A Chance For A Journey
Magdalena Burczyńska, Poland
We have teamed up with the adidas Breaking Barriers Project to share the inspiring stories of 16 Champions across Europe as they advocate for women and girls in sport within their local communities. The first instalment of this series showcases six Champions from the UK, Italy and Poland who are all working to support the next generation of women in football. Magdalena Burczyńska is an adidas Breaking Barriers Champion and Football3 Mediator with Train To Be Good based near Płock, Poland.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about how you got involved in football?
My name is Magdalena Burczyńska and I live in the Masovian countryside, near the city of Płock. I represent a Polish non-governmental organisation - Trenuj Bycie Dobrym (TBD), which means Train To Be Good. I have been a member of the organisation since 2020, and I belong to Cohort 3 of the adidas Breaking Barriers Project. Within each cohort are representatives from various organisations participating in the adidas Breaking Barriers Project. I create and deliver projects with the other adidas Breaking Barriers Champions from Poland. I run football classes based on the football3 method, with primary school students in the first through third grade and also with students in the fourth through eighth grade.
Football3 is a method where everyone is equal on the pitch. As a leader and coach, I teach participants how to discover, create, and use communication skills on the pitch and in daily life. One of the focuses of football3 is mediation, where we teach players values like cooperation, empathy, decision-making, and responsibility. After football3 training, our participants can share their new knowledge with children at school and at home. Their teachers have told us that the football3 method has been a positive influence on their students’ lives.
Football has been with me since childhood, which is why I immediately agreed to participate in the adidas Breaking Barriers Project. In primary school, I participated in football classes and developed my skills there. In addition, I played in football competitions with the school team and won various medals. When I joined the TBD team and the adidas Breaking Barriers Champions, I became interested in the coaching side of the sport and now coach children. The most important thing for me to teach the children is good communication and cooperation between players.
Why did you start working in your community? Why do you think your work with girls is important?
I enjoy working with children from the area where I live. I feel a bond with the children that I coach over the months of hard work we have done together. However, activities need to be expanded, so I hope that when I go to college, I can pass on my knowledge to new players. The motivation to get involved was the participants' smiles from the first training sessions and workshops.
Girls in Poland, especially in primary school, are often not treated properly. They have no way to break through into sport the way the boys do. That is why I and other Champions decided to help pave the road for them to get involved with sports. It is really rewarding to be involved with TBD because I can see the girls finding their direction, playing the sport, and competing against the boys. Each of the girls sees a chance for a journey that will give them something.
What did you try to capture with your photos? Was there a deeper meaning to the photos?
The photos were taken during tournaments in Gdańsk, Nowa Góra, and Maszewo Duzy. In the photos, are participants of the adidas Breaking Barriers Project, volunteers, invited guests, and local soccer players. The photos show tournament events, the football3 method in action, and young Champions at work.
Through the photos, I wanted to convey the power of the football3 method that we use during all tournaments, because it really works. In addition, I wanted to show the strength of the girls on the field in order to inspire young girls not to be afraid to play sports and get involved in sports. As a Champion, it was a pleasure to take these photos where everyone felt free to show themselves and the joy and emotions that accompanied each activity. I am glad that I have created such a community.
Why is football important for your community? Why is it important to you?
Football in our community is adored because every child is raised on it. Locally, we have several clubs in the Polish countryside that play amateur matches every week, and they attract the attention of young and old fans. In addition, my town is located near Płock, where there is a women's and men's football section - Wisła Płock. Football is the queen of sports in this region. As a player, the ball gives me a moment to show my strength and intelligence along with my skill on the pitch. Sometimes it brings adrenaline during the game. As a coach, there is a responsibility to encourage the team to perform the best they can on the field, while making sure they are having fun playing the game.
What role does football play in your community and your culture or society? What are some of the prevailing challenges for women and girls in your communities?
Football is like a second religion in Poland. It is the only sport you can watch over and over again and never get bored. People are emotional about football, and emotions are what the Polish League and the Polish National Team provide. Despite the failures, Poles still come to the stands. As a child, everyone was taught to play football.
In Poland, it is difficult to break into women's football, because there is inadequate funding to support coaches and players. In addition, schools often target and promote this sport for boys. There are separate classes for boys and girls which leads to a lack of acceptance of girls on the pitch. Low self-confidence and lack of appropriate coaches to teach girls football in schools is the biggest barrier, as there is no one for girls to learn from.
What are the opportunities for women and girls to play football in your community and in Poland?
There are few possibilities for women and girls to play football in Poland. Not every professional sports club has a women's team. When there is a women's team, it is mostly intended for players over the age of 18, which excludes younger girls. In the countryside, clubs are often run by unambitious "coaches" that do not care about the development of girls.
The adidas Breaking Barriers Project and the TBD organisation provide a space where girls can play sports and participate in development workshops. Regardless of economics, class, age, everyone is equal. Because of the adidas Breaking Barriers Project and TBD, these activities are offered in many schools both in the city and in the countryside. Year after year, the number of schools with mixed classes for boys and girls will increase, as will football3 training for teachers and coaches.
In addition, girls have the opportunity during each adidas Breaking Barriers Project to apply for being a Young Champion, which is to be a sports volunteer and a youth leader in their town. In our adidas Breaking Barriers Project, we gave the girls a chance to get involved in learning the football3 method. Implementing this practice with younger groups provides girls with the opportunity to grow with football from a different angle.
What do you think the future looks like for football in your community and Poland? What do you want to change? How would you improve gender equality?
The FIFA Women's World Cup is not really promoted in Poland, and there is no media surrounding it. Ultimately, this impacts the viewership of women’s football in Poland. A smaller group of spectators come to support the women compared to the men, and few women want to play football professionally because they earn several times less than men. However, I am a realist - if someone does not do something loud for women, nothing will move in Poland.
The more there are projects like adidas Breaking Barriers, the more girls in Poland will participate in sports. The adidas Breaking Barriers Project has encouraged more girls to try different sports clubs and activities. However, it is true that we will not reach every school or community, so the help of the Polish Football Association is needed. More mixed-gender classes, especially in primary schools, extracurricular sports activities without gender division, joint workshops, and movement games developing cooperation will be the foundation of change in Polish football.
Want to join us in breaking barriers for women and girls in Europe? Join the adidas Breaking Barriers Academy here.
