The Dads & Daughters Campaign

Today I wanted to share with you details about the Dads and Daughters campaign. The SSE Dads and Daughters series is celebrating the great work dads around the country are doing to encourage their daughters to get involved in football.

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It feels relevant to our household as I’m sure it does to thousands across the UK. The Husband has always been a keen footballer and we have a very energetic and active 6 year old daughter. They love playing football together in the garden and ‘Get The Ball Off Dad’ is a favourite game here. He’s really proud of how well she plays, and her ball control is impressive for 6! I’m pleased that her school does also run after school football clubs, with boys and girls encouraged equally to attend, along with including it in PE lessons and Sports Day.

Football’s a great game for all to get involved with, and I have many happy memories myself of playing it at school and with my dad. Anything that encourages kids to get active and have fun is going to get a thumbs up in my book.

But to some, it can be even more than a spot of exercise. To some it can bring with it real changes. Take this story of 12 year-old Daisy McGregor and her father Kenny, where Kenny believes the impact football has had on Daisy’s life should not be underestimated…

12-year old Daisy McGregor suffers with Tourette Syndrome, and has discovered that while playing football, her symptoms, such as involuntary physical ticks and coughing, subside. This in addition to the friends she’s made through football and the confidence it gives her means football is a huge integral part of her life now.

This really moved me and does give an appreciation of the difference that football can make. It is a beautiful game. The bond that Daisy and her dad  clearly have, strengthened by their involvement and enjoyment of football is wonderful to see. And Daisy’s face when her heroine came to train with her and her team was just priceless – yes, I was totally tearing up when I watched that.

It’s a special bond that exists between a father and daughter, and sharing a passion like football together can be inspiring, certainly in Daisy’s case. It’s quality time together, it’s an interest cultivated together, it’s fresh air and exercise, which is always going to be a positive thing.

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It’s refreshing to see that SSE are committed to improving girls only football provisions, as I feel it’s important. The FA SSE Girls Football Participation Programme is now running with more than 60 clubs taking part around the country, increasing the number of girls only football provisions. So it is a thank you to the SSE, one of the UK’s leading energy companies, supplying energy to around 8.21 million customers throughout Great Britain and Ireland. It’ll be good to see girls football growing.

What do you think of this campaign? Do you have daughters interested in football?

Disclosure: Written in collaboration with SSE

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