Local Women’s Social Football teams get active and look after their mental health to celebrate Women in Sport Week

Damolly FC and Ashgrove Rovers Women's Social Football teams celebrated Women in Sport week, and the journey out of their comfort zone, with a taster boxing lesson and a session on mental health and well being on Monday night.

Joanne Patterson from Damolly FC organised the event – which took place at Newry High School – following a contact from the Ulster Boxing Council, and she decided to pair the boxing session (hosted by Lynsey McMillan) with the Southern Health and Social Care Trust's 'Take 5' mental health workshop (hosted by Karen McComb), to celebrate International Women's Week.

“It's something different in terms of fitness, and it's about trying something new. Everybody has already pushed themselves out of their comfort zone,” she said, “so why not push them that wee bit further?

“Ulster Boxing invited us to come along and it coincided with Women in Sport week, and International Women's week. So, I thought that we should do something to celebrate the journey that the women at Damolly have been on since the start of the social football last year.

“Ashgrove Rovers are from Newry as well and have been on that journey with us, so we thought that we would open it out and invite them too.

“We have also got the Southern Trust here tonight to deliver the 'Take 5' workshop which is all about mental health and well being. A lot of the time, women don't take time for themselves.

“Mental health and emotional well being is intrinsic to your physical health. We're ticking a lot of boxes here, because whilst we're having fun, we have worked hard.

“It's great to see the buzz about the hall, Newry High School were very generous in allowing us to use the space. There is a lot of partnerships that have gone into this, which is exactly what you want in a community like Newry.”

'Some of the women have surprised themselves'

Damolly and Ashgrove Rovers have been playing Women's Social Football since last summer. The idea was to create a team environment where women, who perhaps have never played football before or haven't played it in years, can go and learn new skills and make new friends, without the pressures of a competitive sporting environment.

“Tonight was all about the opportunity to celebrate the women here, because we know that it hasn't been easy for everyone to come out and do the Women's Social Football and some of them have surprised themselves in how far they have been able to push themselves,” said Joanne.

“Whenever we started out the Women's Social Football, women came out for various reasons. Some of them hadn't played football in years and wanted to get back into it, whilst other women said that they very rarely came out of the house to do an activity that was just for them, and when they heard about tonight, they were delighted to get another opportunity to get out and be active.

“Some of the women surprised themselves, because they came out on the first night saying that they weren't competitive, but now they have realised that they are!

“For me, what's fantastic is that there are girls I would have played football with when I was 11 or 12, who I'm now alongside on a pitch again, and there are women who have never kicked a ball before, but now their children are signing up to play football, because they have seen their mother playing it.”

'It's about having fun and getting active'

The boxing taster session was hosted by the Ulster Boxing Council's Female Participation Coach Lynsey McMillan, and she explained the benefits of boxing, and how they hope to encourage more women to get involved.

“I was asked to come along tonight for the Newry team as part of International Women's Week, so it was great to have the girls out doing a bit of fitness, but having fun at the same time,” she said.

“Boxing has so many benefits: it can help you with stress, anxiety, you can build friendships, confidence, muscle, improve your health. So, we're really trying to push forward boxing participation levels with females.

“It's about having fun. It's about getting kids and young adults moving, even if boxing isn't for them, it's about getting them active.”

'Groups like this are really beneficial'

Karen McComb hosted the Southern Trust's 'Take 5' mental health and well being workshop, and she explained what the workshop was, and how important it is for women to look after their mental health.

“My role is a support worker with the team, so I go out to local community groups in Newry and Mourne, and I deliver programmes on health topics,” she said.

“Tonight we're doing 'Take 5' which is on mental health, which is an evidence-based approach for looking after your mental health on a daily basis.

“It's based on five different steps, which a research study in 2008 showed what people with good mental health have in common: connect, be active, take notice, keep learning, and give.

“Keeping active is one of the simple ways that you can look after your mental health and reduce stress. Groups like this, where you're getting a chance to be active and connect with each other are really beneficial.”