Photo credit: OFC Media via Phototek
The progress and abundance of opportunity now available in the women’s game was the key message of day two of the OFC Women’s Football Conference.
FIFA Chief Women’s Football Officer Sarai Bareman opened with a presentation that focused on the infrastructure available in football to enable the development of the women’s game.
She spoke to the significance of the addition of a second OFC place at age group FIFA Women’s World Cups, and how this provides a greater opportunity for Oceania players to dream and achieve their goals of playing at a World Cup.
To help make that happen, Bareman highlighted how club licensing provides structure and systems for clubs to implement standards. Having these structures and standards in place ultimately benefits national teams and the wider football community.
“When your clubs are doing well the flow on effects are massive – to your national teams, leagues, and ability to commercialise.”
She left the delegates with three key messages:
- Club licencing is a key tool for the professionalisation and development of league and club football.
- Club licencing can be applied to every context – it’s not just for professional football or the big leagues, but can be applied in any context right down to the grassroots game.
- Ultimately, FIFA and OFC are here to support MAs to develop the women’s game.
Steven Dillon, OFC Clubs and Leagues Manager, then led an interactive workshop session designed to encourage the transition of young footballers from grassroots initiatives into formalised club football structures.
OFC Player Development Manager Phill Parker led the group in a session about indigenising player development. The group explored how to use football to “connect generations and celebrate ancestral identity”, and create football activities that are rooted in ancestral values and drawing on community strengths and cultural practices.
The day finished with a tour of the NZCIS campus, including the high performance training facilities, gym, analysis bunkers and recovery tools. They also learnt about how the campus is designed to be as efficient for the athletes as possible.
