Hollywood duo hope to open Latina pathway into football with investment into Watford women

American actress Judy Reyes and her partner, film director George Valencia, might be the latest to beat a path from Hollywood to British football but the couple’s investment in Watford Women has the grander purpose of tackling a lack of Latina representation.

Reyes, who as the daughter of Dominican immigrants is passionate about representation, and Valencia, who is of mixed Ecuadorian and Colombian descent, want to build a bridge between Watford and underserved Latina players in the United States.

“In my career, the only way that I understood myself being an actor on screen or on stage was to see people like me who have done it,” said Reyes, best known for her role in American medical sitcom Scrubs.

“We want to create an example to our communities. In the US, access to football is dictated by economic status. Through this partnership with Watford, we want more people who look and sound like us involved in the sport.

“But it is a cachet thing for people in Hollywood to own a team and our goal has always been to go beyond that and do something that’s unique from it.”

Youth football is a multibillion-dollar industry in the US, Valencia said, and the pay-to-play model creates a barrier for many youths of colour.