Women and girls make an incredible contribution to our game, both on and off the pitch. Throughout Female Football Week (1-10 May), we will be sharing YOUR stories to celebrate this contribution with the wider Victorian football community.
Today, Jela Ivankovic-Waters explains how Northern Falcons FC has built a culture of diversity and inclusion.
Since 2019, the Northern Falcons FC have developed and grown female participation exponentially. It started with three girls playing in boy’s teams and now, just a few years later we are proud to have more than 60 players in five dedicated female teams, with dedicated coaches and training programs.
Through extensive research which included discussion with our community and experts, we wanted to achieve our goal - which was to create an inclusive environment and strengthen connections both within and outside of our football club. We recognise the richness of our social networks and building our base of volunteers, especially as the club grows in number and diversity.
We have responded to a growing demand for families in the community, which want to be part of an active, social and grassroots club.
What’s more, there are so many sisters, daughters and mums of existing male players, that have enjoyed the benefits of our flourishing club. We have bounced back from COVID-19 to become stronger than before. We are driven to be all-inclusive, including promoting all-abilities, gender equality and cultural diversity.
We are thrilled to celebrate this exciting milestone at the Northern Falcons FC for Female Football Week by hosting a Pizza & Vino night for our female teams and their families, alongside our committee, coaches and our amazing sponsors.