Exceeding Expectations

Chloe Gorman, USA

My name is Chloe Gorman. I graduated from McDaniel College in 2016 as an All-American defender and took an opportunity to head overseas to France to help build a new women and girls program at a historic club but there was not a future there. I ended up taking a chance and went to Portugal eventually finding my place at Estoril Praia, where I played for four seasons. 

When our team got relegated, our fight to stay in the league lasted a month longer than the regular season, making it difficult to find another option. I was watching a preseason match (for the next season) and found that there was a new foreign player who had left a team in Israel and played in defense like myself. I reached out to that club and had an immediate response and contract offer. 

While Israel was not where I thought I would end up, it was a unique opportunity. Each team has five foreign players due to the low numbers of local players available. This means that the structure to bring players in from abroad is in place. However, the level of the league depends greatly on which foreign players are willing to come. While we were there we witnessed a huge election and the political fallout, protests nearly everyday, and missile attacks between Israel and Islamic Jihad.  It was clear to me I would be unable to stay for another season. 

I decided to look at countries that had reputations for gender equality where I could see myself enjoying the day to day, while also looking at the top league rankings. One of the countries on my list was Denmark. After reaching out to a few teams I found Aalborg Fodbold Kvinder. They were promoted last season and are looking to establish themselves as mainstays in the first division. While the hope is for the team to be given equal opportunity as the men, the ownership is separate.

What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning?

I showcased the different experiences I had in Portugal. Some photos show the men’s team celebrating their Championship title, with the captain (Joãozinho) of the men’s team bringing the trophy back to the club. 

‘The Claque’ is the name of the main supporters group, and I took photos of one fan who has the club crest tattooed over his heart and one of the club nicknames on his belly. For me, one of the most interesting relationships in sports is between players and fans. I hope one day we see this level of support in the women’s game. While we certainly have seen larger crowd turnouts, I wonder when we will see it permeate culture on a larger scale.

In one gym session, I was probably supposed to be in club gear…but with limited supply, I wore my ‘Girls Ball Too’ sweatshirt. Maybe a small act of resistance, but I became aware from an early stage that my presence in the gym and on the field was rebellious, so I made it a point to bring this sweatshirt to Portugal with me.

In a fight to stay in the first division, the first leg of our play-off was away. This was the only time all season that we traveled the day before a game. It felt like a little too late. To our team’s credit, we managed to stay in the first division.

At any given time in Portugal you can find a group juggling a football, on beaches, in parks, and on neighborhood streets. It is normally boys, but it is slowly changing. One photo was taken from the boardwalk onto one of the many beaches along the coast near the club facilities and another is our technical staff playing after a game while the team gets ready to head back on the bus.

What are the current opportunities for women’s footballers?

For a long time, the women of Estoril Praia have been in the first division in Portugal, while the men have been repeatedly promoted and relegated. My time in Portugal was not easy and a lot of that was cultural, not only a new country but a new club. It is hard being a women’s player, particularly when you are not a national team player.

While we saw a rise in investment in the league and a commitment from big men’s clubs like Benfica, we also saw many historic clubs struggle. It was bittersweet watching our men win and get promoted back into the Primera Liga and seeing my team fighting to stay above the relegation line.

The hardest part was seeing simple things disappear - buses for games, adequate field space, qualified coaches, dedicated staff, and committed players. Portugal’s women’s league is semi-professional, as around half the teams do not pay minimum wage to the players. Most women work full-time during the day and rush straight to training. 

It was sustainable for smaller clubs before the introduction of the teams supported by men’s clubs. Now the standard has been raised. Unfortunately for us, the women’s program is a separate organization from the men, with a different group of investors.

While Portugal is home to one of the best players in the world (Cristiano Ronaldo), it is also a country with a huge economic disparity. When you add in a macho culture you find the challenge that is faced around the world: women are not being given adequate opportunities to succeed.

What changes have you seen in women’s football since you started playing?

Here is an example of the change in the game: most athletes, especially girls, begin weight training around 15. I owe a huge thanks to the campus security guard at my high school, Mr Caples. Nearly single handedly he built a weight room and coached kids after school. 

I prioritize the gym when I get to a new place, it gives me a sense of peace, it is a form of self-care for me. It took a while to build that feeling for me in Portugal, it took some persistence and frustration. The boys were generally apprehensive of my presence at their practices and gym time, but they seemed to get on board when they realized I could work with them. That is often how I feel as a female athlete - if you just give us a real chance we will exceed all expectations.