Building a Team Together
Girls’ football at Slettebakken
Bergensdalen Idrettslag is a grassroots sports club and an important community actor in the neighbourhood around Slettebakken in the Årstad district of Bergen. With a strong commitment to the local community, the club provides both sporting and social opportunities for its members. The club’s ambition is that all children should have the opportunity to participate, with little or no cost involved.
Through organized activities, children and young people gain a place to meet, develop and experience a sense of belonging across backgrounds. Coaches and volunteers work purposefully to ensure that all children in the area have the opportunity to take part in football. Research has shown that, particularly for girls, the costs associated with organized sports can become a barrier that excludes them from important social communities.
With support from Grieg Foundation, Bergensdalen Idrettslag has been able to work deliberately to ensure that girls born in 2014 can participate in organized football, regardless of their family’s financial situation. The goal has been simple but important: to build a stable team where the girls can develop together, both socially and as football players.
At the start of 2025, the group consisted of around 20 players. Over the course of the year we managed to retain almost the entire group while also welcoming a few new players. Today the team consists of 21 active girls. At an age where dropout from organized sports often increases – particularly among girls with minority backgrounds – this is a result we are very proud of.
The support has made it possible to remove financial barriers. All the girls have received the necessary training clothes and football equipment, and participation on the team has been completely free of charge. The team has also been able to participate in matches, tournaments and cups without any participation fees. A highlight was taking part in the Voss Cup with two teams. In addition, the girls have enjoyed social activities such as attending matches at Brann Stadium and celebrating the end of the season together at Rush Trampoline Park.
These experiences are about more than football. They give the girls the opportunity to build friendships, experience achievement and develop within a safe community. The coaches often act as much as youth mentors as football coaches, working actively to create an inclusive environment where everyone is seen and valued.
An important milestone is that the team is now moving on to 9-a-side football with a full squad. This is unique – only the first or second time the club has been able to field a complete girls’ team at this level. The team has also become an inclusive community where both older and younger players can participate and develop together.
The project has also demonstrated the importance of parental involvement. A dedicated group of parent-coaches has contributed a significant amount of voluntary work, and several have completed coaching courses to strengthen their skills. At the same time, we see that it remains a challenge to involve more parents with immigrant backgrounds actively. Some have begun to participate in matches and meetings, which represents an important first step forward.
The most important impact of the project is that the girls are still playing. They are part of a team, a community and an arena for growth and achievement that can follow them into their teenage years. The goal going forward is to build on this foundation so that the team can remain strong as the girls move into 11-a-side football in the coming years.
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