{"id":33927,"date":"2018-10-31T13:40:41","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T20:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.persianfootball.com\/news\/?p=33927"},"modified":"2018-10-31T13:40:43","modified_gmt":"2018-10-31T20:40:43","slug":"fifa-the-coach-transforming-ir-irans-womens-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.persianfootball.com\/news\/2018\/10\/31\/fifa-the-coach-transforming-ir-irans-womens-game\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA: The coach transforming IR Iran\u2019s women\u2019s game"},"content":{"rendered":"

FIFA – TEHRAN, All too often, to see meaningful change you have to wait a frustratingly long time. Which is why developments in the Iranian women\u2019s game are all the more striking \u2013 with the rapidity of progress being matched by the sureness of direction.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That it is being driven by a woman from the USA, who has just entered her 30s, makes it all the more remarkable.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I am doing now would be unheard of five years ago,\u201d Katayoun Khosrowyar told FIFA.com, fresh from a training session with IR Iran\u2019s U-19 side. This is where she is driving forward a new vision, developing a blueprint to work from top to bottom in their women’s game.<\/p>\n

The first Iranian woman to carry a FIFA \u2018A\u2019 coaching license, she has revolutionised everything from scouting and training to diet, fitness and preparation. Her impact has redefined the way the women\u2019s game is seen in Iran so much that, for the first time, men are now actively involved in the development of the teams.<\/p>\n

The fact Khosrowyar and her team were requested to be among the first women to watch the men\u2019s national team play at the national Azadi Stadium earlier this month speaks volumes. The impetus she\u2019s injected into the women\u2019s game is creating ripples throughout sport and society.<\/p>\n

But this path was once a million miles from her radar.<\/p>\n

Coming to Iran<\/strong>
\nRaised in a sport-mad household \u2013 her Iranian father was a triathlete and professional swimmer \u2013 the 17-year-old Khosrowyar had already progressed from state to regional football. Her pathway was clear: footballing college scholarships were a certainty, the USA women\u2019s national team was the dream.<\/p>\n

But her first family trip to Iran wildly diverted that course. Arriving with a shock of red dyed hair and eyebrow piercings, she fell in love with the hospitality, culture and warmth of the people. While there, seeking out somewhere to stay fit and play football was natural to her. \u201cIn our household it was: eat, sleep, train, repeat,\u201d she laughed.<\/p>\n

While futsal was the only available option \u2013 \u201cI hated it\u201d \u2013 her talent caught the eye. The day before she was set to leave, Khosrowyar was asked if she\u2019d like to be part of a newly-forming women\u2019s national team. In her mind there was no choice. \u201cWhenever someone asks, \u2018Do you want to be part of a national team?\u2019 at 17 years old, you say yes!\u201d<\/p>\n

After a day of convincing her parents, without more than a word of Farsi in her vocabulary, Khosrowyar\u2019s Iranian adventure began. \u201cThe strength, the tenacity and the vibrant culture of these women here is what caught my attention,\u201d she explained. \u201cThey were so fierce, so strong and I wanted to be one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

But by 24 she had quit playing, frustrated by the stagnation she saw in the team. Coaching was where she knew she could make a real difference. \u201cI decided to focus on the future. That\u2019s where my energy belonged.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grassroots change<\/strong>
\nWith FIFA funding, she obtained her \u2018A\u2019 license at just 26, and has \u2013 all too often single-handedly \u2013 been persevering to develop an infrastructure across the country to open the footballing door to girls. But first she had to find them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to travel some random city, walk around the town, ask people if there was a football school or a place where girls play futsal – anything,\u201d Khosrowyar explained matter-of-factly. \u201cThey\u2019d always show me to the parks, where there\u2019d be girls playing with their brothers and cousins.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was no other way to go find the girls. My family described it as me going and kidnapping players from the park!\u201d she added with a laugh that accompanied many of the more outlandish parts of her story.<\/p>\n

Next was training a trusted network of coaches to support her, extolling good practice on diet, fitness and preparation, while trying to drag their coaching norms into the 21st century. \u201cThey were using books from 50 years ago \u2013 not to say information from 50 years ago is bad! But it\u2019s a good idea to modernise as well.\u201d Now the likes of YouTube and Instagram are helping to add inspiration and variation to their training sessions.<\/p>\n

With plenty of groundwork done, now \u2013 almost by chance \u2013 she has the full backing of the federation. \u201cThe support came unexpectedly,” she revealed. “The general secretary passed by the field with a big group of men and they thought my team were boys training. They were crossing, heading, tackling each other and the general secretary called me over to ask, \u2018Are you sure these are girls? He always tells me, \u2018It\u2019s because of you and your team that I\u2019ve started appreciating and respecting women\u2019s football\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Khosrowyar’s American perspective leads to constant frustrations at the state of play, the internal perception flip has seen resistance transform into enthusiasm to take on the ideas she is pushing. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen this shift that\u2019s never happened before and all the girls have noticed it too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Should she find success, her methods will be implemented across all levels of the women\u2019s national teams. \u201cEverything is starting with the U-19 national team. We are the example and it\u2019s going to trickle up and down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having booked a place in the final round of AFC U-19 Women\u2019s Championship qualifying at the weekend, things look to be going according to plan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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