“We want to inspire the next generation of women who want to be in the sports media industry,” says former professional footballer and broadcaster Mollie Kmita at Wembley Stadium.
Since retiring from professional football, Mollie and her twin sister Rosie have made it their mission to create an inclusive and supportive space for women working in football.
As the founders of the Powerhouse Project, they have played an essential role in increasing the number of female coaches in the sport and almost four years later, they are taking on a new challenge.
The Powerhouse Project has partnered with Google Pixel to create the Pixel FC Academy – a five-month workshop program covering all aspects of sports media, from print media, production and creating viral social content.
The initiative will be delivered in collaboration with several sponsors, among them arsenal, Liverpoolthe FA i 90 minutes. Participants will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience, access an open training session at St George’s Park and have the chance to go onto the pitch to cover a live Women’s Super League match.
They will also be working side-by-side with ITV’s top experts to create digital and social content for their channels during Lionesses matches.
“We are very grateful to have the level of partnerships that we have,” Mollie said 90 minutes. “We’re really working with the best in the business and we’ve done that on purpose because we want the women in our academy to be exposed to the best.
“Sitting here and talking to you, knowing 90 minutes The onboarding is just huge.”
Recent YouGov research revealed that 70% of female sports fans aged 16-24 believe sports media is a male-dominated industry, with 63% saying they would be more likely to request them if they saw a greater number of women in prominent roles.
Speaking about the inspiration behind her new venture, Rosie exclusively said 90 minutes: “I think we realized that the issues and barriers to entry for women were the same as training.” The Kmitas made it clear that they “want to build an organization that would eradicate these problems.”
The academy will also give members the opportunity to apply for industry placements after graduation, including work experience or paid internships, depending on performance.
All participants will be paired with a sports industry mentor to support their development.
Legends Karen Carney and Fara Williams were on hand at Wembley Stadium to celebrate the launch of Pixel FC.
“I love the fact that Pixel FC Academy has been created,” said Karen. “Looking back, a learning space like this where I could fail in a safe environment would have been brilliant. There’s clearly a need and a demand, so if you’re interested, my advice would be to sign up – it’s an opportunity incredible.”
