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Swans Female Youth Get a "League of their Own" |
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Tuesday, 06 May 2008 |
 Swans Continue to Grow the Game for all Particpants with the Inaugural Swans Youth Girls Community Football Compeittion
'A First for Western Australian Football'
NEW LEAGUE GIVES GIRLS A KICK
By Nicholas White May 4, 2008
Swan Districts have launched a new league to enable school-aged girls to play competitive community football for the first time in WA. The Swan Districts Youth Girls Competition caters for girls 13 to 17 years, the missing participation pathway link between Auskick and the Women’s League outside school-based competitions such as the “Smarter than Smoking’ Cup. Girls complete Auskick at 12 years of age must be at least 16 to play for the senior teams.
Competition director Angela Doyle said the pilot program would fill the void between the two levels and create more opportunities for female players. “We don’t want to lose them after Auskick, so we hope the league builds confidence and gives them an incentive to continue playing,” she said.
Swans’ WA Women’s Football League team representative Jaye Edwards said many young players already trained with her team. “The senior players are looking forward to mentoring and being role models for the younger girls as we have our training straight after when their games will be,” she said. “It will expose more girls to football and give them much needed match practice for the senior league. It’s a great recruiting ground for us.”
WA female football development manager Jan Cooper said East Perth and South Fremantle planned to launch similar competitions.
The WA Football Commission hoped it would be a model other districts would adopt, Ms Cooper said.
“Even if it starts modestly with only a few teams, interest will certainly skyrocket next year once the word gets out as was the case in other states.
“It’s great that Swans have people like Nicole Graves (Swans district manager) who understand the needs of women’s football.
“There are too many gaps in the system at the moment and Swans have been proactive in plugging this one. It’s what the girls say they want.”
Jaycilee and Tayla Sheedy train with the Swan Districts women’s team and hope to play for Swan View Junior Football Club’s new girls team.
“I hope the match practice will mean I can play better for the women’s team,” 14-year-old Jaycilee said. Tayla, 12, said she hoped the youth league would help her improve her kicking skills as she plays in the midfield.
Ms Doyle said the 15-a-side competition would have modified rules and run for six weeks plus finals but could be extended next year or repeated in the third school term if interest was big enough. “We’re aiming for at least 60 players, that’s how many we need to make the league work,” she said.
So far, Bassendean, Ellenbrook, Forrestfield, Swanleigh and Swan View junior football clubs plan to host teams with organisers hoping for at least one more. There are no registration fees for clubs or players. Instead, Ms Doyle said the full cost would be borne by Swan Districts and the WAFC as part of the Grow the Game funding.
All matches will be played on Fridays between 4.30 and 6.30pm at Blue Steel Oval in Bassendean with the first round on May 16. Players can register at the oval on Friday May 9 at 4.30pm.
All Welcome!
 Swans Youth Girls Registration 2008 (Rego/Skills Day)
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