Mike backs Premier League girls project

Swans defender Mike van der Hoorn joined our Premier League Girls project at Cwmtawe School to take part in their free weekly football session. 

Following his support of our girls only sessions, run by the Premier League Kicks project during FA Girls Football Week earlier in the season, the defender was back encouraging more girls to participate in football. 

“Today was fun and the girls also had fun and that’s the main thing,” said van der Hoorn. “It’s not always about the boys - you must include girls too." 

Aiming to provide opportunities for budding young female footballers to take part in football, Premier League Girls delivers sessions in local community settings including Coleg Sir Gar, Pencoed Sports Centre and Cwmtawe Comprehensive. 

Delivering innovative sessions that emphasis the fun and social element of the sport, PL Girls also creates pathways within local community clubs to provide long-term participation opportunities. 

In its first season alone, the Community Trust’s PL Girls project has done just that and earlier this year witnessed one of its participants – 16-year-old Hannah Thomas – break into the Swans Ladies first team and making her debut earlier this year. 

“You have to start somewhere and I think if you want to bring more women into football, you have to start young and that’s why the club runs these projects,” added the Dutch centre-back. 

To find out more about PL Girls’ sessions, email ian@scfccommunitytrust.co.uk.