Finding Freedom In Football
Aya, USA
Aya is a 17-year old high school senior, originally from Iraq and living in Baltimore, USA. She plays football for her high school and with Soccer Without Borders (SWB), where she is captain of the U18 team. SWB is an international nonprofit that uses soccer as a vehicle for positive change. SWB Maryland provides a community for newcomer youth and their families by offering soccer, academic, and social-emotional support, with a focus on providing a safe space for female identifying participants to play.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your soccer life?
My name is Aya, I am 17 years old and originally from Iraq. My soccer life really started with Soccer Without Borders (SWB). I had never played soccer before coming to the United States. Girls where I am from, and where many others are from, are expected to not play sports, so I did not. But I wanted to change that. Soccer gives me an outlet for anger and frustration and makes me feel happy and free.
I was so young when I left Iraq, so it was not my decision, but for my mom it felt like it was not safe anymore and she wanted my future to be better than hers. She wanted me to get the best education and reach my goals without struggling. In my country there are a lot of restrictions just for being a woman. If I stayed there I probably would not have gone to high school and I would mainly be working in the house.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?
The people in all of my photos are my teammates from SWB. All of them were taken at a practice or on one of our game days. I tried to show what this team means to me, how diverse we are, and how powerful women can be for other women. I tried to show how we help and support each other and that this team is a family.
I showed my friend Sofiya trying a bicycle kick - she loves soccer so much. I also showed one of my friends helping Sofiya up at practice. I think this shows how we as a team and a larger community just have to help each other whenever and wherever we can. You can also see some of our team getting back on the bus after a game. We always take the bus as a team just with our coach. We are our own support system and that has been a really good way for us to get to know each other better - by sharing songs and dances and learning more about each other.
One person in the photos is Soliana. Soliana has graduated but she was a leader on our team and she is still such a strong leader for others in our community, and especially those in her Eritrean community. She is also now a coach for one of our SWB middle school sites. I would love to come back and coach one day like her. In the photo you can see her sitting on the side of a practice but really encouraging girls, which was always so helpful. Having an older participant just be there to support you and make you feel strong and welcome was the best. I always felt pretty comfortable at SWB, but I could tell that new girls were nervous or scared or did not know what to expect. Soliana was almost like a mom who would bring anyone under her wing. The photos show her doing this, giving a high five and a peace sign, which really captures her attitude and vibe.
What is your favourite photo?
One photo shows five of our teammates at SWB and each is from a different country - Sudan, Congo, Eritrea, Nepal, and Afghanistan. Each one speaks a different language. Obviously we set this photo up but it captures one of the best things about playing soccer with SWB. We all come from different places and have different backgrounds and beliefs, but on the field we are one. We are all girls who want to play soccer. I think it means something similar to all of us, which is what really connects us and makes us feel whole.
Why is soccer important to you and your community?
Soccer is important to me and my community because we are free when we play it. We can play and have fun, we can play and be happy, we can play to let out our frustration, we can play to make friends, we can play to feel strong and empowered, and we can just play. Not everyone can do that. I hope that soccer keeps motivating women in our community because it can teach people a lot.
What role does soccer and SWB play in your life at the moment?
Right now, being in high school, I play with SWB and my high school team. I do not think I would have had the confidence to play on my high school team if I did not play for SWB first. I built up a lot of confidence and found my voice through playing in middle school with SWB. I know that soccer is a platform that many use to speak out about things, and I want to be able to do that for Muslim women around the world. I have big goals for my future and I know soccer will play a role somehow. Next year I plan to attend Towson University and I would love to continue soccer there as well.
