When I started playing, there were no teams and no structure, so I had to play with the boys. I get very emotional when I think about the humiliation that I've suffered playing football.
MartaRead
Some boys accepted me, some didn't. And my family had comments made to them. Brazil is still a very macho society, and sports are mainly for boys, so people would say to them: 'What is this girl doing? Why is she always out there in the soccer games with the boys?'
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the challenges faced by a woman in a male-dominated environment, emphasizing resilience and the struggle for acceptance.
Marta's quote highlights the difficulties and societal pressures she faced as a girl participating in soccer, a sport often associated with masculinity. It reveals not only her personal experience of acceptance and rejection from peers but also points to the broader cultural norms in Brazil that can marginalize women in sports. By addressing her family's experiences with societal comments, she underscores the inherent challenges women encounter when pursuing their passions in a macho society.
Themes
SoccerGenderAcceptanceSportsCourage
In practice
Example use cases
During a women's sports event, one might reference this quote to encourage girls to participate despite societal expectations.
More from Marta
All quotes →I didn't know there was such a thing as professional soccer, but I knew that Brazil had a women's team that competed against other countries, and I wanted to be on that team.
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