The 2015 Women’s World Cup begins on June 6, and to commemorate the occasion, the clothing brand Wildfang is showcasing some badass young female soccer players.
The company’s CEO Emma McIlroy teamed up with photographer Andrea Corradini to create “#GameFace,” a series of fierce photos of 14 athletes ages 5 to 14. “We are beyond excited about the Women’s World Cup. It’s one of the most amazing moments in sports and women get to take center stage,” McIlroy told The Huffington Post, adding, “We wanted to look forward to the next generation of female footballers and, as you can see, the future of the sport is in good hands.”
The creators reached out to local soccer coaches in Portland, Oregon and invited their young female players to show off their “game faces,” which they define on the Wildfang website as “their most authentic moment, right before they stepped out onto the pitch.”
Tess, 11: “Cheetahs are my favorite animal — they’re almost as fast as I am.”
Unsure if anyone would show up to the photo shoot, McIlroy and Corradini were pleasantly surprised when over a dozen bold, young athletes stopped by — most coming right before or immediately after practice. With “zero styling,” each girl proudly displayed her purest game face.
“They showed up with such innocent and fierce pride,” Corradini told The Huffington Post. “They were confident, yet giggly. Independent, yet bonded with their teammates. They had no reservations about just being themselves and letting me photograph them in their most natural and authentic way.”
“We wanted to show young females as they truly are — raw, powerful, beautiful,” McIlroy added, noting that she hoped the photo series would provide a refreshing alternative to the images of “young women in pink and wearing princess dresses” that seem so pervasive in today’s society.
The Wildfang CEO also said she hopes other women can “see a little of themselves” in the hardworking female athletes depicted in #GameFace. “We hope they remind them to be a little bolder and tougher and ultimately be really proud of being who they are,” she continued. “Our hope is these images leave you feeling inspired to go kick ass in your day.”
Keep scrolling to see the badass young women of #GameFace and visit the Wildfang blog to learn more about the series.
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1 Jane, 10: “I’m the only girl on my flag football team. Our team name is ‘Jane And The Boys.’”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
2 Eva, 10: “I speak French — I’m even better than my mom!”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
3 Annika, 9: “When I grow up, I want to be an architect and a professional soccer player.”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
4 Seriyfa, 9: “I’m always telling jokes because I love to make people laugh.”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
5 Malea, 11: “I’m super good at juggling the soccer ball — my record is 1,065.”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
6 Sima, 6: “My favorite song is ‘Fancy’ by Iggy Azalea. I do an awesome Iggy.”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
7 An’Drea, 7: “I have a dog called Trees and I’m a really fast runner.”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
8 Sierra, 10: “My nickname on my team is Beast.”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
9 Savannah, 14: “My coach is my hero. He can see the potential in me that others can’t and he always pushes me.”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
10 Naomi, 6: “I’m way better than the boys in my class at math.”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
11 Zoe, 11: “When I want to chill out, I usually doodle while listening to music.”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
12 Allison, 11: “All the boys at school are afraid of me ‘cause I do jiu-jitsu.”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang -
13 Isabelle, 13: “Music gets my mind and heart into the game and inspires me to do more.”
Andrea Corradini / Wildfang
H/T BuzzFeed
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