When Leila Al Dzheref, Class of 2022, departed after a whirlwind NYU Abu Dhabi Candidate Weekend she had a new goal in sight: to join not only the university, but also the Women’s Football Team. Yet, Al Dzheref, an avid football fan and aspiring sports journalist, never had the chance to play the sport she loved before university. Now a sophomore member of the football team, Al Dzheref enjoys an extra session each week, but one with a slightly different composition of players.

On Thursday evenings, female students, staff and members of the wider Abu Dhabi community come together for SoccHER, HERhoops and HERvolley, community-based programs launched by the Athletics Departments in March 2019. HERsports began as a women’s only football initiative open to non-NYUAD individuals, but has since expanded to include basketball and volleyball.

“I noticed there is a large gap in the market, especially in Abu Dhabi, with women playing football after university or not necessarily having many opportunities to play here,'' said Lyne Ismail, Athletics Department staff and coach of the Women’s Football Team. Ismail noted that it is not within the mandate of the Athletics Department to create programs for the external community, yet engagement beyond the campus has become a shared goal. “At the end of the day, we are in Abu Dhabi, it is our home,'' Ismail added.

Over 80 women have joined SoccHER throughout the past months with just slightly lower numbers for basketball and volleyball. The games attract individuals from all backgrounds, ranging in age, playing experience and motives to show up each week. A number of regulars are university students who play on their own respective teams in the Abu Dhabi Intercollegiate Sports League, while others are first timers in the sports. Dazy Mutasa, teaching assistant at GEMS World Academy, has not missed a single week of SoccHER. She came to the first session with no prior experience on a football team, but cites the friendly environment as the reason she consistently returns. “What keeps me coming here is that the girls are so friendly, they are welcoming,” said Dazy. “For the environment and for fitness as well.”

The all-female space radiates empowerment, with shouts of encouragement filling the small pitch as Dazy’s young daughter watches from the sidelines. There are no referees or official scoreboards and the focus is on enjoyment rather than competition. This casual play encourages bonding between participants regardless of their background. Salma Al Busaeedi from the Athletics Department, who facilitates HERhoops, recognized the unifying factor as the love of sports. Each session lasts for two hours with the aim of having as much game time as possible, yet the program is flexible enough to stop matches to work on improving the participants’ skills. Students who play on the respective NYUAD Intercollegiate Teams often help newer players learn the techniques and strategies needed to succeed.

To grow the program, the NYUAD Athletics Department has recently hired two HERsports student assistants, Al Dzheref and Nicole Parodi, also Class of 2022. “I really wanted to help [the Athletics Department] in organizing something that could bring benefits to other people as well,'' Al Dzheref said, recognizing the opportunities for sport participation that have opened to her at NYUAD, and how she wants to pass that along to others. Since the beginning, NYUAD has been an innovative institution, pushing the availability and level of sports in Abu Dhabi, especially for women. In 2011, Peter Dicce, Director of the NYUAD Athletics Department, helped establish ADISL which now partners with 13 other local universities to increase competition.

HERsports fosters a new type of space within the city, an open and welcoming environment for women to try out a new skill or improve a lifelong passion. The NYUAD Athletics Department is building a community beyond what is expected, hopefully inspiring more programs focused on female participation in sport. Two hours on a Thursday evening may not seem like a lot, but the potential for personal development and relationship building can extend well beyond the court or the pitch. The inclusive environment allows differences between the players to disappear, so all that matters is the goal they are aiming at.

If you are interested in learning more about HERsports, use the following registration links for SoccHER, HERhoops, and HERvolley.