Premiere scorer Ronja: It was just a goal

B42

14.09.2022 Reading time: 3 min

Premiere scorer Ronja Taubmann on her first goal in an official men's game.

Ronja Taubmann is 24 years old and a soccer player. She caught soccer fever at the age of seven and has been hooked ever since. When she had to move for study reasons and there was no women's soccer available in her new town of Wasserburg, she joined the men's team without further ado.  

And how. In her last game for the time being, the Munich native scored Germany's first goal by a woman in a men's team. 

We met her and talked about her career, women's soccer in general and why goals by women should also be normal in men's teams.

From Karlsfeld to Wasserburg: it doesn't work without soccer

At the age of seven, ballet is actually the number one sport for Ronja. But when her brother decides to play soccer, the round leather is the only sport left for her, too. And that's where she stayed. First with the boys and then with girls' and women's teams in Karlsfeld. 

"For me, soccer is something that has always been there in my life and has helped me a lot." For Ronja Taubmann, who is based at the central midfield position, soccer has always been an important part of her life. A constant, as it is for so many other passionate kickers*.  

In addition, soccer has given her unique friendships and, in her specific case, also had the power to integrate quickly into a new environment.

"Football has the power to quickly find a new home".

Finding a new home quickly was also necessary for the 24-year-old. When she moved to Wasserburg am Inn to study physiotherapy, she had to leave her familiar surroundings in the north of Munich behind and was on her own from then on. Inn loop instead of the banks of the Isar.  

One evening, while jogging past the soccer field, she decided to lace up her shoes for TSV 1880 Wasserburg.  

The catch: Wasserburg currently has no team for women. Ronja then called the head of the Wasserburg Lions to ask if she could simply join the boys' team: "Kevin (Kevin Klammer, head of TSV) told me that it was no problem at all. The only important thing would be that the boys agreed to it and that the quality of the team didn't deteriorate." Thus began their adventure in men's soccer.

"I didn't know this cohesion before".

What was it like to be on the field with your new teammates for the first time? Nervousness and pressure without end. However, not because the new teammates demanded so much, but because Ronja thought she now suddenly had to defend the complete reputation of all women: "I wanted to do extra-good and thought with every bad pass that they now had the wrong image of women's soccer." 

But - and that's where the power of soccer comes into play once again - that pressure was quickly lifted from her. That's because teammates saw her simply as a teammate. Not as a woman playing along. Footballer, not women's soccer player. "From the first practice on, it didn't matter that I was a girl, if I made a mistake I was snapped at - and rightly so." 

When they then did a lot together as a team off the pitch and the team spirit typical of soccer took hold, the pressure was finally gone. From now on, Ronja could play freely. And finally show her full potential.

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"I didn't think of anything, just felt".

So it was only natural that the coach had confidence in her - and ordered her to play up front in the 80th minute of the game. 

It came as it had to: A few turns after her substitution, she had not yet touched the ball herself, the flanker moved along the line, got away from the opponents and passed to Ronja in the middle. The goal, she says, was an absolute team effort. "Osman, my teammate, could have finished directly, but he played it to me. That actually reflects the spirit of this team the best." 

In this, her, moment she had thought of nothing, but only felt. The feeling: endless happiness.

Actually it was just a goal

But and this is also part of the story: it was only one goal. And it should be completely normal for women playing in men's teams to score goals.  

When the BFV, as the state association, decided that men's teams would also be open to women in the future, the amazement was great - after all, this came rather spontaneously. The fact that it is being made possible is a great thing. Especially players like Ronja, who couldn't find a suitable team in her area after moving, benefit from it. They can continue to pursue their great passion.  

Paradoxically, however, what somewhat diminishes the achievement of Ronja and Co. is the media coverage. From icons to role models - in the gazettes, the topic has been rather highly stylized. Wouldn't it be better to report on it as if it were completely normal? A goal like any other. 

By the way, the premiere goal scorer herself sees it similarly: "It was nothing special. It was a goal like any other. I wish women could score a normal goal, too." 

Be fearless. Be focused. B42