Earlier this week, the inaugural Women’s Professional Game Awards nominee list was published: Molly Bartrip and Ella Morris being the two Tottenham Hotspur players recognised for their contributions on and off the pitch. Whilst Morris is amongst those nominated for the Barclays WSL Rising Star award, Bartrip is up for Player Champion of Change.
Since her return from injury earlier in the year, Morris has proved herself as a player with high potential and drive for success. Bartrip, on the other hand, has opened up about her mental health struggles, encouraging others to listen to their bodies and give them the strength to overcome their personal challenges. The infrastructures within sports are improving, but there is still a long way to go to ensure sufficient support for mental wellbeing is provided.
Ella Morris, Tottenham’s rising star
At the start of the 2024/25 Women’s Super League campaign, Morris moved to North London on the back of a successful period at Women’s Championship side, Southampton FC. With over a century of appearances for the Saints, the youngster was an obvious target for Spurs.
Despite the fact that Morris faced a period on the sidelines for the Lilywhites this season, sustaining an injury ahead of the New Year, her return to the pitch impacted Spurs massively. Tottenham Hotspur are facing a tough period, winless in nine matches. However, the fullback has brought a spark to Spurs’ game and became a fan-favourite through her forward vision and work rate. In fact, she was rewarded for her hard graft by scoring her first goal for the club last month, in a narrow 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa. ‘A bittersweet moment’ for the rising star, but an indication of the invaluable impact she will have on the team for years to come.
Aged only twenty-two, Morris plays with a wealth of experience and positive mindset, driving forwards and fighting for every ball. On the international stage, she received her first call-ups for the U23 Lionesses in 2023 and since has become a regular in the starting eleven. There are big things to come for such a humble player, whose attitude towards her performance and success is unmatched. Perchance, her senior debut for the Lionesses is just around the corner.
Morris’s nomination for the Rising Star award is simply a reward for her strong work ethic both with her club and country. The team performance is always at the heart of Morris’ game. As a young footballer, she is paving the way for the next generation of women in sport, acting as an unassuming role model and future Lioness.
Molly Bartrip, Champion of Change
Whilst Bartrip has always been a consistent starter in Tottenham’s backline, her contributions to the sport span far beyond the pitch. Recently, the defender opened up about her own mental health, speaking out publicly about her personal challenges which we can only presume may have taken extreme courage and strength. However, her bravery has contributed to so many individuals speaking out about their mental health, seeking help when they previously suffered in silence.
The English international will continue to fight for better support mechanisms within sport, where mental health is acknowledged and treated with higher importance. When Bartrip was only fourteen, she suffered an injury that pushed her to the sidelines for a lengthy period. During this time, she found it difficult to find sufficient coping mechanisms and faced profound mental challenges . She recently opened up about her diagnosis with anorexia at this time, and depression later in her adolescence. Whilst it was extremely challenging to face her fears and open up in public about her mental health, this opens the door to so many who are reluctant to acknowledge and prioritise their own mental wellbeing.
Being nominated for the Champion of Change award, is a recognition of Bartrip’s hard work and determination: through her profession, she campaigns for positive change, better support systems, and psychological infrastructures at all levels of the football pyramid. As a female footballer in the top flight of English football, she uses her position to be a role model and influence these structural developments.
Struggling mentally is ok, and the defender reinforces the importance of prioritising yourself, and seeking advice or guidance when needed. Her character and grind off the pitch to strive for more accessible and accepting environments within sports is highly commendable, and proves how much more there is to her career than simply playing football. Every individual deserves the right to access appropriate mental health support. This subject should not be treated as a taboo. Instead, Bartrip encourages sporting environments to treat wellbeing as paramount, as it affects the lives of so many women and girls in sport.
