She may hail from England and have spent the last few years in Canada, but Natalie Lawrence regards New Zealand as home and is looking forward to investing the knowledge she has picked up on her travels into the game here.

In a real coup for the federation, Capital Football has lured the highly-qualified and experienced Lawrence back to these shores and she will perform a dual role that is ground-breaking in more than one way.

Capital Football have teamed up with Team Wellington to run the club’s National Youth League side as a joint venture and – as well as acting as Assistant Federation Development Manager for Capital – Lawrence will coach the youth team, becoming the first female to lead a side in the competition’s history.

“I feel really excited by it,” she says.

“Like Team Wellington and New Zealand Football in general, Capital showed how progressive they are and just looked at the qualifications and experience I have as a coach. I have worked with boys in the past and I’m hoping to bring the experience I’ve had in elite football overseas back to New Zealand and Wellington.”

The National Youth League kicks off in mid-October and both Team Wellington and Capital Football are relishing the opportunities their partnership is set to provide.

Steeve Sharpe, Federation Development Manager for Capital, believes the competition is an integral part of the player development pathway and that the federation’s relationship with Team Wellington is a step forward in creating a clear route to the top for the region’s most promising players.

“As well as achieving a high degree of success on the pitch, Team Wellington have shown how forward-thinking and progressive they are as a club in selecting a female coach,” he says. “They are constantly looking to push the boundaries and we are looking forward to continuing to foster a close relationship with them.”

Team Wellington Chairman Peter Chote meanwhile is “delighted to be partnering with Capital Football to continue development in the youth space”.

Returning to the windy city is somewhat of a homecoming for Lawrence, who previously worked for Capital for three years before becoming part of the professional game as head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps girls’ academy. There was a strong Kiwi flavour at the Whitecaps with former Football Fern Emma Humphries and ex-youth international Maia Vink also on the coaching staff, while the men’s team at one point had four New Zealanders on the books.

“I’ve had an amazing three years,” Lawrence says of her time in Canada. “I worked with some quality players and some fantastic coaches. Being part of a professional environment has added a lot to me as a coach I think.”

Despite relishing her overseas experience, New Zealand was never far from the heart of Lawrence though and she returned down under on several occasions to continue her personal development. She is now at the sharp end of the highly-regarded New Zealand Football Coach Education Pathway having completed her A-Licence earlier this year and regards her involvement in the programme as vital to her progress.  

“It’s been huge for me and coming back to finish off my A-Licence was massive. The level of instructors we got was outstanding – you look at other courses in the world and I’m not sure they would have got the level we did,” she says.

Lawrence has been equally impressed with the development of the female game in these parts since she headed to foreign shores. Among many other things, a new agreement has brought equality and pay parity for the Football Ferns, the National Women’s League has been expanded to two full rounds and a unique Female Coach Scholarship Programme has been introduced.

“I think the world is definitely taking notice of what’s going on. The equality part of it has been massive and the time and resource that has gone into developing female coaches has been huge,” she says.

“Obviously, the U-20s put up a really good show in the World Cup as well, especially in that game against France where they showed a lot of heart. I think it’s an interesting time for the female game in New Zealand and I can’t wait to get back and see where it’s got to on the grass since I left,” she adds.

“Seeing the success Team Wellington have had but also how progressive Capital Football and New Zealand Football are in the women’s space right now is really appealing.”

Lawrence has just arrived in the capital and trials for the Team Wellington National Youth League team are taking place this week. For more information please contact steeve@capitalfootball.org.nz

Article added: Monday 17 September 2018