'If you can see it, you can be it' - NI teenagers inspired by special Windsor Park football screening

A group of teenagers from Northern Ireland were inspired after viewing a special football screening at Windsor Park.

As part of the Into Film Festival, a screening of the award-winning documentary Copa 71 was shown in the press room at Windsor Park to teenagers who had never heard of the 1971 Women’s Soccer World Cup tournament held in Mexico in defiance of football’s governing body FIFA.

As women's football sees massive growth in Northern Ireland over recent years, the screening hoped to help young people remember the struggle for acceptance in previous generations.

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After touring the stadium and stepping out on the pitch side, former Northern Ireland senior women’s football team captain Marissa Callaghan spoke to the young people from South East Regional College explaining that in the past four years, there has been a 600% increase in the number of females playing football here.

She said: "It’s so important for young people to see where the game has come from. I’ve been playing for over 20 years and there weren’t the opportunities then. Now the possibilities are endless though we still have a long way to go."

Into Film's Northern Ireland Programme Lead, Sean Kelly explained that the educational charity wanted to host a screening of Copa 71 in Windsor Park to show the young people how past generations had fought for the opportunities that are out there for them now.

The Into Film Festival 2024 is a UK-wide celebration that puts film at the heart of children and young people’s education by helping educators bring learning to life for 5-19-year-olds. This is the largest youth-focused film festival in the world and offers more than 5,100 free places at special screenings for children in Northern Ireland.

Sean Kelly said: “Copa 71 is an incredible documentary. So many people are unaware that there was a massive football tournament for women’s teams more than 50 years ago watched by record crowds of more than 100,000 people in the Azteca Stadium. This is the power of film in education – bringing alive the history of the women’s game to inspire the next generation.”

The event was attended by girls and boys from SERC in North Down and Lisburn from a number of courses including Levels 2 and 3 sport and life skills.

Sports student Jessica Hamilton (17), who hopes to become a physiotherapist working with footballers, said it was really interesting to find out more about the history of the game. She added: "It’s great to see how it has progressed and how popular football has become for girls."

Fellow student Emma Neil (17) said: “The game is getting so much bigger and it was interesting to hear about all the opportunities now.”

Marissa, who is the IFA Girls Participation Officer, explained the importance of seeing female representation in football on screen.

“If you can see it, you can be it. Twenty years ago, we never believed we could achieve what we have. Now the talent coming through is unbelievable. I just want to encourage young people to take every opportunity they get, throw yourself into it and get out and play.”

For more information about Into Film go towww.intofilm.org

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