Fanatical Female Footballers
With the wave of World Cup football mania nearly subsided, Caterina Polistina examines the rising prominence of women soccer players in Australia.
When FIFA President Sepp Blatter claimed that, ‘the future of football is feminine’ in 2004, Football Federation Australia (FFA) figures indicated there were more than 65,000 registered female players nationally. The increased participation of women in football has made it one of the fastest growing sports in Australia with a large percentage being junior players.
The surge of female footballers began with the Sydney 2000 Olympics lifting the profile of women in the sport. With an abundance of females embracing the sport, the Women’s Department at Soccer NSW in Parklea is passionate about changing the status quo in a previously male-dominated domain.
In the comfort of her office overlooking the grounds, Renee Cassell, Soccer Australia Coaching and Development Administrator and Acting Participation Officer for Women, says: “We obviously see women’s soccer as important and really believe they need someone there looking after it … I’m trying to do my best to make girls realise that soccer is fun and enjoyable.”
Cassell believes that the publicity and recognition in recent years of the National Women’s team (Matildas) under FFA has led to the women players becoming role models for girls.
The Johnny Warren Football Foundation (JWFF) formed in remembrance of the great man himself has piloted a program for girls held at Soccer NSW.
“This is actually a free camp for all the kids thanks to the JWFF which is fabulous in itself,” says Cassell. “It means that everyone can come along; not just those who are a little bit more fortunate…it’s never been done in football before so that’s been very enjoyable for them. The Foundation are really hoping to keep that continue on…because Johnny Warren’s vision was really to look at building the kids not only for enjoyment but for skills and talents.”
Another avenue in which the women’s sector of Soccer NSW has provided incentives for females in the sport is through reducing the costs of undertaking a coaching licence. Soccer NSW is offering for the first 16 female applicants, a 40 percent discount on the total cost of the Youth License on completion of the coaching course. This course hopes to attract aspiring female coaches and assistants under the National Coaching Scheme Structure developed by the FFA.
“It’s not only important to have the players, it’s also important to have those female role models … We want to see women all the way through the sport,” says Cassell.
Sally Shippard, from Wagga Wagga, is living her dream of playing professional football for both the Young and National Matildas, even whilst completing her HSC last year.
“Growing up in Wagga … at the age of about five I was playing a lot of sports and I had three brothers, so they were a big influence,” says Shippard, now living in Sydney.
“With the younger girls looking up to us, it’s obviously a lot more pressure on you to perform and set a good example as well. Just being able to go out to schools and hold coaching sessions, and to talk to people about my experiences…it’s a great honour to be a role model to younger kids,” she says.
Despite the tag the Matildas have sported throughout their numerous years of campaigning ‘the new fashion in football’, and the efforts exerted in improving the profile of women’s football, Shippard agrees more work can be done.
“It’s definitely growing and people are becoming more aware of the female game. We’re actually playing Mexico before the Greece game in Melbourne.,” she says.
The extraordinary Arrive Alive Women’s Super League Competition - the women’s version of the highest level in NSW for 2006 - has demonstrated a range of talented female football players who enjoy the game. One club that successfully promotes women’s football is Northern Tigers – a representative club of the Kuring-gai District Soccer Association (KDSA).
Northern Tigers Convenor Ros Hunter explains how introducing women’s football through junior competitions encouraged senior teams around two seasons ago.
“To encourage the seniors to join us we actually offered quite a reduction in their fees…We get the best coaches we can that are available to coach them. We sent out flyers or a letter to all our girls that are playing for Kuring-gai soccer inviting them along to trial for Northern Tigers,” says Hunter.
Hunter says the numbers of women players in the club increase by about 50 percent each. “It’s the camaraderie that you see in the boys that we can now offer the girls in a team situation,” she says “Now they’ve got an avenue where they can continue with our women’s soccer.”
Northern Tigers All Age players are fanatical about soccer - just ask them. Captain and goalkeeper Diane Simkins, known to her teammates and competitors as ‘Wiz’, has been passionate about soccer since 1979.
“Ever since then I’ve never missed one year or probably one game and never looked back; absolutely enjoyed every minute of it even losing 11 nil against Marconi. Considering how like 25 years ago it was hardly heard of girls playing soccer…best thing about it now is the way it’s promoted and there’s a lot more opportunities out there for girls in all aspects,” she says.
Bill Pappas has been coaching State, National and Cadet League for more than 25 years collectively and this year he began coaching a Women’s State League team.
When asked what it’s like coaching girls, Pappas laughs.
“Enjoyable. A challenge and most of all the beauty about it is that the girls are willing to learn,” he says standing in the middle of the Tigers’ home ground. “The sport is growing – probably the most growing sport at the moment. We can always do more to promote the game especially for women.”