APYFC V Sporting Duet FC U15s girls football North London
APYFC V Sporting Duet FC U15s girls football North London
Players stretching in a line before a grassroots girls' match, one in a yellow goalkeeper bib
Two players in orange and blue colliding shoulder to shoulder as they chase the ball
Footballer in blue turning away from an orange defender with the ball at her feet
Substitutes sitting along the bench in numbered orange shirts beside a coach's tactics board
Half-time orange segments handed round to players on the touchline at a youth football match
Two youth teams gathering on the pitch before kick-off as the match ball is carried out
Players in blue and orange sprinting shoulder to shoulder after a loose ball
Young footballers watching the game from the sideline in late afternoon light

Photographing Girls' Football: Alexandra Park Youth FC

Confidence, building in real time on a north London pitch

This was an under-15s match at Alexandra Park Youth FC, against Sporting Duet FC, on a grass pitch in north London in late May. Grassroots football at its most ordinary and its most specific: a warm-up jog, a line of quad stretches, someone tying her hair back before kick-off, orange segments handed round at half time, and a coach's tactics board propped up behind the bench.

There's something really special about photographing grassroots women's and girls' sport — the rawness, the energy, the joy of it all. This shoot took place in my own part of north London, and I watched as talented young footballers grew into their skills with every pass, sprint and shot, all backed by the kind of coaching and parental support that lifts them up from the sidelines. That mix of focus and freedom is a joy to capture. It's where sport becomes story.

What draws me to these moments is more than just movement. It's the emotion and connection underneath: girls owning space on the pitch, their confidence building in real time, and the genuine pride that radiates from the coaches and families cheering them on. Photographing these scenes isn't about perfection, it's about presence — and for me, that's where the magic is. It's the kind of shoot that reminds me why I do what I do.

The same thread runs through the rest of my women's and girls' football work: Goal Diggers FC, an inclusive club for women and non-binary players, and the Nike-sponsored Super 5 League. More across the sports photography portfolio and if you're a club, a brand or a governing body who needs sports photography that goes past the action, get in touch.