Tell us about your role and what a week looks like?
‘I work at Victoria Park for the Guernsey Football Association as the women and girls development officer – everything from running our Morant Girls Academy to PE in schools to after-school clubs for girls and Just Play kickabouts, trying to make football as inclusive as we can for all ages and abilities in Guernsey.’
How much of a change have you noticed just in the last few years in terms of the opportunities there are and the ambition there is among young girls?
‘It’s been quite impressive to see how much we’ve managed to grow the game in the last five or even 10 years.
‘I’ve been involved from the academy from age nine or 10. And then coming up through the academy, starting to play junior Murattis, getting into the women’s team and then the progression of GFC.
‘But then also, if you look more on social sides, growing women’s social football and secondary age social football and the younger girls Wildcats programme, we’ve now got more running than we ever have. We’ve got club Wildcats running. It’s just really grown. And I think there’s so many more international events that have prompted that, like the women’s Euros in the last four or five years.’
And locally, how much of an impact has GFC had on those kids and the young players you’re working with?
‘As their coach, they all come and ask me about the games. Lots of them will be there at the game and be cheering me on. I remember lots of them for that GFC v Rozel game, they were all there cheering me on. A couple of them were mascots. So it’s really special. And then they’ll come up to me and say, well done, or chat about the game.
‘They’re all aspiring and striving to be in that kind of situation when they’re a little bit older.’
And we’ve seen some more experienced players come back to football as well as a result of this project. Give us a window on what the ability and talent is like in those younger age groups in the island at the moment. How much enthusiasm is there for football and for getting to do what you do?
‘They’re definitely all enthusiastic for sure. There’s not a single girl that I’ve seen play that isn’t thinking or asking about GFC when they’re older.
‘We’ve definitely got some under-15s and under-16s who in a couple of years or even a season will probably be making their way into this squad and there’s some really bright sparks in there. So just hoping they stick to it, keep progressing and they’ll be an absolute asset to this team once they’re old enough.’
And what are the opportunities for girls at the moment? If a parent is reading this and their girl isn’t involved in football, what’s the best way in? Where do they start?
‘So we do Wildcat sessions here on Monday evenings during term time. They are aimed at primary school-age girls. And then on Friday evenings, we do Squad and Just Play. So we’ve got Squad, that’s aimed at any secondary school-age girls, and we’ve got Just Play, that’s aimed for any woman 16 or over who wants to try out and just have a little bit of a fun social game.’
Are there opportunities for older women as well to get involved and perhaps come back to football or even try it for the first time?
‘Yeah, that’s what Just Play is about. We get a nice mixture of youngsters who are progressing out of the Squad age. And then we’ve also got women who maybe haven’t played for a few years and want to come back and have a kick-around and it’s absolutely fine.
‘There’s no commitment in Just Play. You just come, play, pay a fiver and you get to have an hour kicking a ball around with a really lovely group of ladies.’
For you, obviously working in football, playing football as well – you’re going to have a lot of football this season! Do you ever get bored of it?
‘No, never. I absolutely love it. And seeing the people is the main thing that keeps me going. Like I said, I’ve got a great team, a great group of players that I coach, great work colleagues around me, everyone around in this football community is what makes me stay and progress and keep going personally and as a coach.’
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