Players promote FA Girls' Football Week

 

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Academy stars Djair Parfitt-Williams and Dan Kemp showed their support towards FA Girls' Football Week by helping to increase grassroots participation among females in the local community.

In connection with the West Ham Foundation, both Parfitt-Williams and Kemp joined West Ham United Ladies captain and Foundation coach Karen Ray as they visited Forest Gate Community School in east London.

Ray took charge of the session as over 20 girls participated in a fun session which involved some ball work, a five-a-side game and some interesting dance moves!

Parfitt-Williams and Kemp could not resist taking part in some of the action as they started off in goal and then moved into their more familiar position outfield as events turned a bit competitive towards the end of the game!

It was a day that was enjoyed by everyone who attended and Ray hopes it will raise awareness even more as she prepares to take charge of 15 tournaments throughout the week, engaging upwards of 350 girls, and aimed at showcasing the fun and friendly nature of the nation’s favourite sport.

Ray said: “It is great to see the players come down and show their support and you could see the excitement among the girls.

“I want to see girls being active in any way and it is key for females to be involved in sport. I want to keep pushing women to get involved. Football can be fun at any level and I get the best of both worlds being able to coach as the Ladies captain and help them keep improving.

“I didn't realise the scale of work that we do in the local community and it makes me so proud to work for West Ham.”

 

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Parfitt-Williams says he really enjoyed the experience and highlights the importance of seeing more women break into sport and competing at the highest level.


He said: “I think it’s hugely important that girls and boys get an equal opportunity to play football in and outside school, and I personally think that girls can be just as great as men in football. You have women like Serena Williams, who is excelling in tennis, and they show that, so it’s good.


“All the girls had fun and enjoyed themselves and were always running up and down the pitch which was great to see. None of them were shying away from the session so it was great to come down here to see that.


“I think it’s massive that the Club do such great work in the community because every great club in the world has links where they give back to the kids and work with foundations.”

 

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Kemp also enjoyed the chance to showcase his talents and says it was great to see all the girls show so much enthusiasm during the session.

Kemp said: “It was enjoyable and good run joining in with their session, going in goal for a bit and playing with the girls. The most important thing is seeing that they’re enjoying themselves and how enthusiastic they all are.

“If it’s playing football that they love, they need to be given that opportunity and that’s what they’re doing here. It’s great to be down here.

“The Foundation do great work in the community, and we always have quite a lot of things going on which is brilliant. To give everyone an opportunity to do what they enjoy doing whether that be football or anything is brilliant, and the Foundation are doing a great job to provide that.”

For more information about FA Girls' in Football Week, click here.