Recently, I was lucky enough to chat with Clare Robinson, an experienced coach at Stirling Albion Girls Academy. Getting her insight into the highs and lows, the trials and tribulations that come with coaching a girls football team. I also had the opportunity to hear about how SWIS has contributed to the club’s remarkable journey.
Clare started her journey with Stirling Albion Girls Academy in 2018 when she was only 14 years old. She initially started working with the club as part of her bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award and, “I enjoyed it so much I had to stay.” Now, seven years on, Clare is coaching at the club and has described her new role as “very rewarding” and speaks so passionately about watching the girls she coaches grow as players, and as individuals: “Having been with the academy for seven years, I have not only watched the girls develop their football skills, but also grow as a team and make new friends. We couldn’t be prouder of the team, how they handle their losses, have great sportsmanship with their own teammates, and the opposition, and how welcoming a community they make for our team.”
Being a member of the team has not only been beneficial for the girl’s individual development, but their sporting success speaks to the value that close-knit relationships can have on their performance as a team, as evidenced in their recent achievements. Most recently, the team played in a weekend tournament in Blackpool, which saw girls teams come together from all across the UK: “We faced teams we had never seen before, meaning the girls had to learn to adapt on the pitch when figuring out how the new teams play.”
The team are also doing exceptionally well in their Scottish League at the moment, and their attitude towards the game is heartwarming to hear: “The girls bring so much energy to training and are always eager to learn new skills to take onto the pitch.”
And that’s not the only big win for the club, as next season marks an exciting development for the team as the U12s Whites will move up to 11 a side games – “after a good season so far at our second year at nine-a-side, all of the coaches can see that the girls are ready for their next challenge – not having much experience on the bigger pitch, longer games and higher level, will give the whole team a huge chance to develop within not only the team, but also themselves.”
This new opportunity for development is such an exciting step for the team, and I wanted to ask Clare what her ambitions are for the team going forward. Her answer was a true testament to the heart of the club: “Currently, our biggest ambition for the team is to continue growing the way we are. With the move to 11-a-side next season, we aim to give the girls new skills and help them to adapt those they currently have, to keep the strength and confidence they all display just now. While they know that they’ll face several challenges, the friendships they have built throughout the team will no doubt help them face these together.”
The girls on the team are a true example of resilience and strength and are doing their team proud from every angle.
From a wider perspective, there have been many incredible wins for women in football over the last few years, including the outstanding commercial success of the Women’s Euros on a global scale, but also due to the sheer popularity of Scottish Women’s games at a domestic level. From speaking to Clare on the impact this has had on the uptake in girls’ football, she speaks about the increase in size of the girl’s academy over the last few years: “It is an incredible achievement to have enough girls and volunteers to be able to have the range of teams we do, from U8s up to U16s. In 2022, we had the opportunity to take the whole girls academy to Hampden to watch the Scottish women’s team play – we even got a shoutout on the big screen!”
Now, where do SWIS fit into the journey of the team?
Just before the team left for Blackpool, founder and CEO of Scottish Women in Sport Maureen McGonigle visited them and introduced herself: “She told us inspiring stories about the different teams that played in the stadium, when she was in charge of the Scottish Women’s National team, that he had brought to play at Forthbank, and how one day that could be one of our own, which put into perspective for the girls what they could achieve if they stick at it.” Now, the girls team proudly sports the SWIS logo on their sponsor jackets, which they were able to wear to Blackpool.
Finally, I asked Clare what advice she would give to young women and girls who want to follow in her footsteps and find their way in the sporting world. “The biggest piece of advice I could give to young women and girls, is to not be afraid and go out with confidence. People’s biggest achievements come from pushing themselves out of their comfort zones.”
The story of Stirling Albion Girls Academy is one full of heart, community, resilience and a great passion for the game and Clare’s story is one which is truly inspiring. I, for one, cannot wait to see what’s next for the team and am looking forward to hearing more about their incredible journey over the coming years.
