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CREDITS

Sirene Milano is not only the first Italian women's American football team but a family, in which different personalities coexist and complement each other. Discipline, perseverance and mutual trust are some of the founding values for the group, united by a strong sense of belonging and ready to fight together to achieve their dreams, including spreading the discipline of women's football in Italy and Europe.

Unlike other sports traditionally thought of as feminine, in which competition between female teammates is completely unavoidable, this community lives everything in reverse: eager to legitimize their passion against stereotypes and prejudices, they challenge the old and ingrained thought that girls cannot challenge each other in a sport with a high percentage of physical contact by running until the goal, what they themselves call a touchdown, is achieved.

For me, the Sirene are a family, my reference point and my joy.

"Il football mi ha aiutato tanto a credere nell’amicizia tra donne. È facile pensare, anche per un discorso culturale interiorizzato dalla società, che nei gruppi di donne ci sia più competizione che coesione."

American football is the art of staying on your feet when everyone is trying to knock you down. You learn to get back up, with the help of your teammates, thinking about the goal, the touchdown.

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Ilaria Dezio

24 Corner Back

Ilaria is a dynamic girl, and joining the Sirene  team has instilled in her a new sense of hope for her sporting evolution. She learned about football in Australia, and once she returned home she thought she would not be able to find a role for herself because of the few similar realities in the country.

The number of women's American football teams in Italy is currently declining compared to previous seasons, partly due to the cultural stereotypes that revolve around the discipline and penalize the visibility of active teams in the Italian scenario, which, being unrepresented, remain bare of participants. One of the main ones is the "violence" of the hand-to-hand confrontation that occurs in tackles: seen from the outside, the discipline can alienate, leading girls to opt for activities of less physical danger but with higher risk of developing psychological reactions to the physical standards that dominate them.

"Football is one of the most inclusive sports in the female, where every strength can find its expressive form, unlike so many other sports, where physical standards pose barriers that exclude."

One of the first things taught when playing contact is “keep your head straight and look ahead”, Defensive Backer tells us. That's because the gaze engages the neck muscles so you can be stronger and put your body in a posture of pride, both physically and mentally. The connection between mind, body, and goal strengthens self-esteem and can affect personal attitude in a positive way.

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