More than a kick by Tayla Harris and Jennifer Castles
Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760525804.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. As Tayla says, you might not
initially recognise her name, but if prompted with "Women's footy .
. . kick . . . photo . . . trolls" there is probably some
recollection of the furore around the dramatic image posted online,
an amazing shot of footballer Tayla Harris, leg flying high as she
kicked a goal. It was not the image itself, although it was an
incredible shot, but what came afterwards that drew media attention,
for the image became a magnet for vile trolls who wanted to demean
her with threats of sexual assault. The AFLW response was to take
down all comments including the original image. But that was
disturbing because it meant that the trolls had gotten away with
what they'd done. Tayla reposted the image in an act of defiance,
and drew the support of many supporters and wellwishers. The
experience led her to make a stand against online harassment,
becoming a role model for girls not only in sport but in any
endeavour they wish to pursue.
Tayla Harris's book More than a kick is aimed at helping
young people navigate social media, but starts off by introducing
Tayla herself, her life, her daily routines, her diet, the things
that make her who she is. And then it goes through the experience of
the trolling of her image, and what she learnt about how to handle
that. She lists the things she does to stay safe, things she does to
feel okay, and advice for someone who is being cyberbullied or
trolled. There is a link to the site of the Doing Nothing Does
Harm campaign which aims to motivate people to do
something when they see or hear disrespect towards women. The book
as a whole is very accessible and attractive, easy to read, with
large font and lots of pictures. It can easily be recommended for 12
year olds and upwards, but is an interesting read for adults as
well.
I highly recommend this book as an inspiration for young girls and a
valuable resource for all school libraries.
Themes: Girls in sport, Girls' education, Self-assertion,
Cyberbullying.
Helen Eddy