highlighted her cutting-edge style. On and off the field, Black women displayed expressions of culture and joy that provided a counter to Eurocentric, male-dominated narratives about how football can or should be.
As I watched the games, I noticed the Black players’ hair, and how they wore it to express themselves. Black women’s bodies have always been sites of politics and resistance—a reflection of the larger society (Griffin, 1996; Mowatt et al., 2013). Black women’s hair has been policed and discriminated against in many ways, leaving them without jobs, unable to participate in some sports, or forced to conform to Eurocentric styles (Baylor, 2023; Harris & Davis, 2023). Yet the Black women I watched on the football field no longer subscribe to Eurocentric hair styles; instead, they proudly wear their afro, locks, braids, and other natural styles. Kadidiatou Diani wore her braids in many colours—lavender, gray, or blue for Les Bleues, and sometimes included a ribbon in her tight coils, which she wears long and beautiful, a complement to her expert football skills and expressions of joy when she scores. Jamaica’s Deneisha Blackwood wore her short afro in a light pink. Nigeria’s Rasheedat Ajibade represented her team’s colours with hairstyles of bright green and blue, while her teammate, Asisat Oshoala, kept her hair cut low to the scalp. Others wore their hair in protective styles. A protective hairstyle serves as a safeguarding technique in which the hair ends are securely tucked away, reducing the need for frequent manipulation (Simpson, 2017). This practice is particularly essential for Black women footballers, providing a reprieve for their hair ends from adverse weather conditions during sports activities. All this self-expression is important to the culture of football, illustrating that the football field is a place where Black women can be their authentic selves (Brown, 2018).
Black Girls and Football Skills
Too often, when Black women and girls’ athleticism is described, it is not their skills that are highlighted (Harrison & Lawrence, 2004; Vertinsky & Captain, 1998). I have noticed how media commentators describe us using animal-like characteristics. For example, announcers rarely mention that Black women footballers are strategic or intelligent; rather, they focus on players’ strength and speed. In the Nigeria–England game, the commentor stated, “you know that Nigeria is not going to run out of energy. They will keep running” (Bell Media, 2023). I thought to myself, “it’s unsustainable, all that sprinting; why would you say that?” In that game, I saw that Nigeria regularly had the best chances of scoring. To combat these instances of anti-Blackness, highlighting the skills of Black women footballers is important. Spain would not have enjoyed its success in the World Cup without the skills and goals of Salma Paralluelo. France, England, and Canada all had Black women among their best defenders: Wendie Renard, Jessica Carter, and Kadeisha Buchanan. From the left-back to right-back positions, defenders assumed pivotal roles on the football field. Confronting agile and versatile strikers while navigating the intense pressures of the game constitutes a crucial responsibility. Black women excelled in these roles, making significant contributions to the success of their respective squads. Those Black women footballers are strategic, creative, intelligent, and poised.
The Current Momentum of Girls and Women in Sports
We know from the men’s side of sports that when viewership and engagement with tournaments and teams are high, young people are more likely to enter the sport and remain engaged (Eime et al., 2013). The landscape of women and girls in sports is experiencing a notable surge in popularity, marked by significant advancements in addressing equity within this realm (Staurowsky et al., 2020). Notably, the NCAA women's basketball final garnered unprecedented viewership over the past year, with compelling narratives surrounding athletes such as Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark enriching the overall appeal of the game (Blasi, 2024). Further contributing to this momentum, was the ground-breaking inaugural WNBA exhibition game held in Canada (Hylton, 2023a), the successful staging of the Women's World Cup (WWC) (Ahmed, 2023), and the flourishing Professional Women’s Hockey League in North America, where Toronto and Montreal games achieved a remarkable attendance record of 19,285, on par with the men’s professional teams (Brown & Deonrain, 2024). In addition, high viewership was observed in events such as the three-point contest featuring Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, attracting 5.4 million viewers (Treacy, 2024), and the clash between rivals South Carolina and Louisiana State University, drawing 1.55 million viewers (Chavkin, 2024). The resounding sentiment that "Everyone Watches Women Sports" is not merely a proclamation but a shared acknowledgment among enthusiasts and supporters of girls and women in sports (Scheadler, & Wagstaff, 2018).
Black Girls’ Unique Experiences
While we celebrate the rise of women’s sports globally, and its increasing appeal to mixed gender audiences across diverse geographies, we must also be realistic about the barriers still faced by many social groups. Black girls and young women are one such group that continuously faces barriers to enter and remain engaged in the sport (Arinze & McGarry, 2021; Gabay, 2013). The barriers include racism, socio-economic variables, access to teams where Black girls live, and a lack of representation at the level of coaching, refereeing, and team management (Bruening et al., 2005; Gabay, 2013; White, 2021). And yet, this is a moment where opportunities exist for youth serving organizations to capitalize on the heightened attention to and greater investment in women’s sports. Thinking broadly, youth serving organizations could partner with sports organizations, including national and regional sports administration and policymaking bodies, to generate new pathways for Black girls and young women to become engaged (Rauscher & Cooky, 2015). Such pathways focus, of course, on the sport participation component but can also open doors to coaching, refereeing, sports management, and administration. The argument for such partnerships can be built around youth development which has always been at the core of youth serving organizations. Child and youth care and social work as professional practices have always included an emphasis on mentorship, relational engagements, advocacy, and ultimately generating new experiences for young people in which they might find new inspiration and ambition (Bisman, 2004; Garfat, 2012; Simard et al., 2014). For many young people, engagement in sport, either as athlete or as administrative leader, is remarkably high on the list of aspirations. It is for this reason that in many jurisdictions, schools are often associated with sports and sports teams, drawing on a pool of highly motivated students aspiring for careers that involve sports (Stout, 2023).
Strategies for Youth Serving Organizations in Championing Inclusion for Black Girls in Sports
Youth serving organizations could take leadership roles in advocating for sport policies that aim to increase inclusion and support equity-focused initiatives. In some countries, including Canada, inclusion, and equity, particularly as it relates to girls, is a core element of development and public investment strategies. This is therefore an enormous opportunity for youth serving organizations to initiate dialogue that connects policy to the grassroots and opens opportunities for Black girls to engage.
“Soccer begins with the grassroots,” I told my interviewer on PBS’s To the Contrary (Hylton, 2023c). Football federations need to invest in underserved neighbourhoods, providing them with free and accessible access to football fields, quality coaching and mentorship programs. When Canada departed early from the WWC in 2023, captain Christine Sinclair stated in her post-game interview that it was a wakeup call for Canada, as, unlike other countries, Canada is not investing enough in youth football (Canadian Press, 2023). I agree with Sinclair’s statement. More programs need to be funded to focus on youth development. Football programs that are grassroots, and youth focused, are one of the ways in which a new generation of Black girls, one that is empowered and sees itself reflected in the sport, can emerge. Football federations are only one side of the equation. Youth serving agencies are another side; one that must commit to efforts to include sport as one of the many healing resources offered to young people.
Globally, football at the grassroots is often supported through global north contributions to social and economic development in the global south. Canada, for example, practices what it calls a ‘feminist foreign policy’ precisely to prioritize the development of girls and young women. Furthermore, the Canadian Sport Policy (CSP) is a national policy that identifies Canadian sport priorities and helps guide how federal, provincial, and territorial governments advance sport (Thibault & Harvey, 2013). Within this policy, in the section on gender equity, the federal government has set a target to achieve gender equity in sport by 2035 (Government of Canada, 2018). The CSP emphasizes increased participation, inclusivity, safety, and excellence in sports. Youth-Serving organizations, such as schools, community centers, and youth clubs, are often pivotal in implementing these goals by creating inclusive, safe, and supportive environments for Black girls to engage in football and sports (Powers et al., 2020). Another section of the CSP focuses on advocating for accessible sports programs for all youth, regardless of their socio-economic status, gender, ethnicity, or physical ability. For Black girls, youth serving organizations can develop specific intersectional approaches to measurable goals that reflect the CSP's commitment to inclusion and accessibility to sport for all (Brown & Clark, 2023; Rauscher & Cooky, 2015).
Engagement at the community level will be an essential component of reaching this target, which, again, creates a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for youth-serving organizations to initiate partnerships to get Black girls involved at all levels of the sport. Black football stars serve as inspiration and incentive to get engaged. Barriers to entry serve as disappointment and disincentive to get engaged. Youth serving organizations have always operated at the threshold of positive incentives to make change with young people rather than for them, and indeed operate at a level that can address many of these barriers and facilitate access to these oft closed off spaces. This is the opportunity to collaborate with Black girls and fundamentally transform what for many young people is a world of opportunity and hope.
Conclusion
This paper outlined some of my reflections on the 2023 Women’s World Cup within Feminist Theorizing. My love of sports and football has opened my eyes to the global possibilities that sports and youth serving organizations can champion to support the inclusion of Black girls in sports to address many of the barriers and challenges they face entering and engaging in sports. Sports remain an integral part of human culture and socialization that brings people together. It is, therefore, well aligned with the values of social service organizations to address many of the barriers that exclude Black girls and young women from full participation in sport activities. Social service organizations that serve youth are uniquely positioned to engage with Black girls and young women more directly. They can lead the charge to advocate for policies that aim to increase inclusion and support equity-focused initiatives in sports. This can enhance not only their inclusion in sports but their overall well-being in society.
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