What has team sport given you?
To mark the Women’s World Cup 2023, we asked influential people how team sport has impacted their life.
From professional athletes to executives smashing it at the top of their field, they all have team sport to thank for their success.
Has team sport impacted your life? Let us know how on social media
Liv Garfield
CEO of Severn Trent
“It takes more than just talent. You need to learn to lead, play as a team and have a joint sense of unity and effort. Leading a business is not too different from leading a team.”
Hilary McGrady
Director General of the National Trust
“Leading a team requires an awareness of other people’s strengths and your own, of how to place people to get the best out of them to achieve a common goal.”
Nedum Onuoha
Former Manchester City footballer & ESPN pundit
“Having played professionally for 16 years, I can’t express how each season and team I was a part of helped me become the person I am today.”
Lizzy Ashcroft
Granddaughter of Lizzy Ashcroft
“My international footballing Granny, Lizzy Ashcroft, passed away in 1973. She never lived to see the development of women’s football and the success of the lionesses. She would have been so proud of how they have carried themselves as confident, articulate ambassadors for their sport.”
Clare Balding
BBC sports personality
“This is about more than persuading young girls to have a healthy, active lifestyle – it’s about selling the idea of working in a team and being prepared to put yourself on the line for each other.”
Caroline Hawkings
CEO of Savanta
“I never played team sport as the options for girls were so limited. But as someone who now hired 40+ graduates a year I can honestly say that team sport provides individuals with such fantastic skills.”
Dr Sally Penni MBE
Barrister and Founder of WomenInTheLawUK
“I founded WomenInTheLawUK to allow women to progress and we have sponsored football and rugby teams because we understand that team sport teaches so much. The power of sport is so crucial.
“Men already know the power of sport. I want more women to know this too.“
Grace Vella
Founder of Miss Kicks
“Teamsport teaches such valuable lessons and I’d go as far to say playing football changed my life. It gave me something to focus on when I was growing up.”
22 % fewer girls than boys participate in team sport in England
Sport England
860 ,000 girls are missing out on the joy of team sport right now
Sport England
