Sunday the 24^th of June marked the second instalment of the U18 Women’s Competition held at Maidstone Park. Round 2 of 4 saw Upper Hutt City Football and Douglas Villa come together in a full field 11 a-side match.  The 90-minute game had plenty of new faces and goals galore as the two sides battled it out on the turf.

The U18 Women’s Competition aims to bridge the gap between junior and senior football in the Capital Football region and provides female players of all abilities the opportunity to play for their club throughout their teenage years. Capital Football Federation Development Officer, Sarah Gregorius believes “the U18 Women’s provides young women with an opportunity to play football and have fun in a relaxed environment. The competition aims to break down the perception that you can only play for a club team if you are an elite player who wants to play at the highest level. We want to give our clubs the opportunity to create a club culture that every player can feel a part of, where every player feels comfortable”.

After the initial two rounds, Emma Evans, Capital Football’s Women’s Development Officer, commented that “the U18 Women’s Competition is a huge step in the right direction when it comes to bridging the gap between junior and senior football for female players”. In 2016 the Capital Football Board commissioned an independent report: ‘A Review of Women’s Football – For the good of the game’, and this gap was clearly highlighted as an area that needed to be addressed. The recommendation from the Women’s Review was that Capital Football have a sustainable U18 Women’s Competition up and running by 2020. “With great support from key volunteers at clubs, we are well on the way to achieving this recommendation. Currently the competition is held monthly, and teams can enter at any point. Having this flexibility in the first year is extremely important in attracting new players to the game, such as those who may not be ready to commit to an entire season. It also allows clubs the time to promote this opportunity, connect with local high schools, and work towards growing the female youth space at their clubs”.

Loraine Bowring, volunteer coach of Upper Hutt City Football, acknowledged that “the competition accommodates all players and all abilities. These girls want to play, but can’t necessarily commit to all trainings, the once a month competition gives the players the perfect platform to get their football fix and continue to develop as players. Girls who wouldn’t normally be playing are getting back involved because it fits!”.
 
The initial stages are all about getting it off the ground, but the long-term goals are clear for all involved, with the idea of Competitive U18 Women’s Leagues running alongside Social U18 Women’s Leagues a real possibility. But for now, getting as many players to the competition and creating a festival like atmosphere is the number one goal.

If you or any players you know would be interested in playing or being involved with the next competition (29^th of July), please feel free to get in contact with Sarah Gregorius (sarah@capitalfootball.org.nz).

Article added: Thursday 28 June 2018