Developing greater confidence, discipline and a stronger bond: Why football is much more than a sport for these sisters

This 19-year-old footballer now speaks confidently even under pressure and has no hesitation in guiding her teammates on the pitch.

But growing up, even maintaining eye contact during conversations was difficult for Tia Foong.

She says: “My parents were concerned about this shy and awkward kid that I was.

“The turning point came when I met so many new people through football and I was speaking up so much more, guiding players and pushing them to do better.”

Being selected for the Lion City Sailors Senior Women’s Team, which competes in the Football Association of Singapore Women’s Premier League, further boosted her confidence. 

“I just grew into the better version of myself that the younger me would have wanted to become,” adds the right-back, who is also pursuing a business degree at the Singapore Management University.

For Tia and her sisters, Tasha, 21, and Tyan, 17, playing football eventually became more than just a hobby and an extracurricular activity.

The sport has shaped their confidence, resilience and connection to one another both on and off the pitch. Much of that journey unfolded at the Lion City Sailors Girls Academy.

The younger two sisters initially followed the lead of eldest sibling Tasha, who was the first to take up football in primary school. This was out of practicality: it streamlined pick-up and drop-off timings for their parents, who own a hair salon.

Tyan, currently a student at Victoria Junior College, confesses: “I actually wanted to join badminton.” However, it was the camaraderie and support of a team sport that eventually got all three sisters hooked.

Adds Tyan, who is a centreback: “Doing this with my sisters makes it feel like we are all in it together. We could share our mistakes and what we learnt, and our bond deepened over time.”

Today, Tia and Tyan continue to play competitively for the Lion City Sailors Senior Women’s Team, while Tasha, who has since entered the workforce as a social media manager, plays recreationally.

Learning valuable life skills

For the Foong family, sports have always been a priority. Their father, Zacc Foong, 50, was part of the taekwondo national youth team, while their mother, Deon Loon, 51, played table tennis when she was younger.

Says Loon: “We didn’t want them to start using devices at home, or just sit around and watch television. We saw football not only as a way to keep them active but also as an outlet for them to decompress from the stress that they had from their studies.

“It was also a way to expose them to leadership, human relationships, and improve their communication skills while instilling in them resilience and graciousness.”

Tia recalls: “I was failing my A-level subjects really badly in my first year of junior college. Thanks to the perseverance that I learned from football, I managed to push through and pass everything and get promoted, which was a huge relief to my parents and me.”

For Tasha, the discipline required to balance football and school commitments prepared her well for working life.

“How our schedule looked back then was: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays were our women’s U19 national team training. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays were club training, and finally, Sunday was our matches. It takes real time management,” she shares.

Their days were often packed, but Tasha notes that this also meant there was little time to loiter or get entangled with bad influences.

Football also taught the sisters independence early on, from navigating public transport routes to training sessions to arranging tuition classes around tight schedules.

As for Tyan, her passion for football sparked a broader drive to excel in sports. Besides representing Singapore at the Lion City Cup as the Under-16 girls’ team captain, she also became a South-east Asian Games 2025 silver medallist in wakeboarding, on top of juggling her studies.

“During the small pockets of time that I had in between training, I would do a little bit of school work or at least run through my notes on my iPad or my phone. I learned quickly that it was really just prioritising what needed to be done,” says the youngest Foong sister.

Women supporting women

Having an all-girls football environment proved especially meaningful for Tia and Tasha, who, together with their parents, describe Head of Women’s at Lion City Sailors Yeong Sheau Shyan as both a mentor and a role model.

The sisters say the set-up gave them the confidence to develop their skills without feeling pressured to compare themselves with boys. For Tasha, it provided a supportive space to build her fundamentals as a beginner.

“A lot of boys already have experience playing football, so they’re quite proficient. For someone like me who really started from zero, the girls’ academy was a safe space where there was no judgement,” she explains.

One of the most meaningful parts of the sisters’ journey has been the unwavering support from their parents, despite them not knowing much about football themselves.

“Our parents do not watch football at all. The fact that they still support us so wholeheartedly, even though they don’t fully understand the sport, is something I find really special,” says Tasha.

“We’ve tried explaining football to them during the past two World Cups, but till today, they still don’t know what ‘offside’ means.”

Helping girls aged six to 17 thrive through football

The Lion City Sailors Girls Academy supports players across different levels, providing a structured pathway for girls interested in pursuing football more seriously. Here are the key things to know about the programme:

• Players can participate in local leagues and tournaments, while competitive teams may also take part in overseas tournaments, training stints and international friendlies.

• Twenty-two academy players have progressed to the Lion City Sailors Senior Women’s Team, which competes in the FAS Women’s Premier League, Singapore’s top-flight women’s football competition. This demonstrates a clear pathway from youth development to elite football.

• The academy is supported by women across its leadership, coaching and administrative teams, including a female technical director and close to ten academy coaches, as well as senior players who serve as mentors and role models.

• Many former academy players have gone on to represent Singapore’s Senior Women’s National Team and its Under-19 and Under-16 national teams, while others have been awarded UTR scholarships. These achievements reflect the impact of providing the right environment, support and development pathway.

• For older girls, sports science and women’s health, including how the menstrual cycle can affect strength, are factored into training to help prevent injury. Players also receive support through nutrition and physiotherapy sessions.

Curious if football could be the right fit for your daughter? Families interested in learning more about the Lion City Sailors Girls Academy can sign up for a complimentary trial session here.