FOOTBALL Federation Victoria (FFV) is launching a special pilot program in Geelong, which will go a long way to addressing the growth of female football. The program, to be known as the Female Friendly Clubs Pilot, will be launched at an upcoming Information Session at which all Geelong region clubs are being urged to attend.

According to the FFV’s Women and Girls Development Officer, Aisling Callaghan, the objective of the Pilot program is to increase the number of females involved in football, by creating club environments which are inclusive and welcoming of girls and women.

“It’s vitally important that we actively address the underrepresentation of girls/women within the game. If we’re really serious about football being inclusive, then we have to move from acknowledging the problem to actually doing something about it,” said Callaghan.

In the FFV’s Women in Football Network (WiFN) pre-season report, it was revealed that 17% of players, 10% of referees and just 8% of coaches participating in Victorian football competitions are female.   

Girls/women’s engagement is a strategic imperative for the FFV (as well as the FFA). At last year’s FFV Women in Football Network Meeting in Melbourne, it was resolved that by 2030 FFV would be ‘a leader in the World Game for promoting gender equality.’

At the end of the upcoming Information session, which will be held at the Barwon Soccer Club, attending clubs will indicate if they are interested in being considered to be part of the pilot. A total of four clubs will then be selected to take part in the inaugural Pilot program.

“Each club selected will receive up to four personalised club visits to work 1-on-1 with FFV and a consultant with expertise and experience to help develop an inclusive, and more female friendly club culture,” explained Callaghan.

“Women/girls’ football represents an enormous opportunity to attract new players, coaches, administrators and referees to football clubs, as well as introduce new ideas and perspectives that can only enhance club culture.”

Victoria’s female player base is increasing faster than any other State, growing by 9% last year, which is more than double the national average of 4.3%.   And this year, for the first time ever, female participation is on-track to increase at a greater rate than male participation.

In addition to that, Callaghan is excited about the future of female football in the Geelong region.   

“We expect the Matilda’s Olympics campaign to translate to more girls wanting to play football, and I’m looking forward to working closely with the selected clubs so we can make the most of this opportunity,” concluded the FFV’s Women and Girls Development Officer.

The Information session for the Female Friendly Clubs Pilot program will be held on Thursday, July 21^st at Barwon Soccer Club’s Grovedale Reserve clubrooms from 6pm – 7:30.  Club visits will be scheduled by FFV/clubs, and will occur throughout August and September.