Meet Nagin Ravand, the footballer, coach and advocate - who now sits at The Soulfuls Youth Advisory Board
Meet Nagin Ravand, the footballer, coach and advocate who is boldly creating and maintaining space within Danish football for young women. Having pushed for greater inclusivity in the game ever since she accidentally joined her first football match aged just ten, her later founding of an initiative in Aarhus to give girls the opportunity to play football stemmed from her own experiences as an Afghan refugee who had never seen girls like her represented in sports. When we speak, it’s clear that for Ravand, seeing yourself represented in the professional (or football) field is the key to unlocking a new future.
When I was 12, we moved to a new city. And for the whole first year, there were no options for girls to play football. I was very sad because football was my home, my life! I loved it.
When we went to the local library and asked if there (was) football for girls, there was this guy who worked there who took one look at me and was like, ‘What? Girls playing football here? No.’ I was devastated.
About two years later, I decided to team up with the local football club, which only had male members. I became a coach (there) to give other girls the opportunity to play football. I knew I missed it when I arrived, so I just wondered how many other girls could miss out – (girls) who don’t even know they have the right to participate.
In these areas, there are a lot of refugee families, or people from ethnic backgrounds, and they have a lack of role models. When they saw (they) were allowed to play football, then everyone just started coming. It was my mission: to make these girls feel equal to every other girl.
It wasn’t expensive, like other clubs; there weren’t all these high demands that other clubs have. When I was younger, I had the same barriers, so I knew what was keeping these girls back.
“Football doesn’t work if you don't include all 11 players. I’ve (always) loved the fact that it’s a neutral ground, and everyone is equal. It doesn’t matter who’s popular, who’s tall, who’s white, who’s black. The only thing that matters is communicating with each other.
I am competitive, I like to win! But I think what makes me a good coach is my experience not only on the field but also outside the field: my experience that comes from a multicultural understanding, and an ability to adapt the values of football to society as a whole. If we see society like football, we’ll begin to see the best in each other, to smile at our differences instead of trying to kick people down.”
– Nagin Ravand
Nagin is a Youth Advisory Board member of The Soulfuls, and you can catch her speak at our Summit on Thursday 29 April at 16:00 CET.
We invite you to join The Soulfuls to get the encouragement, knowledge and community you need to unlock your potential. From Monday April 26th, we’ll be hosting The Soulfuls Summit — a chance to enjoy talks with leading women within the industry from a diverse range of backgrounds. Sign up to become a member now and we’ll see you there! Questions? You can always email us at info@thesoulfuls.com
Written by Claire Marie Healy.
