Ashleigh Lewis-Shodeinde

Where do I begin? Football was always going to be apart of my life. At the tender age of 6 months, I was already in my Nana's arms, being taken to watch my uncle's play. Then, when I was 3, I joined in their warm-up, a lap around a track. Several metres behind, but completed the full 400 metres nonetheless. That's when my Nana saw my athletic potential and drive. Years later, I joined my first team around age 7 and started playing. During the summer, my mother attempted to find football camps for me to attend. 8 out of 10 times I was the only little girl and once the boys found out they made it clear that I was no longer wanted. I got older and played for several teams, and eventually attended a Sixth Form Sports Academy. The programme was fantastic which resulted in my opportunity to go to the USA on a scholarship as a Student-Athlete. The transition was difficult, yet unique. Throughout my school years, I always enjoyed being creative and exploring new things, but I didn't know what I was really passionate about in comparison to football. I always thought about football and had no career in mind. I chose to study Creative Writing during my time at the University. After graduating in 2019 and returning to the UK, I felt lost and confused. I struggled to land a career job and instead settled for hospitality. At the same time, I lost my passion for football. Things were not looking up, until an old friend invited me to join a team in 2020. And, ever since then I have not left the football pitch. My eyes opened up again. I felt happy, a release, passion again, made friends, and felt stronger. I missed playing football in the UK. I realised that women's football had come such a long way since 2015, when I left for America. So many girls and women playing, bigger opportunities, more coverage, and more spaces to take up. In 2022, my friends and I realised that women's football is still lacking so much coverage. Talented players are going unnoticed. So, we decided to launch The Women's View in August 2022, a women's football broadcasting and media platform, where we primarily film fixtures, pre/post-game interviews, create highlights, podcasts, etc,. We focus on grassroots all the way up to National Level. With the building of our brand, I fell in love with the ideation, creation, and distribution of content. From planning our approach to filming games to creating graphics for our social media to interviewing guests on our podcast. I have learnt so many skills, like content creation and graphic design, and made improvements on my public speaking, copywriting, and critical thinking skills. To interact with younger players who share the dreams that I use to have, giving them a platform to voice their opinions, watch back footage of themselves, and believe that women's football will keep growing is a blessing. I have found my way to give back to the community and aid in the coverage of women's sport.

I deserve to be seen because I can make an impact in women's sport. My deeper unique journey in football is relatable, and will remind people that we are all humans too. I deserve to be seen because of my efforts to uplift people in football, no matter what level they are at. I deserve to be seen so that the younger generation of black girls/women can see that we deserve to be seen and given the opportunity to access all spaces.