In March Aka travelled to Auckland to participate in the Just Play Instructors Course and staying on for the Just Play Project Managers Meeting following her appointment to the role just ahead of the workshops.
Less than two months later, Aka has been appointed head coach of the Papua New Guinea U-15 women’s team who will compete in the Girls’ Youth Olympic Football Tournament in Nanjing, China from 14-26 August.
“It is my first coaching job and I was surprised to be given the role but it’s interesting to coach a national team,” Aka enthuses.
“It will be a tough challenge for me and the team as we are representing our country and our family as well as ourselves. The task os on me now as a coach to prepare the team as best I can to make the nation proud.”
The 38-year-old first developed her love affair with the game as a student at Kimbe High School and it is a passion that has continued to blossom over the years.
“I was inspired by my dad who told me stories about himself playing football when he was younger. When I finished Kimbe High School I received an offer to Sogeri National High School and while playing for the school team my interest in the game grew and I never looked back,” Aka reminisces.
In 1996 she left Kimbe in the West New Britain Province to play in the Port Moresby women’s competition with Telikom FC where she won seven grand finals and nine club championships. After making her international debut in 1998 she went on to play the 2003 and 2007 South Pacific Games.
Aka also had the opportunity to play in Brisbane with Gap Football Club in the Brisbane Women’s Premier League before injuries took their toll and she was forced to refocus her attentions on promoting football and developing youth.
Her devotion to developing the game is evident in the joy Aka clearly gets out of her numerous roles, but also in her actions.
“When I started off in women’s football I was a volunteer. I had to sacrifice my job to be involved,” she says.
“I was a player before and I thought it was time for me to give back to football. I started in June 2013 and the roles have just grown from there.”
With a family to help provide for, giving up a paying job to volunteer is a major decision, but not one the new coach regrets especially given the work she is able to do through the Just Play Programme.
“I see a lot of kids just roaming the streets and doing nothing and the Just Play Programme provides an opportunity for me to change lives,” she says.
As a volunteer she was coaching young kids, the majority girls, attending the PNGFA Centre of Development. With Just Play she has found herself expanding that role, sharing the key social objectives that form the cornerstones of the programme.
“The difference is the concept of Just Play is about getting the message of social issues to kids rather than solely focussing on coaching them in football. It’s good for kids growing up so they have a better idea of what’s ahead of them,” she says.
“We all know that Papua New Guinea is a big country and we have a lot of social issues in terms of child protection, gender equality, social inclusion and disability inclusion. Those things happen everywhere in the world, and we have them here too.
“I truly believe with this concept it will encourage people to come out and talk about those issues that they may have felt were taboo in the past. Just Play has everything to tackle all the issues back home, while also providing a door into the world of football for many young kids.”
Aka will continue in her role as Just Play Project Manager while also taking on her new coaching role with the Youth Olympic Games squad.
The team has a five-day camp coming up at the end of May, with another scheduled for early June before they head off to China.
For more on Papua New Guinea football go to www.pngfootball.com.pg

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