Meet Maya!

My journey into the game is very different to Freya’s, you might have caught us talking about it on the first podcast but I didn’t actually join my first official team until I started secondary school. Thanks to my dad and his love of the game, I played it growing up, at primary school, in the garden, but it was in fact through my local community sports club playing indoor five-a-side that I would say my journey really started.

I began my sporting path at the age of seven for the North Area Oshwal Association (https://oshwal.org.uk/north-area/) youth club and participated in my first Oshwal olympics, an annual event where at the age of eight I played for the last few minutes of an under 12s football match. It was from there my love for sport began, from swimming to tennis to cricket to football, but it didn’t take me long to realise my passion has always and will always continue to be football. I joined a local club, Borehamwood 2000 at the age of 11, winning the golden boot in my first season, but shortly moved to Potters Bar Crusaders. Saturday was match day when both my parents would come to support and dad was also an assistant coach for the team. We won the U14’s Division 3 title in the Hertfordshire Girls League in my first season. This was the first time I felt settled, with a great bond between all the girls, some who were school friends, and I stayed there until I was sixteen.

Whilst in Year 10, not only did I set up the girls football team for my secondary school, Dame Alice Owens, but also got selected, after trialling, to be part of the Arsenal U16 Player Development Programme for the 2019-2020 season. The programme was part of the development pathway for Arsenal women, aiming to improve the technical, physical and psychological development to help girls reach their potential both on and off the pitch. I trained once a week on Monday evenings at their Borehamwood satellite centre, chauffeured there by my mum. Although it all felt quite daunting at first, the experience was amazing and the takeaways were truly rewarding; from meeting so many talented unique individuals, to learning the more intricate ins and outs of the game, it was one of the greatest opportunities I have ever had to improve my footballing ability, being taught by some of best coaches. Sadly Covid brought that to a halt. However, when one door closes a new one opens and I joined the Watford Ladies U18 development team following successful trials in April 2021.

When I joined Watford Ladies, training went back to once a week, which actually worked out quite well as I was juggling the new challenge of A Levels. It’s always a bit nerve-racking walking into a new team environment, but I settled in quickly. That first season brought plenty of highs, we finished third in the U18 Division 2 Hertfordshire Girls League, were runners-up in the County Plate Final, and I received the Managers Player of the Year award. Off the back of that, trials began for the U18 Junior Premier League squad, and I was fortunate enough to be selected. That next year turned out to be the most demanding I’ve faced on the pitch, but it also gave me the most growth off it.

It was in this team that I met some of my closest friends. Like in any competitive environment, there were moments when things didn’t go your way, decisions from coaches that sting, games where you sit on the bench longer than you’d like, but having those people around you made all the difference. They helped me keep going when all I wanted was to be out there playing. You learn pretty quickly that football isn’t just about talent, it’s about proving yourself every single time you step on the pitch. The highlight of my final season with Watford has to be without a doubt winning the County Cup, scoring the final goal and having the stadium announce my name as a scorer. It was a moment I’ll never forget. Saying goodbye to that group after just one season was hard, but we got to end on a high with a tour to Amsterdam.

Around this time, the idea of university was creeping closer and I knew that wherever I ended up, playing at a high level was non-negotiable. After visiting the University of Nottingham on an open day in September 2022, I was invited to a women’s football open day in January 2023. That day was definitely a lightbulb moment. Seeing the facilities, meeting everyone, it just clicked. I knew Nottingham was where I wanted to be and I was even luckier enough to receive a reduced offer through football.

It was through uni football that I really found that sense of belonging again. You don’t just train and play with your teammates, you study with them, go out with them and share so many moments together on and off the pitch. I’d always loved football, but here, that love grew even stronger.

The real turning point for me nevertheless, came in October 2024, at the first residential of the BUCS Women’s Leadership Programme. That weekend opened my eyes. It made me think differently, not just about the game, but about the space that could be created within iit. Freya and I started to talk seriously about the lack of coverage in the women’s game, particularly in the FA Women’s National League. It felt obvious to us, there were so many brilliant players, staff and stories in the FAWNL, yet barely anyone was shining a light on them.

By the end of January this year, we decided to do something about it and launched Two On The Ball. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about the National League at the start and at times it felt like I was stepping way out of my comfort zone. But the more we dug in, the more I loved it. We’ve been blown away by the response from across the FAWNL community, and it’s just made us even more determined to keep going.

Looking ahead, I want to keep building Two On The Ball and to keep giving this incredible community the coverage and recognition it deserves. Whether it's helping others feel seen, heard, or inspired to get involved, on or off the pitch, I’m excited to see where this journey takes us and what the future holds for women’s football, especially in the FAWNL.

My footballing journey