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Gatorade has launched a new campaign that brings together world-renowned names in football to motivate participants of its Girls' 5v5 Finals at the UEFA Women's Champions League Final.
The Gatorade 5v5 tournament is an annual event held by the sports drink brand, championing 14-16-year-old young talents making a name for themselves in the sport.
With a unique structure, it includes an all-female contest at the UEFA Women's Champions League Final held in Bilbao, Spain.
The company has enlisted the help of former Arsenal forward Rachel Yankey, and Athletic Bilbao and Spain Internationalists Laia Aleixandri and Fernando Llorente to meet the Gatorade 5v5 finalists Zazpi Landa, Ibaiondo, Bilbao Artizarrak, and Basauriko and give them their well-deserved confidence boost.
Yankey Shares Her Experiences In Emotional Spot
Part of the initiatives include a short film posted by Yankey on her socials, where she opens up about her struggles as an athlete.
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In the spot, a young Ray shares her experience as a young girl pretending to be a boy by shaving her hair just to be able to play football.
"Eventually, they wouldn't let me play with them anymore," she shares.
However, Yankey knew better than to let the instance upset her because she knew she was the only one who could make herself stop playing football.
Young girls began sharing their own experiences with the seasoned footballer, feeling belittled in the space due to their gender.
"No girl should grow out of her confidence. Gatorade Confidence Coaches help them stay in sports," the screen writes, as the spot ends.
Building Athlete Confidence
According to the company, 40% of teen girls lack confidence in sports, leading them to give up on their pursuits.
To Yankey, this statistic doesn't come as a surprise.
"When I was growing up there were no visible female coaches and that can be difficult as a young girl - your body and mind are going through so many changes," she shares.
The English football star also emphasized the importance of having more female role models and more education for coaches to have a better two-way conversation between players and coaches.
"No girl should grow out of her confidence, so we are working with legends of the game to be Confidence Coaches to inspire and motivate teens to play and stay in football. Their advice helps break down barriers and fuel confidence," Gatorade VP of Marketing Bart LaCount concluded.
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