– We may have slept a little during class, Lise Klaveness admits to news. The statement comes after a heated debate during Arendal Week. There, amongst others, football parents Egil Østenstad, Ørjan Berg and Gerd Stolsmo shared their experiences about why Norwegian football is struggling internationally. They all have football careers behind them and their own children at the top level. FOOTBALL MOM: Gerd Stolsmo (in the middle) with star daughters Ada Hegerberg (left) and Andrine Hegerberg. Here they are pictured after the Gullballen award ceremony in 2018, when youngest stepdaughter Ada won. Photo: Christophe Ena / AP Stolsmo, who is the mother of Golden Ball winner Ada Hegerberg, believes that Norway can look far for “a new Ada”. – The investment that we see on the girls’ side is an ocean behind what the boys get today. There is a real gap, says Stolsmo to news. – The girls must be taken seriously as soon as they arrive, as 6-7 year olds. They must have a proper professional plan. They must be allowed to compete, and there must be an end to the idea that everything girls do must be social, pleasant and that it must be so fair, she elaborates. Want to get rid of the silk gloves The soccer mom thinks the girls are treated with silk gloves for no reason at all: – The girls come there with expectations. You have to give them exactly the same as the boys get, believes Stolsmo. She is supported by a brand new survey among football players, parents and coaches in Vestland. It has been carried out by Professor Siv Skard at the Norwegian School of Economics. The results were presented on Tuesday evening, and some of the main findings read as follows: The coaches underestimate the identity of the players as footballers – and to the greatest extent the girls’. The boys have more organized training sessions per week than the girls, although there is no difference in how many training sessions girls and boys want. Both parents and trainers want higher numbers at training sessions for boys than girls. The girls’ coaches believe that the most important motivation for the girls is social, and that the most important motivation for the boys is to have fun. The survey nevertheless shows that there is no difference between what motivates girls and boys. There is a tendency for parents to underestimate the girls’ interests in football and overestimate the social aspect. 30 percent of the players respond that the boys have better access to training camps, 26 percent of the players in the selection think the boys have better access to equipment and 25 percent respond that the boys have better access to cups. IS SUPPORTED BY FRESH FIGURES: Stolsmo’s concerns are supported by a completely new investigation. Here she is with her daughters on the training field. Photo: Berit Roald / NTB Leikar “Bjørnen søv” This week the evaluation will be completed after Norway’s failed World Cup effort this summer. Hege Riise’s team failed to achieve their goal of winning their group, and were later knocked out in the round of 16 against Japan. The results are part of a negative trend that has been seen in the women’s national team since the Olympic gold in 2000. The reason for this may perhaps be linked to the differences in children’s and youth football. Stolsmo points to a cultural and attitude problem. – They play “Bjørnen søv”, says Gerd Stolsmo about the training model that meets young soccer girls. On the men’s side, players such as Martin Ødegaard and Erling Braut Haaland have been international superstars in recent years, and things are growing well behind them. On the women’s side, it can be different, believes Stolsmo. – I am very worried about the new Adas who will be coming up, she says and explains: – The reason is that the girls will have a bad result from breadth and grassroots. On the girls’ side, there will be plenty of width. It’s all well and good to gather a lot of girls, but from there on it stops, she believes. – Is it a lost generation? – I’m not going to say that, but it can almost look like it. We don’t see the big subsequent growth. We don’t have any big profiles knocking on the door, she says. CLOSE UP: Gerd Stolsmo congratulates daughter Ada Hegerberg with an award during the Sports Gala in 2017. Photo: Jon Olav Nesvold / NTB Klaveness promises improvement Football president Lise Klaveness agrees with what Stolsmo thinks. – I absolutely agree that we still have a way to go when it comes to culture and attitudes, says Klaveness. She is happy that Stolsmo is passionately committed to girls’ and women’s football. COMMITTED: Klaveness is happy about Stolsmo’s commitment. Photo: Per Sveinung Larsen / news – My experience after many years of Norwegian top football is precisely that the main picture is the opposite: The very, very most who work professionally with player development and top football work with the boys’ and men’s side. Those who will work with both the girls’ and boys’ side have their references from the boys’ side. The battle side will then be, says Klaveness. Stolsmo clarifies that she does not expect that Klaveness alone can bring about the necessary changes. – Lise is tough, but she can’t do everything on her own. It is a culture that sits in the walls that must be changed. Not everything depends on finances. I feel that the history that will come, no matter what decision is taken on behalf of the girls, they will be the losers, says Stolsmo. The football president promises improvement in the coming years. – We will recover properly on the offensive with the girls’ and women’s side going forward. We cannot continue to defend WC and Olympic gold from 20 years ago when the world looked different, says Klaveness.
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