Team GB players take over the Abbey to celebrate girls in sport!
It was amazing to have three GB athletes join us to share their experiences as women in sport and run a fantastic Flag Football taster session.
The NFL’s most-historic franchise, the Chicago Bears, were supported by Team GB Flag Football players Yasmin Cazeau, Jochebed Frimpong and Shifa Avcin-Martelly They kicked the day off with a powerful panel discussion before heading out onto the field.
Lead for Chicago Bears UK, NFL Flag UK and International coach, Kenny Bello, hosted an honest panel discussion joined by:
- YASMIN CAZEAU – British American football player, Captain of the GB American Football Team and was signed by the DC Divas in the United States’ Women’s Football Alliance, where she was honoured with an All-American selection, which is handed to the top 50 players in each of the two conferences.
- JOCHEBED FRIMPONG – Team GB Flag Football player and European Champion.
- SHIFA AVCIN-MARTELLY – Team GB Flag Football Quarterback.
Girls from Bohunt School and Holyport College joined Abbey students discussing topics from what helps them feel confident when they play sport, why we compare ourselves to others, through to other obstacles that girls can face.
The GB players gave such honest and inspiring answers. They shared personal stories of how they overcame stereotypes and barriers, and advised students to, “Encourage yourself, push yourself and have fun.”
Director of sport, Gill MacMillan said, “I think it’s been fantastic, bringing together so many positive things about women in sport and also talking about real barriers in a very honest and open way. I think they managed to create an environment where the students were comfortable talking about it, which is really positive.It’s great to see that all sports are trying to tackle the same things and see it from a different sport’s perspective like the NFL”
“It was brilliant to get different schools and different year groups together, as well as a fantastic practice session. It was so much fun and celebrated the joy of sport,” she added.
Laura, Upper V, said, “I thought it was really, really good, I’ve never done anything like it before. I really enjoyed meeting people that have been on Team GB – you don’t meet them very often! It was great to hear from women at the top of their sport talk about how they’ve coped with things and experiences they’ve gone through.”
Tranthini, Upper VI, said, “I thought it was really informative and it was really nice to hear directly from professionals.” The panel discussion made her realise that, “what we’re feeling we’re not alone, we can relate to them and know that with all the advice they’ve given, we can get better and achieve what they can.”
