Southland Football's significant female growth
“The demand from girls wanting to play is not only growing, but the quality and potential we’re seeing at the junior level is incredibly exciting."
By Jerrie Valli
Women and girls football is on an upward trajectory in Southland, and Southland Football is confident it will continue.
Supported by key local women and girls’ football sponsor, SBS Bank, Southland Football has actively grown the game in recent years – and continues to do so.
Just three years ago, Southland Football had no girls-only teams in its junior grades.
Now, they have 10 teams across their 9/10 and 11/12 grades; as well as plenty of females within mixed teams.
There are 42 young girls in Southland Football’s youth academy programme, and nine members in the Female Coaches Club, and a second Southland Football Academy hub, starting with a girls-only programme, has just been launched in Gore.
Football has joined other codes to deliver Fern Fever each year; an event specifically for girls to be able to try a range of sports in a fun environment, attracting more than 400 girls this year.
To be fair, it’s happened more by design than it has organically, through an active approach by the regional sports organisation.
But Southland Football is confident with more visibility of the sport as an option for young females, that organic growth will come.
Southland Football Girls and Women’s Development Officer, Leigh Matthews, says, while he’s only been in the role a few months, thanks to the good work of his predecessors there has been a real shift in the landscape locally.
“The demand from girls wanting to play is not only growing, but the quality and potential we’re seeing at the junior level is incredibly exciting. Girls are coming through with strong technical foundations and a real hunger to learn and compete,” he said.
“But with that opportunity comes responsibility. While we’re in a strong position at the junior end with more girls-only teams than ever and 42 players involved in our youth academy, the next challenge is ensuring that we have structured, meaningful pathways through youth and into senior football.
This is where clubs play a critical role. We need them to commit to supporting both junior and senior girls’ football, not just one or the other.
That means resourcing youth development, creating space for teenage girls to continue in the game, and ultimately building a sustainable senior women’s environment that reflects the talent and commitment we’re seeing in our younger players.
There’s still a lot of work to do — from competition structures to coach education — but we’re moving in the right direction. If we can keep the momentum going and work collaboratively across the football community, the future of the female game in Southland is incredibly bright.”
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Southland Football Development and Operations Manager Iain Walker says the women’s and girls game has huge potential, and he’s excited to watch it grow in the deep south.
“I think football has only recently come on the radar for a lot of young females who are looking for a fun sport to get involved with, and the more opportunities we can give them to just have a go – whether it’s social competition, through in school sessions, holiday programmes, futsal, Fern Fever, or whatever that may be – the more they’ll see it as a great sport for them to be involved with, and one where there are pathways to development available,” he said.
Full credit to Southland Football (and to Gargi for her efforts over the past few years) for spearheading the growth of girls’ football in the region. And to Leigh, for stepping in and continuing that momentum with passion and purpose. There’s a huge amount of work that happens behind the scenes to get these programmes off the ground, and the team continues to go above and beyond their day-to-day roles (and no doubt their remuneration) to make it all happen. Massive respect!