Rebecca Smith and 50-cap veteran Wendi Henderson agree New Zealand women’s international 8-day training camp at the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) Academy in Penrose, Auckland, has been a success.
But both women have taken far different paths to professional and international stardom with the same goal in mind. Not many international footballers end their careers at 32 years of age, take a 3 year break, then make a comeback at 35 – but that’s exactly what Wendi Henderson has done as she chases her dream to appear at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in China in September.
By contrast, Rebecca Smith – who plays for Sunnana SK in Sweden’s professional league – has blazed a different trail toward her World Cup dream. Born in the USA but raised in a hybrid USA/Kiwi culture, Smith’s university career at Duke laid a platform for her to launch a professional football career in Germany.
But there was no indication in Smith’s past to suggest she would become a New Zealand international footballer – she simply played as many sports as she could before settling on football.
“Football was a team sport; you run a lot, you’re active, it’s physical. The further you develop in this game you begin to see there is more to it than you ever realised. The more you play, the more you learn.”
Henderson played for New Zealand Women’s team at the first ever Women’s World Cup in China, in 1991. That was 16 years ago and she describes being recalled to the international set-up and earning two more caps in China as “surreal” with a broad smile.
But Henderson is well aware that she will have to be at her best to not only secure a spot in coach Allan Jones plans, but that New Zealand will face a difficult qualification series in Papua New Guinea.
“Papua New Guinea is an interesting environment. Playing in the islands is about adapting to the environment and conditions where the pitches can be rock hard and not grass carpets.”
Last year Henderson won an international recall for two matches in China where she became the third most capped female footballer in New Zealand’s history and at the same time earning her 50th cap, just 9 caps short of Maureen Jacobson’s total.
“It was a special moment because it was a dream I didn’t think would ever happen, it was very emotional. I’m not thinking of Maureen’s record at all. The first goal is to make the squad.”
Both Henderson and Smith said the training camp had been well structured and the improvement due to double-training sessions in a short period of time was obviously yielding results.
Henderson said that classroom sessions with OFC Technical Director, Jim Selby, and OFC Head of Women’s Football, Connie Selby, had proved helpful and reflected the advances made in the game since she first started as a youngster.
In the early part of Wendi Henderson’s career contemplating a professional career in football simply didn’t enter the equation for young women starting out in the game. Now, a move to the USA on a college scholarship is seen as a serious academic and football option. But Henderson holds no regrets about not playing abroad but recognises the value of having more players overseas in a holistic way.
“Technical standards have definitely improved. When I started we relied on guts and determination to get through games to make up for the shortfall. If anything, now technical standards are high, I think it’s important we don’t lose that (determined) attitude.”
Smith says the transition from the comforts of the USA to the hardened professional environment of German football “was like being thrown in the deep end” due to the language barrier but that the physical and mental adjustment had made her not only a better footballer, but a better person.
“The shift from Germany to Sweden was much easier. Everybody speaks English in Sweden so that made communication much easier too. The game was just as tough and physical.”
Smith says it is hard comparing technical standards between Europe and New Zealand women’s football but was adamant that New Zealand possessed bountiful home grown ability. “The talent is there, it’s about getting the training. A programme like this…training twice per day, you can see it (the talent) just gets better and better.”
New Zealand’s training camp at the OFC Academy concludes on Saturday 13th January with the 2007 OFC Women’s World Cup qualifying series taking place in Papua New Guinea in April. The 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be held in China in September.