Within the framework of Women’s Month, at the Rafa Nadal Foundation Centres we continue to promote activities that foster equal opportunities through sport. Although the schedule forced us to postpone one of the planned sessions due to rain, the wait was worthwhile: last week we were able to hold a very special day at the Rafa Nadal Foundation Centre in Valencia.
The activity was very well received and, above all, featured the participation of three athletes with extensive experience in women’s football: María Martí (Trueno), Alicia Moreno and Paula Arnal, who shared their experiences and journeys with the participants.
The session began with a space for dialogue in which each of them presented their path in sport and their current situation. María Martí, currently an architect, highlighted her time in grassroots boys’ football and her development in women’s football, including her experience with the Valencian (U16 and U18) and Spanish U19 national teams.
For her part, Alicia Moreno, a former professional player, teacher and coach, shared her career in women’s football, from her beginnings to her time competing at different levels, including her experience with regional and national teams, as well as her continuation in non-professional football.
Paula Arnal explained her early years in boys’ football and her subsequent development in women’s football, including her time at Valencia CF Femenino in the First Division, as well as her experience with Valencian teams and clubs in different divisions.
Beyond their sporting careers, all three highlighted the progress of women’s sport in recent years, pointing to advances such as increased visibility, accessibility and the creation of age categories, which allow for more appropriate development from an early age.
During the session, sport was also discussed as a key tool for personal empowerment. Values such as effort, perseverance, goal-setting and achieving objectives independently, teamwork and friendship were strongly present in their testimonies.
It was particularly meaningful to hear how, despite having been rivals on the field, experiences such as being part of the Valencian team strengthened their personal bonds.
The session also addressed some of the challenges that still remain, such as the pay gap and lack of representation, reinforcing the importance of continuing to work from an early age to build equal, healthy environments with opportunities for everyone.
The day concluded with a practical activity: a mixed football match between female and male teams. This activity, linked to their current work on conflict resolution, made it possible to observe different ways of managing situations during the game.
While the girls tended to listen to each other, organise themselves and resolve conflicts more efficiently, the boys initially showed more difficulty in sharing and listening, although they eventually managed to coordinate as a team.