I’M a fan of some reality TV shows, mostly the ones where the participants learn a skill – such as ice-skating, dancing, cooking or pottery. However, the latest offering has left me in a bit of a quandary. Ultimate Goal is a six-part reality competition to discover untapped talent in women’s football and it will premiere some time in 2021.
With four notable mentors – including Eniola Aluko, the former Chelsea, Juventus and Lionesses player – the show will feature 28 women initially, reducing to a pool of 14 who will play a trial match against a top women’s team, attended by scouts from women’s clubs around the world, which may include Chelsea, Barcelona, Arsenal, Lyon, and Orlando Pride.
The ultimate aim is to encourage more young girls to take up the sport. However, I have my reservations. Is the women’s game once again being used as guinea pigs for the latest craze? Who will be making money out of this? There are a few unanswered questions, so I look forward to reading more about how this new concept will work.
Another new concept, coming from one of sport’s biggest manufacturers, Nike, is a new store opening in Paris called The House of Innovation. This time I think it is all good as, surprisingly, we seem to have a large retail manufacturer listening to the needs of women and at the same time understanding the diversity of women who participate in sport, all of whom are different shapes and sizes. The store will use a selection of body-diverse mannequins as well as mannequins with different abilities, such as those with a prosthetic leg. I hope this will reflect our diverse society in a much stronger way.
I have read that Nike is also going to create conservative swimwear pieces for women who want to swim but want a more modest look. Strangely, that is just what you would hope to buy from a sportswear shop!
It will also offer its new Bra Fit technology for sports bras, which will use artificial intelligence to give size recommendations in all different types of sports bras.
Good news. I wonder what the next great innovation will be?
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