A very subjective look into AWFC

The reason I started watching women’s football was because I got tired of the corruption, the diving, what I perceived as lack of loyalty etc a bunch of things that boil down to me having a strong opinion about something, yet women’s football and it’s culture captivated me. It was different.

Women’s football has grown so much in the last few years that characterizing it as “unrecognizable” wouldn’t be too far fetched. We have seen exponential progress in ability, in coverage, in involvement, in investment and virtually in every imaginable way.

Parallel to this growth is the assumption that the women’s game has to follow the men’s in a way. As much as this can be kinda yucky at first, there are definitely things worth modeling in the imagine and spirit of the men’s game, but of course not all of them.

Unless you’ve been totally detached from anything having to do with social media, you will have noticed an upward trend in one very specific aspect of the fandom: NEGATIVITY. And it’s quite alarming.

I remember starting my podcast and talking about this growing trend a couple of years ago and I knew it would be very hard to stop but I truly believe if we all pull together we can at the very least decrease the abuse the players get online. There definitely are things we can do and it all starts with YOU, with ME, with US.

Among the things you can do to limit this growth in hate is to first of all don’t contribute to that. I know we all have thoughts and opinions and I sure as hell have mine and have negative thoughts or criticism, yet we don’t have to express those opinions. We just don’t! You’re not less of a fan if you don’t voice them, we all think things that we don’t say in public and this can be applied to football as well.

You can also block any and all accounts that spew things that make you feel uncomfortable. Or mute them if you don’t want the drama of the unfollowing being a thing.

If you’re not sure just ask yourself if the would say that to the player’s face, why they would and more importantly how the player would feel by reading that. You’ll know the answer.

Also, you can directly challenge the hatred and the negativity. Not the person but their behavior. In other words, staying silent might not be something you want to do and if you want to respond you can quote them and at least show your followers the kind of terrible things this person is saying.

Is it hard to battle yes? does love always win? Only if it’s louder and bigger and more consistent.