Wednesday, October 11, 2017

#31for21 #internationaldayofthegirl Dream Gaps and Mustangs FC and girls who have changed my world/life #mentalhealthweek

Hello everyone. It's the International Day of the Girl this 11 October 2017.

One group which really promoted this was PLAN International. From the 11th to the 18th girls and young women are taking over Parliament and offices and well ... anywhere that boys and men are.

Did you know that twice as many girls consider themselves shy as they do bossy?

And that the place girls feel most unequal and excluded is in sport?

When I watched the first episode of Mustangs FC which is about a Queensland under-15 team and Marnie and Liv in particular - as well as their teammates - I thought about that.

There is a concept that a lot of people are labouring with known as the Dream Gap - the gap between who you currently are and who you aspire to be. Or what society and other people will let you be and what you want/need to go.

I am very fond of the roundball game.

It was good to see Ella and her interest in rhythmic gymnastics. There was another sport they forgot. It was calisthenics - the Australian version is full of dancing, gymnastics and games. Not so unrelated to the Greek gymnasium version.

And sparkles and sequins were part of Liv's thinking process as well when she and Marnie were discussing team life and #squadgoals.

It was wonderful to see Haruna who is a Deaf Muslima - like Jemina Aslana from Denmark whose Tumblrs were some of the first I would read from that platform in 2010.

And Anusha who does so many things like Cambodian Orphanage Volunteering training. She is able to find a 50-minute spot and she isn't afraid to take the Wildcats on.

The Wildcats - the other girls' team - take on some predatory practices. Especially Michaela.

Danny eventually becomes the Mustangs' coach. He has been in at least one World Cup.

[And wasn't the Australia - Syria game great? And Iceland being in the World Cup? a few other European nations fell into place - and there are some intercontinentals].

Marnie's mother is an important person. Marnie suggested that she go online dating, and she meets Kevin and his daughter Ella. The mother and Kevin [this thing about mothers not being in photos nor us being able to remember their names] rent together and Ella comes every second week.

Kevin and Ella also come to the Mustangs - Wildcats game.

There is a real-life football programme about the under-13s Victorian State Development Squad on ABCME and we see these people match up and develop themselves and stay out of injury hell and work on their own timelines.

By the end of the year you know that you have a passion. And you know where your Dream Gaps are.

A player many admire is Lisa de Vanna. Others include Sam Kerr and Evie van Egmond.

Watch out for that van Egmond name. Evie's aunt runs an indoor football place.

And I remembered about Gabe. He plays Qatar at the end of the Mustangs FC while Marnie plays Australia. And he is able to give them good red kit even after what he said about "boob dents".

I also liked the petition/recruitment scene.

Here's where you can read the DREAM GAP report

Watch MUSTANGS FC on ABC iView

Mustangs FC extras on iView

Girls change the world

Advice to my 12-year-old self

So awkward - I found the Two Mrs Hamptons episode great as the grandmother won a Royal Society award for scientific discovery

I think the "so awkward" friends would be Lily, Martha and Jas. It is Lily's grandmother who is in an old photo and she is a very fine scientist.

Made me think of Taylor who is the grandmother of the Raymond sisters - Fran; Maddy; Amelie and Josie - and Bene and Freddie. {yes, it's seven and a half years ago he died}.

I also sort of liked the idea of keeping yourself young by referring to an advisor.

Speaking of people who are filling their own Dream Gaps and those of others:

one of these is Sarah Savage Cooley. She wrote this series of Selected Essays.

Sarah Savage Cooley the journalist and poet and essayist

And Taylor Anderton the swimmer who is based in the Gold Coast. The short-course championships are coming up in Geelong shortly - and there will be some record-breaking efforts.

International Swimming Championships

In May 2016 she and Michael Cox were at this debutant ball.

Down Syndrome Swimming Australia

And that reminds me of Kate o'Donnell who had been on the Footy Almanac several times.

Sport Inclusion Australia about the Championships

Facebook for the Down Syndrome International Swimming Organisation

Championships to be held in Paris on the 26th October 2017.




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