Strength in Numbers - The Importance of Women-Led Sports Collectives
Free and accessible sports aren't always realistically safe for a solo woman athlete, but the rise of women-led sports collectives does present one remedy to this reality. The community and encouragement that a sports group fosters can be seen in multiple groups around South Africa, each seeking to combat some of the many barriers women face.
Besides the gender gap present in sports worldwide, South African women face an extra set of barriers to participation. Entering typically male-dominated spaces is daunting enough, and when safety concerns, as well as socio-economic issues, are added, it can totally discourage women from even trying.
Luckily there is a growing number of sports groups created by women, for women, aiming to tackle these issues. There’s The NineFour, who run the streets of the city at night, enjoying safety in numbers and a crowd-free CBD. Badgers Football Club is a women-owned soccer club that uses soccer as a tool to create community and uplift teenage girls and women. And Smiles Skate Club, which seek to grow the women’s skate scene, one hippy jump at a time.
Running is considered one of the most accessible forms of exercise: all you need is a pair of shoes and the world is your free route. Before heading out the door in South Africa, however, one must consider a number of elements, from whether it’s safe to run with headphones to the likelihood of being catcalled on a particular road.
Ladies Night is an initiative by running group The NineFour started in 2022 to create a space for women to run at night through the city. With inclusivity as one of their core values, all skill levels are welcome to run alongside their pace-mates within the group, while the 5km loop is dotted with points where everyone will reconvene.
“We take speakers with us and it turns into a karaoke night and dance party between robot stops,” says Ali McDonald, one of the leaders of the crew. Marshals wearing reflective vests keep the groups together and ensure no one is left behind.
By approaching running with this caring and fun attitude, the group has created a strong and supportive community, where both personal best times and self-esteem have improved, alongside blossoming friendships. Ladies Night hopes to help rewrite the inner narrative many women have about not being fast or strong enough to run, or not looking like society’s idea of a runner.
“When you stack them up, there are many barriers for women,” says Ali. “We hold these with compassion, and shift the focus towards how much stronger we are when we uplift and support each other through it all.”
The concept of casually kicking a ball around is synonymous with the male experience. While there are a number of five-a-side pitches around Cape Town, accessing them as a woman can be intimidating, forcing one to either play with men or gather a group of your own accord. Badgers FC, founded by Romaney Pinnock, offers women both the light-hearted fun of a fives game as well as the chance to receive professional coaching and play competitively for their league teams.
Noting the socio-economic barriers many women face in South Africa, the club is also a registered non-profit and campaigns for donations, using them to cover training fees and provide transport for the players who need it.
Speak to anyone who’s played at Badgers and it is clear that this club provides more than just a soccer pitch. “I find it difficult to put into words how amazing joining Badgers has been for my life,” says Sarah Wallace, a regular player for the team. “Besides my fitness improving, my relationship to my body and appreciation for what it can do has too.”
Skateparks are not exclusive and are completely open to the public, yet naturally are populated with more men than women. Here to give women and girls the confidence to occupy these spaces is the Skate Smiles Club, founded by Melissa Williams, an Olympian skateboarder based in Cape Town. In classic skater style, this crew is laidback and positive, with their main goals being to have fun and to encourage participation from any girl or woman with a skateboard.
Melissa created the group as a way to get more women involved in the local skate scene. They host regular skate sessions, where attendees are free to experiment, learn tricks from some of the more experienced skaters, and simply enjoy an evening of skating with like-minded women. In a world where so many women struggle with perfectionism, the encouraging and positive attitude of Skate Smiles is a welcome breath of fresh air. Falling is part of the process; just pick yourself up and get back on your board.
It’s clear that women’s sports groups go beyond the pitch, the skatepark, or wherever they chose to gather. Join one and chances are you’ll find yourself rich in both fitness and friendship.
Words by: Andie Reeves
Photos by Leon Bester, Hana Sho & Badgers FC