Over 300 young women from state and independent schools across the south and west of England received a motivational rallying cry at a special event hosted by Bryanston. The Powerhouse Pupil: School Sport Summit 2024 in partnership with Bryanston was organised to help girls and young women take full advantage of the exciting new opportunities for women in sport.
“Sport offers a wide range of professional careers for women, not just as players but also in a myriad of operational and commercial roles,” says Mollie Kmita who co-founded the Powerhouse Project with her twin sister Rosie. Both former professional footballers they are now established sports broadcasters and have recently joined Phil de Glanville, Abbie Brown and Kumar Sangakkara on Bryanston’s Sports Advisory Board.
“Gold medal success at the Olympics and the exciting achievements of the Lionesses have certainly shifted the dial,” continues Mollie. “And such achievements have added further impetus to the remarkable growth in women’s sport, which is expected to generate a staggering $1billion in revenue this year alone.”
However, as Rosie points out, the sad fact is that two-thirds of girls at school will quit sport during puberty due to social pressures, gender stereotypes, body confidence issues and a lack of self-belief. “We want to change that statistic and ensure the girls of today are truly empowered and have absolutely every opportunity to succeed in the wonderful world of sport. We’re delighted that our partnership with Bryanston has enabled us to reach out to so many young sportswomen from all over the region.”
Other speakers at the event included Ivi Casagrande, Edel McCann and Kylee Parsons who all held dedicated masterclasses for the girls and young women attending the Summit. A former professional footballer who is now a high-performance coach and sports scientist, Casagrande has worked at a national and regional levels in the United States, Brazil and the UK and Ireland.
Edel McCann is a highly experienced women’s health and sports physiotherapist and is the Clinical
Lead at Leto Woman in London, a widely respected centre of excellence for women’s health physiotherapy. And, Kylee Parsons is the Assistant Academy Director for FC Norsjælland Girls, a professional Danish football team.
“The energy and enthusiasm of everyone who attended the Summit was great to see,” says Rory McCann, Bryanston’s Director of Sport. “This is a wonderful and pivotal time for women in sport and it’s important to show the next generation of players, coaches and organisers that they now have the benefit of excellent role models and a growing and supportive community to help them follow their dreams and fulfil their career aspirations.”
