OFF THE RECORD WITH ROSIE AND MOLLIE KMITA

Published: 14/07/2025, Words by: Alex Courbat | Photography by: Adam Horton

For Mollie and Rosie Kmita, football has always been something that they shared. From kicking a ball around their dad's garden in Enfield to playing pro in England and America, the twins have navigated every step of their careers together. Now, having hung up their boots, they're using everything the game taught them to create opportunities for the next generation of women in football. With the 2025 Women’s Euros kicking off, we caught up with the twins to talk about their journey, role models and the Powerhouse Project.

“We first got into football, honestly, just playing in the back garden with my dad. That was my first ever memory of football, and I love thinking back to those moments because that was where we used to play with no pressure. It was just the love for the game.” Rosie Kmita says, smiling.

Growing up in North London, they were often the only girls playing football in their area. At the time, it didn’t feel like anything special. Little did they know. "Back in the day when we really were the only girls in our area playing, you didn't notice it, but you were really breaking barriers and breaking down these stereotypes," Mollie Kmita says. "As you get older, you think back and start to realise that you're actually doing something different to everyone else."

As they got older, they pursued their passion, but their journey into professional football wasn’t what you might expect. They didn’t come through elite academies or have a clear route mapped out. Instead, they had to figure it out as they went – moving between clubs like Tottenham, West Ham, Brighton, and even heading to the States for a spell.

Rosie recalls those early days. “We played through that time when I just had my dad and my dog there, and we also played when there was no one wanting to watch it.” It might not have been as glamorous as it might be now, but they had front-row seats to watch the game they loved so much grow from a handful of spectators to full stadiums – and that gave it all meaning.

"The professionalism – that's exactly where it is," says Mollie. "Even when we were at Tottenham for those nine years, the women's league in this country was not professional then. You have this passion for football, but you also have this reality that I can't have this career without also having a job because financially this isn't the infrastructure that exists right now."

Eventually, both sisters reached a turning point. They knew their next chapter wouldn’t be on the pitch, but they weren’t ready to leave the game behind altogether. "For us to be able to play through that transition, feel the attraction, feel the change happen whilst we were playing and then make that conscious decision to say, actually, I think we've done what we can playing-wise, but actually, I want to be part of the game in a different way now" Rosie says.

That new direction first took them into broadcasting, but something deeper started to stir. As they looked back on their journey, they realised just how invisible women’s football had been when they were growing up. Mollie even laughs when asked about her childhood football heroes. “Genuinely, growing up for us, we really didn't see any female footballers. My role model growing up was always David Beckham, and Rosie's would have been Ashley Cole because I played on the right and she played on the left.”

That lack of female role models had shaped their whole outlook and limited what they thought was possible. "If you don't have role models, I don't know how to get there because I can't see anyone who's done it before me. That's where it gets hard sometimes, feeling like this is even possible. That's why I think, subconsciously, you make different choices – maybe safer ones, like going to uni or sticking to the traditional routes – because it feels too risky to try something else," Mollie reflects. 

They didn’t want the next generation to face those same barriers on their own – so they decided to do something about it. The Powerhouse Project was born: a coaching programme designed to empower women from all walks of life to chase their dream careers in and around football.

"The Powerhouse Project is honestly probably the proudest thing we've created so far," Rosie says, beaming. "For us, football really changed our lives. We're just two girls from Enfield, didn't have much direction, didn't really know what we were doing, and then football came into our lives."

"The biggest motivation for us when we created the Powerhouse Project was to build pathways that help women reach their full potential – whether that's coaching, a media career, or whatever it may be. If you want to be part of this game, there have to be clear routes to get there." Adds Mollie.

But the Powerhouse Project isn’t just about careers; it’s also about changing the way people think at all levels of the game. “Growing up, I felt as if you didn’t make it as a pro footballer, you were made to feel like a failure. For me, that’s not the right narrative for young women, young girls, and young boys,” Rosie says, before adding, “It’s like, okay, you might not go and make it as a pro but look how much you can do in this space.” “We need to get better at educating young people sooner so they grow up in a world where women playing football is completely normal, and they should never see it any differently,” Mollie continues.

Now, three years into the Powerhouse Project, they can really see the difference it’s making – and they couldn’t be prouder. “What we’re incredible at now, and I’m so happy to be able to sit here three years later and be really confident in saying this, is that we are so good at educating women in the right way,” says Rosie. “So yes, you’re stepping into a male-dominated industry, but after working with the Powerhouse Project and us giving you that education, you’ve got all the tools.” Self-confidence in your own abilities – and yourself – is the name of the game here. “I truly think you can do anything as long as you genuinely believe in yourself,” Mollie says with a smile, before Rosie adds, “That makes me feel so bloody good every day to wake up and know that we’re doing that for so many women.”

Mollie and Rosie Kmita have experienced the game's evolution from the inside, felt the frustrations of limited opportunities, and channelled those experiences into creating a place where legacies start. And when it comes to theirs?

"The first word that comes to mind is impact," says Rosie. "I just want people to look at us and think, wow, they impacted so many other women's lives for the better."

For Mollie, the vision is equally heartfelt: "I want to be remembered for genuinely creating something that gave back and helping lots of women start their careers. It gives me goosebumps, thinking about in five, ten years, how many female coaches might have come through the Powerhouse Project, how many journalists, broadcasters, content creators – all women who just had such a passion for football but couldn't really find a way in."

There you have it. Two twins who have taken their shared love for football and transformed it into something that reaches far beyond their own careers. They've created pathways where none existed, provided role models where they once felt alone, and built a community that continues to grow. From those early days as the only girls playing football in their corner of North London to becoming catalysts for change for so many women, Rosie and Mollie’s story is a reminder that sometimes the greatest victories – and legacies – start after the final whistle.