For a very long time the idea prevailed that certain sports were ‘boys sports’ and certain sports were more ‘girly’. Skateboarding definitely had the reputation of being boyish. Enter Women Win and the ROLL models project. Funded by the Nike Community Impact Fund, they are building an internationally connected community of empowered skateboarders, going beyond movement.

With their ROLL models project, Women Win aims to get more girls, women and non-binary people on skateboards. And since one’s capacity to hold their balance on a board with wheels has no relation to gender, they are succeeding in their goal. Going beyond movement, they are building an internationally connected community of empowered skateboarders.

When asked why they chose skateboarding, Nanja van Rijsse (Women Skate the World) and Simone Bauhuis (De Rollende Mina’s) share the same idea. Skateboarding is much more than a sport, they say. Besides the physical, mental and group aspect, there is also a cultural aspect: “Skateboarding is so closely connected to photography, film, art, and architecture, that I don’t see it as a sport,” Nanja explains passionately. “It is such a free sport in which you can very much determine your own rules”, Simone adds. “We call it ‘the tools for empowerment’ because the lessons learned in skateboarding are life lessons, like: ‘If at first you don’t succeed, I’ll do it again, and then it will work’.”

Anyone with an idea for a project can sign up to join the Roll Models project, as long as it ultimately gets more girls and non-binary kids to start skateboarding. If the idea needs further development, Women Win can help out. Two former grantees of the Roll model project in the Netherlands are Women Skate the World and De Rollende Mina’s.

Women Skate the World, founded in 2018, started with what one may perceive as a simple goal: getting more girls into skateboarding. “We quickly moved on to developing curricular programs for women at other existing organizations, so that they could engage more girls in their own skateboarding programs,” explains founder Nanja. By truly listening to what the skateboard community asked for, Women Skate the World expanded to include programs such as ‘New Wave’, which is a series of open skate nights specifically for women and queer people to have a safe space where they can simply skate. Now, they own a skate park in Amsterdam Zuid-Oost, where they can bring all their activities together.

‘Don’t let yourself be held back by the image you may have of skateboarding’

“Women Win has not only helped us with funding, but they also coached us on certain skills. They basically helped us build our organization,” explains Nanja. From advice on how to set up a budget plan to writing a timed schedule for an event, Women Win makes sure knowledge is passed on to the ROLL models. To be able to do so Women Win uses funding from the Nike Community Impact Fund. In this way it all trickles down to the different communities.

Aside from skateboarding activities, Women Skate the World also gets involved in other ways. “We advise the municipality of Amsterdam on how you can make sports more inclusive, for instance by building gender neutral toilets at skateparks,” Nanja indicates.

De Rollende Mina’s – a creative skateboarding platform for girls, women and queer people – have a similar experience. Founder Simone reminisces that it started with her own need to not be the only woman at the skatepark: “I noticed that the visibility of other queer women in the skateboarding world really helped me to continue doing it.” Women Win gave them their first funding, allowing them to get started. Now, they are a foundation with various activities: “We also organize an empowerment program in which young girls learn how to use skateboarding to increase their self-confidence, to learn how to take up space and just have fun,” Simone explains. Next up is the opening of their own skate bar in Nijmegen on March 10th, where they will be introducing people to skateboarding in a casual and accessible way.

What both organizations have noticed when it comes to community is that there is an explosive increase in girls and queer people participating in skateboarding. Simone has noticed how people throughout different cities keep coming back to the scene. Their goals are the same, to get more girls and women on skateboards. No rivalry is present between the organizations in the Netherlands: “Any crew, collective or event that comes into existence is warmly welcomed,” says Nanja, while Simone nods along in agreement.

Having their own place where people can come together is important. To be able to do so, they need funding. That’s where the ROLL models program comes in. Applying to a ROLL models project is quite easy. For example, you don’t need to be a foundation in order to get the funding. There’s also a lot of room for experimentation with the money you receive. Nanja says: “We don’t need to explain every cent we spend.” “The ROLL models project is unique in that: you only need an idea and a personal bank account,” Simone emphasizes. This funding made it possible for them to buy materials, pay rent and it gave them the leg up they needed to become a foundation.

Even a relatively low amount of money can make a big difference for these organizations. But it’s not all about the money, explains Simone: “One of the magical things about the ROLL model program is that you guide people to be visible in the community, who can then mentor other people and then those people can in their turn become ROLL models.” It’s also about the connection between collectives such as Women Skate the World and De Rollende Mina’s, or those geographically further away. They clearly strengthen and inspire each other through this program. Simone encourages: “Everyone should learn to skateboard,” and Nanja passionately says: “Don’t let yourself be held back by the image you may have of it!”

The Nike Community Impact Fund (NCIF) benefits communities where employees live, work and play. These employee-led grants support local, grassroots organizations that get kids moving, because Nike knows that active kids do better. And when kids have an opportunity to fall in love with play and sport, they’re more likely to reach their full potential both on and off the court. Submissions will be accepted from January 10 through early March 2023 in Europe. Check it out here.

*There are several other organizations that emphasize the importance of a sense of community and safe space for girls to participate in sports, that receive funding from Nike.

The Krajicek Foundation motivates young people in disadvantaged neighborhoods to develop a healthy and active lifestyle. They believe that children who regularly exercise and play outside are not only healthier but also happier and develop their talents faster. To get more girls involved, they want to increase the number of female role models in Amsterdam and Utrecht via the Krajicek Academy. Through this program, they organize activities in which they teach girls to develop sustainable athletic and social skills.

Favela Street focuses on (street) football and has a ‘train the trainer’ program in which they coach women with a non-Western background to become (better) coaches. Plus, the coaches are offered resources to further develop their life skills. These women are not only the next generation of female sport coaches, but also function as role models for young girls. These girls are inspired to become more active. Last year Lilith Mag interviewed Rocky Hehakaija from Favela Street.

ISA works with young people in underprivileged areas. Through the power of sports, they help these young people discover what they can achieve. In Amsterdam, they create opportunities for teenage girls through activities and events. Creating more social cohesion, they provide a safe space for girls to train, be mentored and feel supported. In addition, they also train female coaches and leaders to function as role models.

This article arose from the collaboration between Lilith Magazine x Nike Community Impact Fund to raise awareness around the fund amongst grassroots organizations.

Skateboarding as a tool for empowerment

‘Don’t let yourself be held back by the image you may have of skateboarding’