Sara Shehabi, Big Dreams Become Bright Football Future

Some people you meet in life are truly inspirational. This is certainly the case with a former student of the University of Lincoln who has already made history in the world of football, and still feels like she has much more to give.

Sara Shehabi, who left the university in 2017 after getting her MSc in Sport and Exercise Science, has turned her dreams into a reality in the face of adversity. In fact, the more challenges she has faced, the more determined she has become.

At the time of this article being written, Sara stands proud as the first and only female Technical Director of a professional football club in her home country of Jordan.

Along the way she has faced it all and still stood strong. The cultural attitudes towards ambitious women in her country, the use of negative stereotypes in football, and even the loss of a loved one.

Currently leading the coaching at Amman Football Club in the Jordanian Women’s Professional Division, Sara has had to fight every step of the way, but her journey towards her dream job has never faltered.

“It is a masculine game in this country, that’s for sure, but I’ve always wanted to coach professional football, and I won’t let anything hold me back.” She said.

“I have worked very hard to get my A License to coach professional football, and I am going to soon have my Pro Licence so that I can access even more opportunities in the future.

“In Jordan, there is this attitude from many people that women should be in the home, and not in positions that are usually dominated by men.

“I’ve never believed that, and when I’ve encountered those attitudes, it’s only strengthened my belief in myself.

After finishing her master’s degree, Sara left the UK and started her career as the Head Coach of Istiqlal Women’s Football Team. The cost of her Visa to stay in the UK also meant that she could not even attend her own graduation.

At Istqlal Women’s Football Team, Sara used the knowledge she had gained as a player, combined with the skills she had learned at university to work with players that wanted to develop.

Her success at that club opened the door to a new opportunity, as Technical Director of Amman Football Club, where she made an immediate impact.

“The season before I came, Amman finished third in the First Division, and at the end of my first season we finished in second place, so the improvement is really showing.

“I oversee things such as player recruitment, performance developments and tactical analysis, and I believe I am bringing my belief and my energy to everything at this club.”

Sara remembers Lincoln fondly, both the city and the university, and has heaped a lot of praise on the latter.

I absolutely loved the University of Lincoln, and it was the perfect place to get my MSc.

“I’m a country person at heart, and not too fond of big cities, but Lincoln is different in a good way, and the University is fantastic.

“All the lecturers and staff made me feel very welcome, and in particular one of my lecturers Sandy Willmot was fantastic

“Sandy knew that Lincoln was very new to me, and he went out of his way to give me a tour, show me around everything and make sure I was happy.

“I really appreciated that, and I’ll never forget the help he gave me, and I’d recommend studying at the University of Lincoln to anyone!”

Despite making history in her home country of Jordan, Sara always has one eye on the future and is already planning her next move. The cultural attitudes towards women in football make it very difficult for Sara to reach the heights that she dreams of, and her hopes are that she will one day be able to make it to the USA.

“I would absolutely love to take advantage of the opportunities of somewhere like the United States. I can see how football is evolving over there and I want to be a part of it.

“I’d benefit so much from the attitude they have about women’s football, and I feel that the USA would appreciate my experience and knowledge, as well as respecting me as a female coach.

“I’d like to be a Technical Director or Head Coach for a women’s team in the USA, or maybe even work in youth development. There are so many more options over there!”

“If everything works out as I hope it will, I would like to complete my education by doing a PhD or enrolling on a scholarship programme in the USA.

“I feel that there is no limit to what I can achieve in a country that has such a progressive attitude towards football.”

“I’m very positive about the future and cannot wait to see what it brings.”