Football NSW continues its investment in country women’s football

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Matildas star Chloe Logarzo and former Matildas’ coach Tom Sermanni recently spent time traveling through regional NSW providing a huge opportunity for country based female players to meet and gain some valuable insight into the game from two experienced figures in women’s football.

Sermanni, who also previously served as coach of the USA Women’s National Team and the New Zealand Female Fern, was only just last week announced as the new Head of Women’s Football for A-League club, Western Sydney Wanderers. Logarzo, meanwhile was completing a two-month period in Australia where she was rehabilitating from a knee injury sustained in a national team game against Ireland last year.

With Tom having attended the Proctor Cup Challenge in Bathurst in February along with Leah Blayney, first stop on this most recent tour were the Southern Tablelands where both Tom and Chloe attended the TSP Regional Girls Game Day being held in Goulburn for the best Under 14 and Under 16 Girls from the country.

Chloe addressed all the players that were attending from the various regional TSP hubs including Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst, Bowral, Dubbo, Griffith, Nowra, Orange and Wagga. The day also provided an excellent chance for these players to compete in higher intensity and quality matches as well as being able to engage with our special guests.

Both Chloe and Tom provided all the players with excellent advice that will hopefully be put to good use as they embark on their own football journeys, before moving on to conduct some skill development sessions with another group of 10–16-year-old girls from the Southern Tablelands and Highlands Associations.

Having concluded such a great day in Goulburn and with a diverted trip to the South Coast because of the recent heavy rain, the Sunday saw them both move on to the South Nowra Football Complex where Chloe spent time with each of the South East Phoenix FC Teams prior to their games against the University of NSW. Both Tom and Chloe also ran some highly popular clinics for young girls across various age groups.

“It was a real highlight for so many regional female players to have access to a current Matilda in Chloe and such a well-respected Coach in Tom,” said Football NSW’s Development Manager Regional Football, Andrew Fearnley.

“It was a real opportunity for girls and young women in our respective TSP hubs as well as those in the local leagues, to engage and benefit from them attend.

“It was particularly pleasing that so many regional female players were able to be involved in this opportunity and I am sure it will be a day that will be in their memories for a long time, and may be just the motivation and aspiration for some to kick on and progress to representative football.”

Chloe and Tom’s involvement was assisted by the NSW Government’s grant to Football NSW for its Regional Talent Support program, which is designed to assist and enhance the environment and opportunities for our talented players in the country areas to hopefully one day become a Matilda.