Women’s football is saying good bye to life as a sport program at the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) following a mutual decision this week between WAIS, Football West and the Football Federation Australia (FFA).
Despite a successful three year stint under the guidance of Head Coach John Gibson, which included the program providing three members of the 2010 Asian Cup winning Matildas side and two of the successful 2011 FIFA World Cup Matildas team, the program will close at 1 May due to the new direction of football’s athlete development pathway. The new athlete pathway will see Western Australia’s most promising young female footballers progress to Football West’s National Training Centre (NTC) program rather than to WAIS, a pathway which follows the model the FFA is planning to implement nationally.
“We’re proud to have played a part in some significant achievements for women’s football over the past three years but the sport is now moving in a different direction which has resulted in the end of a program here at WAIS,” WAIS Executive Director Steve Lawrence said following the decision.
“It’s important to acknowledge the hard work of John Gibson in leading the program during that time as well as the efforts of the other WAIS staff who have been involved in the program. We look forward to supporting women’s football into the future via our individual athlete support program.”
The best women’s footballers in WA will still be able to access support other than coaching at WAIS, via the Institute’s Individual Athlete Support Program. Current Matildas Samantha Kerr, Collette McCallum and Katie Gill will retain their WAIS scholarships under this arrangement, which is similar to that which existed before the advent of the program in 2009.
Between WAIS and Football West women’s footballers in WA will continue to receive the same level of support they have over the past three years, ensuring the State will remain an important contributor to the national side in coming years.
