GO Soccer Mums is designed for women to play in a social and judgment-free environment. It's not just for mums but for all women from all walks of life. It doesn't matter if you've never kicked a ball before!
To celebrate our GO Soccer Mums community, we're gathering stories from participants and sharing one per month with our wider football family.
When we think of a GO Soccer Mums participant, we imagine someone who is committed, enthusiastic, and has an overall willingness to give things a go. They may not have complete confidence in themselves at the beginning, but we know this will develop over time. They also don’t have to be the best player, athlete or even close to those things, but they are someone that puts themselves out there and gives it a go. Hafsah Daoudis is one of those people.
Hafsah was recently presented with the inaugural GO Soccer Mums Participant of the Year Award. Not only her team but opponents in the WF7’s described her saying ‘she’s a real go-getter.
She goes in so hard and has the most fun on the pitch. GO Soccer Mums Fawkner SC organiser, Isabella added ‘She puts herself out there, actively participating in the WF7’s, even though it is out of her comfort zone. Not only is she an active participant, but a positive role model for her family and the wider community, bringing others along to experience the benefits of GO Soccer Mums.”
However Hafsah’s story doesn’t start here, it goes back many years and tells of both the extreme challenges and incredible triumphs she has faced. There is no one better to tell this story than Hafsah…
Have you ever met a person that only knows one thing about life? Me, I’m that person. All I’ve learned from life is survival.
You see, I was born to a woman who had some complex mental health challenges which unfortunately robbed me of a typical childhood. I was the scapegoat child and with that came various forms of abuse (if you know you know!) and a perpetual voice in my head that repeated “I just need to make it through this day”.
I was so exhausted from having to endure unhealthy amounts of abuse, as a young teenager I very really contemplated suicide. It was an extremely dark place to be, but I used my faith to pull myself through the grief of it all.
Fast forward a few years and I got married at 22, and things were good for a time. I thought I was happy. However, the mask fell and the red flags I failed to see became clear.
Just when I thought I was ok, I became a victim of my situation yet again. I was discarded by my then-husband, left alone with 4 young children, no money or support. In my attempt to make sense of it all, I uncovered a trail of crime and corruption that led me to be ostracised by my friends, family, and community.
This is probably the hardest thing I have experienced. I’d lost everything, everyone and I just gave up completely. It was my children that saved my life & they don’t even know it.
I realised that I had to work on my healing in order to parent them in a healthy manner. I knew that they too were hurting, abandoned but so deserving of love and kindness for their parent. Someone who would never give up on them. So that’s what I did.
This took years of work, and I acknowledge that every person heals at their own rate. Over time I had managed to find peace and was truly happy having survived without harbouring any bitterness or hatred.
It was at this point I was told by my doctor that I had unsurprisingly, developed a heart condition. Although mild, it is irreversible. Again, I felt defeated, but I remembered that the best gift one can give their children is a healthy parent. I needed to move! My body had so much stored trauma it was affecting my organs. I contemplated which gym to join and which boot camp would be best, but I never really got there.
The GO Soccer Mums program was introduced to me by a teammate who was recruiting players early this year and really, I had no excuse or reason to not give it a shot. I had to coerce my daughter to join me because I was worried, I would quit after the first training session. My daughter has and continues to encourage me, especially on the days that I don’t want to train, and I am so happy that we can do this together.
My team comprises of a truly inspirational coach and beautiful teammates who are so inclusive, encouraging, and compassionate. It’s a combination of these factors and individuals that has kept me coming back to training. I’m grateful, comfortable, safe, and more in touch with my autonomy than ever before. After a lifetime of worthlessness, the GO Soccer Mums program, my soccer club, and my team have enabled me to repurpose myself in a healthy, fun way.”
Natalie, Elsa, and Georgie are extremely proud to have Hafsah on the GO Soccer Mums team and know that she is an inspiration for many other women who want to take that first step in joining a community that allows you to be active and engage socially with the community. We can’t wait to see what she does next!