Overview Females in Football is a New Zealand Football national recruitment campaign to increase the number of females participating in football as players, coaches and referees.
The programme will provide young girls (6-12 years) a clear pathway from recreation to competitive football by providing more playing opportunities, and ones that are easily accessible and matched to their needs and aspirations.
Women’s football is undergoing a surge in growth and popularity but more work must be done in order to capitalise on this new momentum.
New Zealand’s successful hosting of the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2008 where a total of 212,506 spectators turned out for matches across Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch was instrumental in grabbing public attention and opening new opportunities for the sport in a way not seen before.
In order to attract more girls, New Zealand Football recognises a break from tradition is required to increase the avenues for young girls to play football.
The new approach will be aimed at reducing the barriers for girls, by exploring girls-only football in flexible formats. The overlap of the football season with other codes, may need creative solutions in order to bring social and competitive football to more girls
Growing the number of female players will naturally increase the need to develop female coaches and referees, but at the same time this growth creates more opportunities within female-only environments for talented coaches and officials to thrive.
Increasing the number and quality of female coaches and referees will keep talented women in the sport, provide badly needed role models for young women and girls and help boost the long-term development of women’s football in New Zealand.
Stay up to date with what is going on in the girls and women’s game, with the Beautiful Game, NZF’s girls and women’s football newsletter.
Download the first issue or subscribe by emailing femalesinfootball@nzfootball.co.nz
