What does your club mean to you?
Is it the sense of community, the camaraderie of support from family and teammates, or the pride you feel when you go to games and soak in the atmosphere? Is it the feeling of being part of a team or something bigger? Does it feel like a family? For a growing grassroots club in the Netherlands, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
Roffa Dames Social Football Club (SFC), based in Rotterdam, is a free and informal football group for women and non-binary players who simply want to play football. Founded in January 2024 and led by main organiser Chetana Pai, the club provides an inclusive alternative to traditional competitive structures, welcoming players of all backgrounds and abilities.
The club welcomes all levels—from semi-professionals to complete beginners—and in just a year and a half, it has grown to over 70 active players from 22 countries, ranging in age from 13 to over 40.
In an interview, Pai said:
“We started with a very small group, trying to find enough people to play every week. Over the course of a year, it organically grew into a substantial group. Our WhatsApp group now has over a hundred members. I’ve never encountered a group that’s so inclusive, without having to say it out loud; we simply are.”
From the very start, the team became more than just a football team, it became a community. Roffa Dames set the tone of equality, making sure everyone had a chance to play, support one another, and grow together. Building something they all believed in, from the ground up, strengthened their bond and created a deep sense of shared understanding.
Pai stated:
“That’s been the most magical thing – realising how many genuinely kind people are out there. We never had to create a sense of belonging in any structured way; everyone has naturally taken responsibility for it, passing on the same welcoming energy they first felt to every new member who joins.”
The group sees each other several times a week, with many of their social circles now revolving around the people they met through the sport. There’s a shared understanding that if someone ever needs help, there will always be someone in the group ready to step up.
It took around three months before the team had enough people to play twice a week instead of just a few times a month. Their main motivation for starting and joining was to play for fun, meet others who love football (especially women’s football) and create an open, inclusive space where women and non-binary people of all levels could come together for the love of the game.
Roffa Dames has a simple yet powerful mission: to create inclusive, welcoming spaces in sport where players can truly be themselves.
A HOME FOR EVERYONE
Joining Roffa Dames isn’t just about playing football—it’s about forming lasting friendships, fostering community spirit, and finding a place to belong. The team plays at Lloyd Multiplein in Delfshaven, a versatile 3G artificial pitch accessible to local residents. Unlike traditional clubs, Roffa Dames doesn’t require weekly commitment or formal membership—players can join whenever they’re able.
One player said:
“Roffa Dames has given me a sense of belonging and support through thick and thin.”
Another added:
“Roffa Dames brought me back to one of my first loves, football, and introduced me to so many lovely friends who are now some of my closest companions in this city. This group has truly made my life better, and I am forever grateful!”
Pai continued:
“Football is a mind game. It’s about tactics, about moving as a team. And you always feel that anything is possible. I love that. We naturally grew into a supportive and inclusive environment because of the great people who joined us. From the start, our core group set the tone that we’re not here to see who’s the best footballer – we’re here to make sure everyone gets a chance to play, help each other, and improve together.”
MORE THAN FOOTBALL?
Beyond training, the club organises outings, fundraisers, social events, and tournaments, building community on and off the pitch.
In its first year, Roffa Dames co-hosted a tournament with Latin Rotterdam, ran a 5K marathon for grassroots initiative Project Fearless, and competed in their first international event—the Ball Together Now tournament in Manchester, UK.
Ball Together Now CIC is an organisation dedicated to creating inclusive and safe spaces for women, non-binary, and trans people.
The festival is organised by Ball Together and volunteers from across the grassroots football community in Manchester, and was founded by Manchester Laces and Pride Sports in 2022. The first event was held in 2023 with 32 teams, with the most recent edition featuring 64 teams.
Ball Together Now CIC was established in 2024 to carry this and future events forward and enable funding applications.
Roffa Dames created a GoFundMe page to raise money for team kits, player equipment, and visas. The kits were supplied by Amsterdam-based company KLABU, an Amsterdam-based social enterprise that supports refugee communities by building sports clubhouses worldwide. In total, the team raised 1,713€ (£1,487,72). The Ball Together Now tournament brought together 60 teams and roughly 750 players from across Europe, fostering community, visibility, and empowerment through sport.
More than a competition, it celebrated inclusivity and the power of football to bring people together.
On the tournament, Pai said:
“It was really fun and brought us closer together as a team before we embarked on this big adventure. Travelling and camping together was another great bonding experience. Big credit to Ball Together Now for organising such a fun, well-run event that let us play so much football. We also got to meet, hang out with, watch, and play against so many other amazing teams with similar values from across the UK and Europe, and they continue to inspire us in everything we do.”
MAKING WAVES TO THE BIG SCREEN
The club’s next big project is a short film, Ordinary Ballers (working title), spotlighting everyday women who play football and their stories of belonging. Unlike documentaries focused on elite players, this film highlights the extraordinary within the ordinary—celebrating diversity, resilience, and joy at the grassroots level.
Ordinary Ballers is about capturing the everyday stories of women and non-binary people who have found their place on the pitch – whether they have set foot on it before or not – inspired by the beautiful community that has become Roffa Dames. The film hopes to make visible the ‘ordinary ballers’ among us, who might inspire others to find a pitch and a community. Football can be the most accessible sport in the world – all we need is a ball, a goal, and a pitch made for everyone.
The idea for the film came after the 2023 documentary Copa 71, which told the story of the “Lost Lionesses”, an unofficial women’s tournament held in Mexico that drew record crowds but was later forgotten.
A Roffa Dames player producing the film said it was “outstanding” that both amateur and professional players like them had no idea a women’s World Cup once attracted more than 100,000 spectators.
Production is slated to begin next year.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Roffa Dames aim to be more than just a football team—they want to be a force for the community. The club also plan to establish a foundation to keep football accessible while supporting community projects.Across Europe, grassroots football initiatives like theirs are flourishing. These clubs are open, inclusive, and independent, thriving outside the traditional structures of organisations such as the KNVB (the Dutch Football Association) or FIFA.
There’s a growing momentum behind this movement, and it’s a sign of how football can be more than a game; it can be a platform for community, empowerment, and change. At its core, Roffa Dames SFC embodies what grassroots sport can achieve: fostering social connection, empowerment, and joy.
It’s not just a football club; it’s a community, a support network, and a movement, reminding everyone that football truly is for everyone. Roffa Dames isn’t just about playing football—it’s about building connections, celebrating diversity, and creating safe spaces for everyone who loves the game.
Reflecting on the past year, Pai added:
“I think there are so many ways we could go, especially since so much of what has happened over the last year has been things I couldn’t have even imagined were options when we started a year and a half ago. We’ve had a lot of momentum this summer, but now we’re in a slower period, which has been good for reflecting and not pushing growth—just moving with the energy and time available. Mostly, I hope we continue playing football and inspiring each other and people outside the group to try new things, and make space for things you want to do, even if they don’t exist yet.”
On leading Roffa Dames, Pai said:
“This journey has been different, mostly because of how much has changed over the past year, and how much we were building from almost nothing. It’s taught me a lot about people and leadership and finding a balance between making decisions confidently, trusting that people believe I’ll do what’s best, and still keeping things open enough for everyone to feel comfortable contributing. It’s allowed me to do so many cool things, simply because I have a group of people who show up, excited, whenever I plan something. That’s been incredibly rewarding, and I’m so grateful for it. It’s taught me a lot about boundaries, delegation, and letting go a little.”
Intentionality is at the core of everything Roffa Dames does. They involve everyone in decision-making, share leadership, and foster open communication. While this can sometimes feel overwhelming, it also gives members the chance to lead in their own way. The club is now developing a manifesto to keep its values clear and guide future leaders. Conflicts do arise, but they are resolved through shared respect and openness, which define the community.
How to connect with Roffa Dames: @roffadames_sfc on Instagram
Training & Matches: Tuesdays and Sundays, plus friendlies with local and international teams.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-get-roffadames-to-ball-together-now-in-klabu-jerseys
https://www.balltogethernow.com/about
https://www.sportbedrijfrotterdam.nl/nieuws/sportvrouw-chetana-pai?utm_source=chatgpt.com
