Words: Garry McKenzie
Image: Chris Simpson

Western Pride Women captain Kirsten Veeren is benefiting from advice received from Brisbane Roar to help her young teammates take their first steps in senior football.

The goalkeeper was a training squad member for the Westfield W-League Grand Finalists before joining Pride in pre-season.

Veeren said she gained confidence being at the Roar having now come close to her goal of playing professional football.

“I worked with their goalkeeping coach Brody Sams in what I need to improve,” Veeren said.

“I was told I needed to speak more on the field, and especially now being Pride captain that advice has made a difference.”

The 21-year old has since applied her vocal talents to help guide a young Pride team through a successful pre-season and an encouraging start to the season.

Veeren said she was impressed with the progress of the largely teenaged squad since the first games of pre-season - with Pride currently sitting eighth in the competition standings.

“Half our players are only 15 and they are improving every game,” Veeren said.

“Our first loss was a two nil against Northern Fury and the way the young players handled that and kept pushing towards the end of the game was great to see.”

Veeren made her own senior debut at 16 at Mount Franklin Women’s Premier League club Annerley FC - being plucked from the reserves mid-season before making the 'number 1' jersey her own.

Veeren said from experience it was difficult for any anyone who is 15 and 16 to come into senior football.

“The hardest thing is the physicality of it, and they may be a bit more timid than the older players in going into tackles,” Veeren explained.

Veeren said her own advice for her youngest Pride teammates was to keep pushing themselves.

“It’s not the players who have the best technique at 15 who succeed, it’s those who do extra training,” Veeren said.

“No matter what you are doing at normal training and in your personal life if you keep pushing yourself you will get there.”

Veeren’s progress saw her play for Olympic FC Women in the inaugural season of the PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues Women's competition before returning to her regional roots at Pride.

“I played for nine years as a junior at Queensland Lions, which is one of Pride’s catchments clubs,” Veeren said.

“I’ve also known Pride’s goalkeeping coach John Garside for six years since meeting him at a Michael Theo Holiday Camp.”

Veeren’s next chance to issue on-field instructions is on Sunday when she manoeuvres her young defence against Sunshine Coast FC and their star striker Samara Christmas.

“Samara can just bang them away so we need to defend very well before pushing forward and get those goals,” Veeren said.

“Pride have the talent, we just need to play and do it,” she concluded.

PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues Women’s 2016 – Round 5
Saturday, April 10
Sunshine Coast FC Women v Western Pride FC Women
Kawana Sports Precinct, Sunshine Coast
Kick-off at 10:30AM