Most football stars have a narrative of an older good friend or member of the family who first acquired them into the sport, however for 21-year-old Mahnoor Rauf, football was one thing she at all times discovered herself drawn to.
Playing with the boys in main college, Mahnoor confirmed her ardour for the stunning recreation from an early age, however after becoming a member of secondary college, she discovered herself with out an outlet for the recreation she performed early on.
“I went to a women secondary college and I did not play for the first two years,” Mahnoor instructed My London.
She added: “In yr 9 or eight they started a football membership which I started going to.”
Finding her resurgence in football, Mahnoor took the alternative to increase her love for the sport into her native area of Wandsworth.
Mahnoor captains the team she fashioned – Westside FC
(Image: Mahnoor Rauf)
Whilst taking part in the standard Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Mahnoor started a women football team by her native youth membership.
She led the method to procure tools, kits, gamers for the team and had the youth employee be the coach. Westside FC was born.
‘It was like Bend it Like Beckham’
“That was the solely women team in the borough,” Mahnoor mentioned.
She added: “I t wasn’t a factor I needed to get extra women concerned in, it was simply me, I needed to play football, however it turned a giant factor as a result of extra women acquired concerned.
“It started off simply as a woman eager to play football.”
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Mahnoor mentioned rising up none of her household had been in football and when she took a rising liking to it, her dad and mom weren’t initially supportive, wanting her to deal with research.
After gaining extra recognition by awards and training jobs, nonetheless, Mahnoor mentioned they started to return round.
Mahnoor mentioned: “It was a bit like Bend it Like Beckham, they had been like focus in your research however once I turned 16 I acquired Wandsworth younger individual of the yr, that is once they accepted it a bit extra.
“When I was 16 I acquired my Level 1 in teaching, at 17 acquired Level 2 and ever since then I’ve been working for Chelsea Foundation. I’ve been teaching the youthful ages of my team Westside FC – it’s given me half time work.”
Mahnoor would ‘by no means say by no means’ to a full time teaching job
(Image: Mahnoor Rauf)
Even although Mahnoor is the solely lady on her team who wears a hijab, she instructed My London that she by no means thinks about that and the kids she coaches do not both.
Despite that Mahnoor mentioned: “I do perceive it not have somebody who seems like them may put them off pursuing sports activities due to stereotypes so to have somebody you may relate to does rather a lot, it lets them know they’ll go on to realize their desires.
“It’s like with the first Black gamers, I believe it’s the identical factor.”
Mahnoor mentioned hopefully when the women she coaches become old they’ll see how she might have impressed them.
As a graduate in Biomedical Science from Roehampton University and now eyeing a masters subsequent yr, Mahnoor mentioned football is one thing she does alongside her research.
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However, she does not rule out what could possibly be.
“I’d by no means say by no means, I’m very obsessed with it [football]. I nonetheless play for a team.
“I’ve beloved learning football since I was younger,” Mahnoor mentioned.
