The National Premier Leagues revolution continues to gather steam at Brisbane City with the club taking control of the girl’s programme for the 2014 season, says Technical Director Mark Boyd.

While City previously experienced glories at the national level in the former National Soccer League, the Newmarket-based club is now directly delivering girl’s football’s programmes under the club’s famous tri-coloured badge for the first time.

Last year, City teamed up with community club The Gap Gators to deliver coaching and support for girls teams in the National Premier Leagues junior divisions.

However, with that partnership now concluded, the club has brought the operations in-house as it continues to embrace the entire National Premier Leagues concept and deliver high-level coaching to their community’s elite footballers.

“With that partnership dissolving - The Gap decided they wanted to concentrate on more of their commitments towards the Brisbane League - we made the decision that we would still support women’s football,” Boyd explained.

“We’ve assembled two junior sides in the U13’s and U15’s which we think are going to be very competitive.”

Boyd said the club had backed up that commitment by recruiting highly qualified and experienced coaches to the girl’s programme, including last year’s Queensland Under 13’s coach Karyn Longbottom.

“The good thing about the girl’s programme is that it’s in its infancy as far as Brisbane City is concerned and it’s been really well accepted,” he explained.

“It’s great to hear the comments around the club, people are saying ‘it’s great we’ve now got girls playing here’ and so on, and that’s really enthusiastic and positive for the game.”

“There is higher level skill acquisition work with those girls regularly so they are getting support from additional coaching staff within our NPL ranks rather than just their girl’s specific coaches as well.”

Boyd, who is father to an eight-year old daughter, has previously run girl’s football programmes with Queensland Academy of Sport and said, “Working with the girls is a lot different to working with the boys.”

“They don’t have as many preconceptions, so they just get stuck in. Their willingness to learn and their willingness to commit is really quite refreshing.”

Boyd also explained that while the senior men’s team get the headlines, the club’s resources are predominantly focused on delivering coaching and skills to their junior teams - both boys and girls.

“Our focus at City is predominantly on younger players rather than just the senior ranks,” Boyd emphasised.

“Obviously, senior football is the ‘sexy’ end of the game but where the hard work is actually done is at the junior end.”

“We’ve worked very hard in the last few years, especially with Jake Goodship, our Development Officer at the club, and our NPL coaches, who not only work within our NPL programme but they also work within our Academy programmes and small-sided football.”

“I think as a consequence of that it is why it is reasonably successful, and I just don’t mean in terms of results”.

“We strive deliberately to ensure our youth programme is football based, not necessarily based around the scoreline.”

Brisbane City’s Under 15 and Under 13 girls will kick off their NPL season against Palm Beach Sharks this Sunday (February 16) at Mallawa Complex on the Gold Coast.

 

Words: Michael Flynn (Football Queensland)