Scoring a place in the line-up for Tokyo 25 is the goal for Team GB Deaf Women’s footballer, Sophie.
The 17-year-old from Eaglescliffe was among the team to play in the first ever official deaf international women’s football match to take place in the UK.
A win against Poland Deaf Women at Hanley Town FC secured Team GB’s place in the 2025 Deaflympics.
Confident the team can now go on to medal in Tokyo, Sophie, a student at Bede Sixth Form College in Billingham, is hopeful she can hold on to her place in the squad.
“Our team is the strongest it has ever been, and we are only going to get better over the next year,” she said. “We have shown that by beating Poland who are the second-best team in the world.”
A keen footballer from the age of eight, Sophie found her feet, and love of the game, playing with Leven AFC Under 9s.
Growing up in the sport, she has gone on to play for Teesside RTC and Stockton Town FC Ladies and, after discovering deaf football a couple of years ago, first represented England Deaf Ladies Football in a friendly match at just 15.
With moderate to severe bilateral hearing loss, Sophie said she has found playing deaf football not too dissimilar to any other game.
She explained: “If you have hearing aids you have to take them off which puts everyone on an equal playing field, and, without a whistle, the referee waves a flag to start and stop play.
“The main difference is you have to find different signs for communicating with each other on the pitch because, without hearing aids, you can’t rely on verbal communication during the match.”
For her, the chance of playing on the international stage has felt like a bit of a waiting game, particularly after missing out on playing with the England team when they qualified for the World Deaf Football Championship in Malaysia last year. Just 10 days away from turning 16 at the start of the 2023 World Cup tournament meant she wasn’t allowed a place on the squad.
England went on to finish fourth after being beaten by Poland in the bronze medal match.
Sophie, who also now plays for Norton Ladies FC, is part of the ISE Women’s Football Academy at Bede offering support to elite young athletes looking to progress in their sport alongside their college education. She said: “The Polish team hasn’t changed very much since the world championship, but our team has changed a lot. When it came to the Deaflympics qualifier against Poland everyone was excited for that match.”
A hamstring injury from earlier in the season could have scuppered her chances of getting a foot in the game, but she said: “I worked really hard on my recovery and while I wasn’t able to start the game I got 25 minutes at the end.”
Now looking forward to being in the running to represent Team GB in Japan, she said: “It is exciting. Playing at this level has opened-up opportunities that I might not otherwise have had. There is a real sense of community in the game, but I think it is the same with any sport, it brings people together.”
In its 100th year the Deaflympics offer an opportunity for deaf athletes to compete at an elite level.
Sophie, on ISE at Bede, said: “Being part of the ISE Academy at Bede means I get extra training and extra playing time which can only be a good thing for my game. The academy opportunities were part of the reason I chose to study at Bede, it means I can focus on both football and my education.”
