Meet the team: Inspiring Inequalities

“I chose the team members based on their expertise and passion to also make change. Everyone on my team has a wide range of expertise, challenges, experiences and knowledge they want to share. These women are extremely motivated and passionate about building, growing, changing and giving opportunities in the women’s game. I am honoured to have such an inspirational and great team.”

Playing for Global Goal 10 - reduced inequalities

“We are playing for Goal number 10. It matters because too much of the world’s wealth is held by a very small group of people. Which often leads to financial and social discrimination. In order for nations to flourish, equality and prosperity must be available to everyone - regardless of gender, race, religious beliefs or economic status. We want to show that when every individual is self sufficient, the entire world prospers.”

We will host seminars and trainings to help creating a support system

The team will host seminars and trainings for both past and present professional players and coaches once a month. In order to be able to demand change we must use the power of education and experience to understand and defy the inequality in place.

“My theory is that an increase in knowledge will not only improve the coach and players but it will in turn develop the game at a faster rate which will in turn lead to less inequalities and allow women to live a longer and more stable professional life. Bettering ourselves everyday will give us an advantage. These seminars and trainings will not only educate but create a support system and a network to lean on, on times of adversity by learning from others past experiences.”

The seminars will be on topics within football, but also on how to deal with a board, how to deal with contracts, writing a proper CV, how to deal with the pressure of winning, how to get players to trust you, creating a playing idea, creating a training session, different academy and country development models, etc. Seminars will be run by an expert in my team or a professional from the outside within the team’s network.

How will we share our finding at the GGWCup in Copenhagen in May?

• We will survey current and ex-professional soccer players in Sweden. The survey is to only be filled out by players that have played in Elitettan, Damallsvenskan, and Senior/Youth National Teams.

• We will survey professional women’s coaches and trainers that work part time and full time in Sweden.

• The player’s survey will compare the amount of hours spent as a professional player with salary made as well as show how many players work two jobs and why.

• The coaches survey will compare the amount of hours spent as a professional player with salary made as well as show how many players work two jobs and why.

Video
We will create a short video portraying the life of a “Women in Soccer” at the highest level. This includes pictures/videos of players/coaches working, studying, playing etc. The video will look at “Women in Soccer” in an objective way in hopes to portray the inspiring inequality that exists.

Social Media
Please follow our journey at @womeninsoccer and join our Facebook group “Women in Soccer”. 

Journal
We will journal about our seminars, trainings and panel. This journal can also include pictures and video about what we have learned, experienced, and changed.

Uniforms
My team and I will portray the life of Women in Soccer through our uniforms. Every player will wear the same shorts and socks. Our “jersey” will portray what we go through as players and coaches. Our jersey will tell our story. Our shorts will represent that we all are on the same team fighting the same struggle; they will represent very inspiring individuals fighting the same fight.

• One teammate that works full time as a lawyer and a professional player will wear her business top and jacket she would wear when working in court.

• One teammate will wear a fake stomach under her shirt and have things written on it such as Liverpool, Champions League, Spain, National team, Sugar mama USA, etc in order to represent her playing at the highest levels and having two kids.

• One teammate will wear her masters gown and graduation hat as well as her factory shirt to portray that she played, studied and worked all full time.

Resume

Jackie currently works full time for Hammarby IF as the assistant coach to their women´s team. The team played in Damallsvenskan in 2018 and will play in Elitettan in 2019. Jackie also works for IFK Stocksund as a project leader to create a way for their players (girls’ team) to play soccer at college in the US. Jackie aims to give the players opportunities and hope for a scholarship where they can combine soccer and academics.

• 2018-2019 Assistant coach Hammarby IF (Damallsvenskan/Elitettan Top league Sweden)

• 2017 IFK Stocksund (Trainer and project leader: helping Swedish players to play college soccer in the US)

• 2017 Head Coach FC Famagusta (Cyprus Top league)

• 2016 Head Coach Sunnanå SK (Elitettan Sweden)

• 2015-2013 TikiTaka Fotboll Development - Director of coaching working with clubs, teams, coaches and players

Jackie has coached professionally in the US, Finland, Spain, Cyprus, Costa Rica, Sweden. She has done everything from Academies camps, “Footboll” schools, individual training, youth clubs and professional teams. She has worked with top players from all over the world both individually and at the highest level in clubs. 

Jackie herself also played professionally in US, Finland and Sweden.

Leadership & training courses

• USSF D, UEFA C, UEFA B, UEFA A (2019 in progress)

• Florida Southern College 

  • Major: Human Movement and Performance

  • Minor: Physical Education, Sociology

SDG experience

“I have had many experiences working with different social issues through sport. In Sweden I have players that are professional soccer players at the highest level but they also work full time as lawyers, orthopaedic doctors, teachers, social workers, in storage, in a bank, etc.  We adapt training times, training load, food etc to allow these inspirational women to live both dreams. 

Hammarby has taken steps for the women's side with building a brand new stadium for the team, in the process of a new gym, medical staff, and are in the process of taking big steps to make Hammarby a powerhouse by 2020 in the women's game. They have also started a girls’ academy and it is growing as we speak.

In Cyprus I had players from Romania, Moldavia, Slovakia, Sweden, and Cyprus. Not everyone could speak the same language and very few could speak English but we found a way to communicate and connect that allowed us to make history in Cyprus. Some of these women have nothing. They moved to Cyprus for soccer, for a better life. Half the team worked in a supermarket every day from 7am-3pm then come directly to training.

 They never complained and always gave me their best efforts. I could name numerous stories and I am honoured to be a part of a change. Every experience and story has given me more motivation to make that significant difference I see football can achieve.”