English star Molly Clark reveals all that she has gone through to become one of the best players in the world
Few players embody the evolution of women’s beach soccer as Molly Clark does. From her first moments on the sand, the potential behind her talent was clear for all to see. Some years later, she has undeniably become a great spectacle to watch with the ball at her feet, a stunning display of competitiveness, passion for the game, will to win.
Her development reached a new level in 2018, when she was shortlisted as one of the best three players in the world, an award that went to Russian star Marina Fedorova.
But this is just one more item on Clark’s list of records, which includes an English National Championship, a Swiss National Championship, a Spanish National Championship , two Dorset Cups, two Super Cups and the 2017 Women’s Euro Beach Soccer Cup.
These, without forgetting, of course, her individual awards: Women’s Euro Beach Soccer Cup 2016 Top Scorer, Spanish Championship Top Scorer, Supercup MVP and Euro Winners Cup 2018 MVP, together with the nomination to Best Women’s Player of the Year this past season.
But those are not as important for Molly as the collective ones: “Being nominated as one of the best players in the world is of course something me and my family feel very proud of, but I train with the objective to help my team, not so much for myself and the individual awards”, she explains.
Now, it is pretty common to see Molly Clark lifting trophies, both individual and collective. But her road to the highest level of women’s beach soccer in the world has been far from easy.
She recalls that when she was invited to give beach soccer a try by coach Perry Northeast, a key man in his career, about six years ago, finding opportunities to train was not easy. And being able to take part in the competitions was even harder
“As soon as I stepped onto the sand in the beginning, we could only play one event a year, and it was tough. Now, I am happy to be invited to many competitions around the world, what gives me the chance to learn a lot, improve my level and get to know different places“, Clark highlights.
Besides the difficulties she mentions, Molly Clark has had to fight hard to overcome physical setbacks. Some that could end an athlete’s career. Before going on and winning the Women’s Euro Beach Soccer Cup with England, Molly had to recover from not one, not two, but three ACL injuries, and this is what she believes to be her biggest achievement in beach soccer, which perfectly defines what kind of a fighter Molly Clark is.
The fourth of two sisters and three brothers, and Daughter to an assistant teacher and a builder, she decided to follow the footsteps of her dad outside the pitch, and joined the building world some years ago.
But when she is not on the construction site, her mind is completely on beach soccer and football, both as a player and as a coach.
From the sand, and off it, she will keep fighting to see women’s beach soccer grow more and more, with one dream in mind: “representing England in the first Women’s FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup“.
With her passion, strength and determination, that dream seems a little bit closer.
