Doreen United Soccer Club and Keilor Park Soccer Club have become the first two clubs to be nationally recognised within Football Australia's new Game Changer Club Development Program, demonstrating their commitment and investment in the development & future of their football community.
Doreen United SC, based in the City of Whittlesea, have been working closely with Football Victoria and Club Development State Program Manager, Josephine La Pila, to improve their governance, club culture and overall experience for their members. This work has resulted in the club reaching capacity for this upcoming season. President, Chris Christofi, and the dedicated committee members have also engaged their community and the Whittlesea City council to develop their new home in Doreen.
As part of the program, Doreen United SC, in partnership with Victoria University, attended the Change Makers program to complete gender equity training and mentoring sessions. The club has embedded Go Girls and Go Soccer Mums to their social programs to welcome more women and girls into football and are working on increasing the number of female coaches, mentors for female players, improved education in Diversity and Inclusion, and establishing their first All Abilities team.
Keilor Park SC, based in the City of Brimbank, also in Victoria, have consistently embraced a positive culture towards women and girls in football for over 66 years and continue to grow from strength to strength. Keilor Park SC have worked closely with Josephine from Football Victoria as part of the Game Changer, Club Development Program which is backed by the Australian Sports Commission. Ranked as an "excelling" club in the Our Game: Women & Girls in Football module through the Game Plan Portal, a key component of their Actional Plan moving forward is the Leadership & Development through upskilling the senior women's team and further development of the girls' program to increase the number participants playing, coaching, and refereeing. President Ben Di-Lorenzo and Vice President Nicole Camilleri along with their committee and volunteers, have cultivated a welcoming club culture, providing an extensive program of events and activities including Female Gala Day, Female Football Week, Female Football February, Go Girls, and Go Soccer Mums.
Football Australia would like to congratulate both Doreen United SC and Keilor Park SC for their fantastic achievement in becoming 1 Star Game Changer Clubs and invite other clubs nationwide to get involved in the program to develop welcoming and inclusive environments for women & girls in all areas of the game and become stronger, more resilient community football clubs.
Football Australia's Game Changer is part of Legacy '23, a strategic plan to harness the growth of women's football and deliver enduring benefits for Australia's largest community sport beyond 2023, an initiative proudly supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Sports Commission (ASC).
Lead the Change, Become a Game Changer.
Register your club on www.footballaustralia.com.au/gamechanger
