Eyes set on Women’s World Cup for Football West with key appointment

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Ivy Chen
Image credit: Football West

Jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is going to be one of the biggest events on the calendar for Western Australia.

Football West, the sole governing body for football in Western Australia, has ensured that the state is prepared and enthusiastic about being given the opportunity to host matches at their historic venue, Perth Rectangular Stadium.

As part of the build up to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and beyond, Football West has put together their Legacy Plan, recently announcing its first female football Legacy Ambassador – resource geologist, Ivy Chen.

The Legacy Plan focuses on delivering lasting benefits for the football community of Western Australia. Aimed at creating opportunities and enduring outcomes, paying particular attention to female football, the FIFA Women’s World Cup will bring a lot of awareness around female participation and the surrounding community.

Along with inspiring males and females of all ages to become involved in the sport, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is anticipated to bring in millions of dollars of economic benefits to the state. The five matches scheduled in Perth will no doubt generate more tourists and promote the state in all corners of the globe.

Acknowledging the persuasion the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup can have in highlighting everything Western Australia, and Perth in particular, has to offer, Chen expressed her excitement about the potential benefits the FIFA Women’s World Cup can bring for the state in a statement: 

“I think that the Women’s World Cup is going to bring so many new people to Perth. A lot of people who watch soccer are going to see us, WA, Australia in general, will probably have never even thought to have come here,” she said.

“It’s going to be a whole new demographic, and they’ll all learn about us”.

In order to meet FIFA venue requirements for the upcoming World Cup, Perth Rectangular Stadium is currently undergoing a variety of improvements.

The upgrades, worth $35 million, will be advantageous to the state, competition and future matches and events held at the stadium. New lighting, turf replacement, and new player races and bench areas are just some of the integral upgrades being conducted at the Perth stadium.

The Australia and New Zealand 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup begins on July 20, with Denmark vs China scheduled to be the first of the five games played at WA’s Perth Rectangular Stadium on July 22. The match is set to be a thriller, with only limited tickets remaining.

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More than 220 coaches attend Football South Australia’s second NOVA Youth Club Championship workshop

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Image Credit: FQ

Football South Australia drew more than 220 coaches to its second NOVA Youth Club Championship Coaches Workshop in late May, underlining the scale of engagement clubs are generating through the state’s restructured youth competition framework.

The online session was facilitated by Football SA Technical Director Michael Cooper, who also serves as Junior Matildas Head Coach. Cooper shared observations from the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup and Australia’s qualification for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, giving club-level coaches a window into the demands and standards of elite international football.

The presenter line-up extended that international lens further. Lachlan Tosh and Cristiano Dos Santos spoke to their experiences in national tournament environments, while legendary Australian coach Tom Sermanni addressed the fundamentals of youth coaching. Colin Sanctuary from the University of Newcastle examined coaching language and its direct influence on player learning.

Themes running across the session included the primacy of long-term player development over short-term results, with presenters consistently emphasising technique, ball mastery, individual improvement, and decision-making under pressure. Coaches were encouraged to expose players to varied styles of play, facilitate practice outside organised training, and help young players retain possession longer in match conditions.

Post-session feedback pointed to strong practical value, with coaches singling out clear communication, relationship-building, and age-appropriate feedback as key takeaways.

The workshop series sits within the broader transition from the Youth Premier League to the Club Championship model, which ties coaching participation to championship points for clubs and CPD credits toward individual coaching diplomas. Six workshops are scheduled across the season, with four still to come.

Premier League backs grassroots football in Singapore

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Image credit: Premier League

The NEXTGEN coach programme saw past legends and current coaches unite to deliver an activity intent on supporting grassroots football through high quality and inclusive coaching.

 

Creating new leaders

To reach the top in elite football requires tactical education, personal guidance and consistent support throughout the development journey.

Coaches therefore take on a great deal of responsibility for players seeking a top-flight dream.

Yet even for those who never make it to the top, there is always one coach who stands out. Not necessarily for the silverware achieved or results on the pitch, but for the way they helped build a person off the pitch to play better on it.

The Premier League’s NEXTGEN Coach programme in Singapore aims to equip coaches with the skills and knowledge to do exactly that: creating welcoming environments which nurture confidence and a love for the game.

“This will hugely benefit local coaches, providing them with expert training and skills that will cascade into the communities they coach in,” said Premier League Director of Community, Nick Perchard, via media release.

“After opening the League’s first international office in Singapore more than seven years ago, we are now building on our commitment to the country with a structured coach development programme.”

 

What does the programme include?

The programme initially saw Premier League coaches deliver training sessions to coaches from StarHub – the League’s broadcast partner in Singapore who engage with local community football.

Furthermore, the training was consolidated through stakeholder engagement events and talks from 150 students at the Institute of Technical Education about their careers in the game.

In total, the programme saw 30 coaches take part – all from diverse backgrounds selected by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to maximise community reach and positively impact as many young individuals as possible.

“Youth development is a key priority for FAS, and it starts at the grassroots level,” explained FAS General Secretary, Badri Ghent via media release.

“Coaches play a central role in shaping not just how young players learn the game, but how they experience it, building confidence, character and a lifelong connection to football.”

Through high quality programmes like NEXTGEN, grassroots football can grow to ensure future coaches and players are confident in themselves and their future roles in the game.

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