Meet the six-year-old who tackled school bullies who told her girls can't play football
She led out the England Women's team at their World Cup Qualifier
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Your support makes all the difference.A six-year-old girl triumphed over the bullies who told her that girls can’t play football, by leading out the England Women’s team during a recent qualifier.
Sheffield United fan, Jessie Adams, received an outcry of support after her mother tweeted about Jessie’s experience with bullies at school.
Jessie, who has been playing football since she was two years old, had joined in a lunchtime football game when she was told to stop playing because she was a girl. When her mother Anna Adams, 32, picked Jessie up from school she was told her daughter had been visibly upset all day, and took to social media to tell Jessie’s story.
Adams was soon flooded with messages of support for her and her daughter, and within days the family were contacted by Sheffield United Ladies FC. They offered Jessie the opportunity to lead the Blades out as mascot in their fixture against Radcliffe.
The experience was then picked up by the England Women’s national team, who invited her to lead them out at Southampton’s St. Mary’s stadium for the World Cup Qualifier against Wales on 6 April.
Adams, commenting on her decision to tweet Jessie’s story and the reaction it received, said: “I never expected it to go as far as it did. Sheffield United Ladies got in touch straight away and wanted to go to the school to speak to the children.
“The Lionesses also got in touch too and before we knew it, Jessie had lived her dream of leading out, not just Sheffield United Ladies, but England Women too.”
Adams said the family initially feared that Jessie might not want to play again after the experience, but that the support Jessie has received after the tweet has helped her confidence enormously. Adams also praised her daughter’s school for supporting the family’s fight against sexist attitudes to girls playing football.
While Adams did take down her tweet, worried that people might question her intentions, she now regrets her decision and feels it carried an important message:
“Initially, we took the tweet down simply because we didn’t want people to get the wrong idea and think that we were trying to get freebies.
“I regret taking it down now because it has had such a positive impact for girls in football.”
Jessie’s love of football began when she started watching matches with her father, after which she joined a club called Little Kicks at her local leisure centre.
Her mother spoke of Jessie’s love for the game: “She always has a ball at her feet and we have always said she is going to be a little footballer.
“We always tried to get her into clubs but because of her age and sex she hasn’t been accepted.”
However, the exposure Jessie has received may help in getting her the help she needs to develop and train her skills. Sheffield United Ladies FC is now keeping tabs on the aspiring footballer.
Carla Ward, interim manager of Sheffield United Ladies, said: “Jessie’s story is one which we should all get behind and learn from during Girls Football Week.
“Jessie is also extremely talented. We will be keeping a close eye on her.’’
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