Soccer, particularly within the social media age, is just not at all times a welcoming place for Black ladies.
On the Girls’s World Cup in Australia final yr, Lauren was rightly heralded because the “most naturally gifted player in the country”. However we noticed how rapidly the tides of public opinion may flip. After Lauren was handed a crimson card for showing to intentionally step on Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie throughout their spherical of 16 conflict (for which she apologised), she discovered herself on the centre of a turbulent media storm.
Lauren is all too conscious of the disparities between how white and black ladies footballers are handled on social media. “If you do something that’s not perfect or I don’t know, say you miss a chance you should have put away, sometimes people perceive you as having an ‘attitude’ where someone of a different colour could be…” she trails off.
Have you ever discovered that with your self? I ask. “Yeah.”
How did that really feel? “It is disappointing,” Lauren begins. “We’re all footballers, and we’re all trying to achieve and do the same thing, so we should all be treated the same.”
Whereas there’s nonetheless a lot work to be accomplished, Lauren is hopeful about the way forward for ladies’s soccer. “We’re going in the right direction. We are seeing a lot more girls play and want to start playing football.”
Lauren can be an envoy for McDonald’s Enjoyable Soccer, which runs free soccer classes to youngsters aged 5-11 throughout the nation. “It allows everyone to get involved no matter your background or what health and wealth you have. And it just allows everyone to get involved and feel welcome,” she explains.
Is this something that would’ve appealed to Lauren as a child? “For sure,” she says. “When I was younger, we had to pay for everything, whether that’s football training or transport… this allows loads of kids to get together and try to achieve their dream.”
Celebrating scoring her the first goal against Denmark during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2023Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
“It’s a nice feeling to see people come together,” she continues. “I think that’s a powerful thing of football. It brings loads of people in the community together.”
Lauren is leaning into her power as a role model. “I simply hope that the younger women rising up can see that soccer could make them really feel assured and present them that they will do what I am doing,” she says.
With the UEFA Girls’s European Championships 2025 on the horizon in Switzerland – to not point out a gripping WSL title race in opposition to Arsenal – Lauren has all of it to play for.
“I’m looking forward to hopefully winning more trophies and achieving big things. And then on the outside, just trying to help young girls achieve their dreams and help guide them.”
Lauren James was celebrating the most recent free wave of McDonald’s Enjoyable Soccer classes this Autumn, accessible to all youngsters aged 5-11 throughout the UK. Enroll now to your nearest free session at mcdonalds.co.uk/soccer.
