Katie Bowen walks out with a young fan ahead of a FIFA World Cup match. Photosport
Katie Bowen walks out with a young fan ahead of a FIFA World Cup match. Photosport
When Football Fern Katie Bowen was growing up, her sporting heroes were David Beckham, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane.
That was partly due to her father's love for Manchester United, but also because there were few female athletes to follow.
Bowen was football-mad and would later make history when she was picked as a 14-year-old for the New Zealand Under-17 women's team, but lacked role models she could relate to.
"I didn't really have any sort of female athletes that I looked up to because it just wasn't on TV back then," Bowen told the Herald. "I was always following those [Manchester United] players and the international teams."
"It's completely changed these days. Female athletes are far more visible and social media has helped with that. There's a long way to go, and compared to male athletes, a lot of room to grow. But it's changed a lot."
Bowen's reflections were timely on International Women's Day, as she contemplated the rise of female sport in this country, with three prominent women's World Cups, including FIFA's female showpiece, scheduled over the next two and a half years.
"Hopefully having these tournaments here can inspire the next generation," said Bowen.
"They can see us in person and think, if they can do it I definitely can.
New Zealand midfielder Katie Bowen reacts to a sign made for her after a game against USA. Photosport
"And for young girls, instead of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs, they're looking up to the Rosie Whites, the Katie Bowens, the Abby Ercegs."
Bowen has been a member of the Football Ferns since 2011 (70 caps), featuring at three senior World Cups. She has witnessed the rise of the sport here, with more resources and infrastructure at the elite level, but the curve remains steep.
"We've got a long way to go certainly in developing the youth and the pathways," says Bowen. "But something like the World Cup can be massive; by being in someone's backyard and being able to go check out a game, it makes a huge impact on young players. We've got work to do but we're definitely moving in the right direction."
Bowen has been based in the United States for almost a decade. She had four years at the University of North Carolina – picking up team and individual honours for the famed Tar Heels– before being drafted by FC Kansas City into the National Women's Soccer League.
Next month she'll begin her sixth season in the top tier of United States' club football, back in Kansas after a three-year stint at Utah Royals FC.
Bowen is only 26 – and as a central defender could easily play for another five or six years – but is already making provision for post-retirement life.
That the reality for many female footballers, who don't have access to the financial rewards available in the men's game.
"It's certainly a bit difficult to have football as your main focus, supporting yourself," said Bowen. "When I come back in the offseason [from the United States], I've contemplated playing in Australia, but then there will be no time with family, which doesn't really float my boat.
"So I come back, I coach a lot. I try and run football clinics and pick up whatever I can, because I've still got to maintain my offseason training.
"I just try and make ends meet while I'm home. Thankfully, I live with my mom, so I'm not having to pay rent. But yeah, ultimately, it's not like I can come back from America and sit on the couch and do whatever I want. I've got to make sure [of] some source of income."
Bowen wouldn't swap her career for anything – especially grateful for the friendships and experiences her sport has provided – but it's not straightforward. She has her degree (majoring in communications) to fall back on, but her bank balance isn't comparable to many on the corporate ladder in New Zealand
"I won't be starting from scratch [but what I've earned] won't equate to someone who's been working a nine to five job for six years and what they probably have in their savings," says Bowen. "I'm certainly not starting from rock bottom because I'm smart with my money, but it will be [about] exploring different avenues - 'Okay, how can I use what I've learned along the way and what am I passionate about?' And then, starting there, whatever age that may be."
