Girls running, dribbling, kicking the ball and celebrating every play. Between dribbling, passing and smiling, a new story is being written at be.Living. This semester, the school began offering girls’ soccer as an extracurricular activity for Elementary School students. The program resulted from requests from the girls themselves, who had always played soccer in co-ed settings with the boys.
Physical education teacher and extracurricular activities advisor Fábio Cabianca says that, over time, the older girls in particular began to express a desire to have an all-girls group where they could play more freely and confidently.
“This request came from the girls themselves, who wanted a space just for them to play together, challenge each other, and support each other. The demand for this space only confirms something that we’d already seen on a daily basis at the school: girls have always been involved in soccer, in different classes and age groups. Now, with their own group, this practice gains even more strength, visibility, and acceptance,” Mr. Cabianca said.
Women’s soccer at school is not just about the skills of the game. The girls also learn about values that transcend sports and life. “Cooperation and sportsmanship are topics we bring up in every class. There’s still some frustration, but children need to understand that they’re not always going to win, that they need to acknowledge their opponent’s victory and also their own effort,” he emphasized.
The goal of sports at be.Living is not to produce athletes, but to provide experiences that enrich the athletic and personal lives of our students. “We want them to learn and practice sportsmanship, to get a taste for the different activities,” Mr. Cabianca added.
The context of women’s soccer in Brazil and around the world also inspires the girls on the court. The growing visibility of female players and the Brazilian national team itself is reflected in our practices. Women’s soccer is still striving to find its place, but it has been growing and getting much more media attention in recent years. We have famous players who now have much more visibility and, as a result, help make soccer more popular among girls,” he said.
Memorable moments abound, especially at sporting events organized by the school, such as the men’s and women’s World Cups and the internal Olympics. “I think the most special moments are when they score a goal, make a save, complete a good play, and all the other children celebrate together. This shows true sportsmanship, when they cheer for each other and support each other,” Mr. Cabianca concluded enthusiastically.
Thus, every practice, every game, and every celebration reveals that, more than just a place to play soccer, what we are building here is a fertile ground for achievements, learnings, and for encouraging girls to take a lead role in sports and in life.
