Sarah Coleman from St Augustine’s College is not just another teacher when it comes to looking after a school sports team. She has had to wait patiently for her turn to coach the St Augustine’s CISSA AFL team in a male dominated environment, and has had to earn respect by displaying her passion and knowledge for the game.
She has high expectation of her team and now has a group of young men that respond to her in a seamless and respectful way.
For Sarah AFL is not a novelty its an ingrained passion. She speaks with a glowing pride about her school team but that glow clearly goes up a level when talking of her beloved Geelong Cats.
AFL Development Manager Eddie Skiba caught up with Sarah straight after she coached her team to an AFL CISSA round 2 victory against Smithfield SHS.
ES: How did you first get involved in coaching the team?
SC: I have wanted to be involved in CISSA and JSS at Saints since I started about 8 years ago but there was always blokes who were more qualified than I was and when they all disappeared got jobs elsewhere, I thought that oh well here is my chance. So I got my level 1 last year and have coached these blokes and the Saints under fourteen team. We went to the Gold Coast for the Gold Coast Suns Cup final, which was a really good experience for the boys, and to have myself and my manger who was also female, we were the only two chicks there pretty much apart from the under 12 girls teams, it was pretty awesome.
ES: Have you always had a passion for footy? And is it something you’ve grown up with it?
SC: I’m Victorian, enough said
ES: Who is your team?
SC: Geelong, mad cats girl
ES: How have you felt here at St Augustine’s, being in an all male environment and traditionally a very strong male sports school, has there been any challenges with that?
SC: Last year certainly was tougher than this year; I think that the boys felt that they needed to go to the male teacher, as the man on the field, despite the fact that he was a league man himself with AFL not being his number one sport.
This year the guys that are year 11, they are boys that I teach and I know really well and have taught since they were little fellas in year 8, so they know that I am serious about my footy, and they know that I know what I am talking about. I think the one thing with boys is that they really appreciate when you do actually know what you are talking about, that you don’t pretend you do. It’s all been good and I think that because they know that I am a mad footy head and have a Geelong shrine on my pin board in my classroom, they know that I am serious.
ES: Fantastic, thanks for your time and all the best for the season ….
Last Modified on 23/09/2013 15:32