Why this Manchester City player is future-proofing their career

Different approach, same excitement

When it comes to getting ready for a game, some things have changed since the start of my career. This season, I’m coming back from a serious injury, and the lockdown as well. I feel grateful now for every opportunity I get to train and improve every day because that was something that I couldn’t do for a very long time. Being away from it made me really appreciate what I have. However, the excitement to go out and play is still there. When you get to focus on playing for an hour and a half, two hours, that’s the fun part.

One eye on the future

Growing up in the US is part of what gave me the drive to complete my Masters in Sports Directorship in 2019. Sport and education go hand in hand there, and when I was growing up everyone wanted a scholarship to go play football at university. As a professional athlete, there’s never a good time to do things like a degree, but with the history of some of the injuries and things that I have, I am always seeking to make sure that I’m appreciative of opportunities. When that came knocking on my door, I thought I might as well just do it. If I get an opportunity to do something cool like that, I take it and make it work.

Game-changing

I wouldn’t rule out coaching or punditry when I finish playing but, to me, sports directorship is about making a difference and having a bigger purpose. I think you can affect change on a greater level from an administrative role, and ultimately that’s what we want in women’s football. We want to change the perception of it, we want to make sure that everyone has parity of opportunity, both on and off the pitch, and we want to offer more viable career paths for these athletes, not only in sport but in executive positions as well. That goal is pretty close to my heart.

Breaking the mould

This year I became the first professional footballer to sit on any County FA’s Board of Directors, when I joined the Manchester FA Board. I’ve been really impressed with the way that they’ve handled themselves during the pandemic; they have an open culture in which everyone can contribute. In roles like this, I can bring knowledge of day-to-day life in sport.

I have seen times where players are treated as numbers and assets, as opposed to human beings. To achieve high performance you have to approach things more holistically and find ways to support the individual and make sure that they feel involved, included and valued.

Charting our own course

In the future, as a sports director, I don’t want to get to a place where we just do things because the men have done them. We need to find out what works for us and consider how we can get the parity that we deserve. I don’t think that we should be given any change as a token gesture, but I do think we should be allowed to have the opportunity to achieve the same things.

This blog was originally written as part of the Hays Journal.

Author

Karen Bardsley

Manchester City goalkeeper

Linkedin

Fast approaching her seven year anniversary with Manchester City, experienced goalkeeper Karen Bardsley started her professional career at Ajax America Women in 2007 before moving to Pali Blues a year later.

Twelve months later, the 6ft tall shot-stopper signed for Sky Blue FC, while August 2011 brought another change as she agreed terms with Swedish club Linköpings FC where she stayed for one season before joining Lincoln Ladies.

During her time at City, she has been an integral figure for the team as they have secured six trophies – three Continental Tyres Cups, two Women’s FA Cups and one Women’s Super League title.

Also England Women’s longest serving current player, Bardsley made her Lionesses debut in 2005, and went on to pick up five caps for Great Britain at the London Olympics in 2012.

Having patiently served as understudy to Rachel Brown meanwhile, she broke into the England set-up, playing all four group matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2011 and 2015, and featured at the European Championships in both 2013 and 2017 and the World Cup in 2019.

Although still very much focused on her football, she has also gone on to complete her master’s degree in Sports Directorship in preparation for the next stage of her career.

And in the summer of 2020, she joined the Manchester FA Board, becoming the first professional footballer to sit on any County FA’s Board of Directors in the process.