68 October 2013 www.womanthismonth.com football professionally in the UK for Arsenal and Fulham and represented England before moving to Bahrain, where she now plays for the national team. “Playing any sport at any level can teach a young girl many skills, such as teamwork, communication and commitment, while they are having fun and keeping healthy. Talented girls also have the possibility of achieving scholarships to US universities and/or professional contracts,” Deena says. “At our soccer school, we coach the girls in their sessions and their match days, as well as organise friendly and competitive games against other teams. Girls have represented us in matches, both girls only and mixed sexes, against teams from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, when we toured to London, Barcelona, Lebanon, Florida and Dubai.” This teaches the girls how to be part of a team and gives them confidence from travelling and gaining a new experience. The coaching style at the Arsenal Soccer School is one of encouragement, emphasising the positives, while developing the girls to be as good as they can be. The students are of various nationalities; so they interact with children from different cultures. “We encourage mutual respect. In this region, there can be cultural issues, which make it difficult for young ladies to play sports,” Deena adds. “We aim to make the experience encouraging for the families as well, so that the girls are allowed to play for as long as they wish to into their teenage years and beyond.” A part of the game Supporting and encouraging your daughters to play sports is not only showing them that you value exercise, but it is a great way for them to develop their talent and can benefit them in the long term in many ways. “We have seen many examples, where young girls have grown in confidence by playing football with us. From a personal point of view, playing for the national team here in Bahrain is a testament to having high ambitions and embracing opportunities when they come along, having enjoyed a life and career out of sport. It is great to think that what I am doing now might inspire someone to do something similar,” Deena states. Self-esteem is influenced by: • parental expectations, encouragement and influence • degree of peer expectations, encouragement and influence • involvement in making of decisions • development of talents, hobbies or interests • importance of role models • extent of emphasis on body image • experiences and interactions during education Visit Facebook.com/ arsenalsoccerschoolbahrain or www.arsenalschoolbahrain.com or email [email protected] LIFESTYLE | parenting Participating in sports is one way that girls can develop physical competence
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