Aalia AlRasheed: My dream is to empower women in football
In the latest episode of "It's My Game," the-AFC.com shines the spotlight on Aalia AlRasheed, Head of the Women's Football Department at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and one of the driving forces behind the rapid growth of the women's game in the Kingdom.
Her and SAFF's efforts have not only transformed the landscape of women's football in Saudi Arabia, but also set the foundation for the next generation of players, coaches and officials. Recognising the immense passion for the sport among young women in the region, AlRasheed, along with her peers spearheaded the launch of a women's league in 2010, the success of which eventually led to the formal involvement of SAFF, marking a significant milestone in the development of women's football in the region.
"I was fortunate to attend a training session with Reem at the Al Yamamah club and was surprised to see so much passion among young women who wanted to play the sport on a regular basis. So, we decided to start the league. My dream has always been to grow the game and be a big part of this journey and empower more women to be part of the beautiful game," said AlRasheed. This dream, coupled with her visionary leadership, and SAFF's immense support has since played a pivotal role in establishing a sustainable ecosystem for women's football to thrive. The key to realising this ambition has been SAFF's "Tactics for Tomorrow" strategy, which underscores the Federation's commitment to expanding the reach of the sport to as many women as possible, both on and off the pitch.
"SAFF included women's football as one of the seven main pillars of the 'Tactics for Tomorrow' initiative with the goal to inspire young girls and women to become part of the game by developing more programmes that serve grassroots through festivals and local competitions," she explained.
"Additionally, we aim to develop our working team, which supports coaches, administrators, and referees in achieving the ultimate goal of representing our national team at regional and international levels."
Among the many programmes devised by SAFF's Women's Football Department under the guidance of AlRasheed is the Club Support Programme. Operating similarly to Club Licensing processes, the initiative allows clubs to earn funds for technical and administrative development and has led 56% of existing clubs in the Kingdom to establish youth teams and opportunities for local coaches.
Despite SAFF and her significant contributions towards enhancing the Saudi Women's Premier League, AlRasheed's resolve towards growing the women's game is perhaps best exemplified by her role in founding the first-ever girls' football academy in Riyadh.
Born out of a need to bridge the gap and increase playing opportunities for girls across age groups, AlRasheed co-founded the Al Yamamah Academy in 2016, which has produced several players who now don the national team jersey, including Al Shabab's Luluh AlJaweni and Al Nassr's Basma AlShenaifi.
"The experience gained while establishing the academy alongside passionate women such as Adwa AlArifi, Lamia Bahaian, Reem, and Lama AlHanaki prepared me for the responsibilities that I have today," said AlRasheed.
"When we started developing women's football, we thought there would be many obstacles. However, our experience on the ground has been the opposite.
Today, the community is mandating that we deliver more programmes focusing on women's football in the country." Now, with the AFC Women's Champions League™ set to mark a new era for women's football in Asia, AlRasheed is hopeful of what lies ahead in the future.
"The main challenge facing us today is the technical gap that exists between the teams in the East and the West regions. But now, the AFC is playing a crucial role in developing and promoting the women's game on the Continent.
"We are witnessing the new look of the AFC Women's Champions League™, which will help and support the development of top-level competition between different Member Associations."
Launched on the AFC Women's Football Day in 2018, the AFC's "It's My Game" campaign continues to honour inspiring women in football throughout the world's largest Continent, reaching millions of people via the AFC's digital channels.