The inaugural season of the Gituamba Bridge Cup in early 2025 drew far more interest than our committee had planned for, with several groups of girls asking why the league was organized as mixed teams rather than offering them the chance to compete separately at a competitive level.
Taking that feedback seriously, planning for the second season, which would launch the following April, began with a specific commitment to recruit and coach at least two standalone girls' teams alongside the existing mixed and boys' teams, requiring us to recruit additional women coaches with playing experience.
We also used this planning period to formalize a basic code of conduct for coaches and players, covering respectful conduct, a zero-tolerance policy on harassment, and clear rules on match scheduling, developed after informal conversations with parents about what they wanted to see from the program.
“When my daughter asked why only boys had a real league, I did not have a good answer. I am glad the organizers listened and are building something for girls too, not just adding them to the boys' teams.”
— Parent of a prospective girls' team player
Recruiting coaches for the new girls' teams took longer than expected, ultimately succeeding through a connection to a women's amateur football club in Nairobi willing to send two players to volunteer as coaches on weekends.
The resulting expanded season launched in April 2026 with six teams total, an outcome you can read about in our football league update above.
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