Deploy Football’s Kurt Johnson on momentum generated from the FIFA Women’s World Cup

Liam Watson
Deploy Football
Images provided by Deploy Football

With the FIFA Women’s World Cup on the horizon, Deploy Football is supporting women and girls of all ages to get involved in the game.

As Australia and New Zealand are showcased on the world stage, it’s a reminder as to the size of the sport and the growth of the women’s game.

Having partnered with leading state federations and clubs across Australia, Deploy is the go-to place to get women’s teamwear, apparel and equipment.

Predictably, there is set to be a boom in participation at least in the aftermath of the tournament, with Deploy catering for an already-popular sporting code.

Chief Commercial Officer of Deploy Sports, Kurt Johnson, spoke to Soccerscene about the need for tailor-made products and resources.

You specalise in two main areas, the first being footballs themselves – tell us about the developments you’ve made for young players coming through the ranks?

Kurt Johnson: As a brand, Deploy has always had a focus on junior development, but also safety.

We differ from larger brands in the fact that our balls sometimes are on the softer side. We do that because it does assist community footballers in general, but specifically females in terms of the touch, the control and how the ball is played both off the feet and off the head.

We are constantly developing different textures and different weights, with unique cushions of balls.

One thing we’ve been really at the global forefront of in recent years is developing junior training aids for footballs, that come in lighter versions.

We’re also working on footballs that can be used moreso in training, that are less in weight but still bounce and play like a traditional football. This specifically helps girls, because having a lighter product is better for their development and makes the game more enjoyable for them.

Thinking about the growth in participation for the girls’/women’s side, where does your teamwear fit in?

Kurt Johnson: For our teamwear, we have a complete female cut or female range for both on field and off field products.

We do this because female football is more in demand now and that they must have specific garments for their bodies. That’s imperative for clubs.

These days, most clubs won’t engage with a teamwear provider unless they provide specific female cuts.

So that’s one thing we’ve really invested in over the last few years – developing female cuts with female footballers, that’s for all shapes and sizes as well.

You currently have a product called Heading Pro, what does that involve?

Kurt Johnson: This is the product we have on the market at the moment and it was specifically designed for head education.

Our theory in developing this ball was based on rather than just banning heading of footballs, which they’ve done in other countries, we’ve taken the approach that we should educate people about the correct technique.

When you come to a real game, rather than hitting it off your nose or off the top of your head, you’re actually hitting it in the correct technique and neck position.

Concussion in sport is a major talking point – what has Deploy done to address this?

Kurt Johnson: This topic is the key reason why we developed a Heading Pro football, where it’s a 40% lighter ball which has been used in studies by the University of New South Wales. Their research has identified that the heading pro ball that it reduces head impact by up to 40%, as opposed to a standard size five football.

So that’s just one of the products that we have on the market that’s specifically designed for head impact, head education and the effects of concussion.

Additionally, we have a product called Headstrong. It’s a unique and comfortable headgear specific for football, as opposed to the Rugby type headwear that’s on the market. This is for players who are either conscious of their head protection, or those who are forced to wear protection from previous injuries.

We also support Boob Armour as a reseller of their product, where they offer protective breast inserts for female footballers that they can use, especially as there’s impact around the breast area.

Are there any trends you’ve observed in buyer behaviour from the Women’s World Cup?

Kurt Johnson: We’ve noticed a significant increase in ball sales from our clubs, purely due to participation increases.

As a football provider, we at Deploy have seen the direct result – I don’t know if you call it from the Women’s World Cup (I’d like to hope so), but there is definitely an increase in participation this season.

We’ve seen a huge increase in football sales, especially at the younger age groups, because there’s a lot more size threes sold than there normally would be.

In terms of the Women’s World Cup impact, I honestly can’t judge that just yet. I think there’ll be more flow-on effects after the tournament, rather than prior.

We might need to revisit this question in 12 months’ time to get a fully accurate picture.

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New ‘Unfiltered’ Episode with Paul Klisaris and Oscar Yildiz

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Image Credit: One-Nil Media

The ‘Unfiltered’ podcast by Soccerscene promises honest, thought-provoking conversations about football culture, identity and the stories fans don’t usually hear in mainstream coverage.

In the latest episode, Mihaila Kilibarda sits down with passionate councillors Paul Klisaris and Oscar Yildiz to debate the role of policy in shaping infrastructure, career opportunities and on-field success in the Australian football landscape.

From exposing flaws in policy making, to critiquing the A-League, Paul and Oscar discuss the future trajectory of football in Australia. With strong views on the disconnect between decision-makers and grassroots communities, this is an unfiltered look at the issues holding the sport back—and the urgent need for change.

“Bring back Preston, bring back South Melbourne, bring back that culture into the game. There was nothing wrong with that. Bring it back. Regulate it better, police it better, like they have in Europe. There is rivalry and that’s healthy!” says Paul Klisaris in this episode.

Oscar Yildiz agreed that “We might need to throw a bomb. There is no incentive for clubs to aspire to. You know, you can finish last and still stay in the league. They need to have people from state, from federal, people, again, who know the game, who genuinely know the game. And, it means understanding the politics around the game.”

Listeners can expect Unfiltered to go beyond match reports and transfers. Each episode will dive into the ideas, people and cultural forces that make football one of the world’s most compelling sports. Episode 2 is available now, hoping to challenge, entertain and inspire.

Listen now on Spotify: 

With Unfiltered, Soccerscene is giving fans a space to think, feel and debate about the game they love. Further, it is encouraging conversations that are as engaging as the football itself.

Stay tuned for future episodes, featuring more voices shaping the beautiful game.

Beyond the Pitch: Miyuki Kobayashi on the Real Challenges Facing Japan’s Women’s Game

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Image credit: JEFUNITED

Last week, Soccerscene spoke to pioneer of women’s football in Japan, Miyuki Kobayashi, about the game’s development in Japan and the intersection between sporting and social change in the country.

 

Talent, quality and recent silverware

After Japan’s recent AFC Women’s Asian Cup victory in the final against Australia, the women’s national team solidified its standing as the No.1 team in Asia.

Throughout the last 15 years, Japan’s women’s national team has grown into a formidable opponent, boasting a World Cup trophy, an Olympic silver medal, as well as three AFC Women’s Asian Cups.

The talent is undeniable. The quality is unwavering. And the team shows no signs of slowing down.

But these victories and trophies on the world stage wouldn’t be possible without the leaders behind the scenes – none more so than Miyuki Kobayashi, former WE League Board Member and current JEF United Ladies Scout and Academy Chief.

 

Laying the foundations

Kobayashi has led the charge for women’s football in Japan, promoting not only a sport which values success, but one which empowers female footballers across the nation.

“At university, not many girls were playing and we didn’t have an official team. I went to the US and the environment was so different,” Kobayashi explained.

“That opened my eyes – women can play. That’s how I started the women’s soccer league when I came back: to make an environment for girls to play.”

Thus, accessibility and opportunity became driving factors behind Kobayashi’s work, not only for those on the pitch, but for those in the dugout.

“I got involved at the JFA (Japanese Football Association) to promote women’s football. We wanted to create the opportunity for women to be coaches.”

“They are coached by men all the time, so even when the top players leave the football world, they never think to be involved.”

Furthermore, as a former coach of JEF United Ladies Youth and General Manager, Kobayashi was intent on employing as many female coaches as possible. It was not merely a personnel change, but a challenge to widespread social attitudes.

“When I started to employ female coaches, the girls’ parents asked why the coach wasn’t a man. But gradually, we started to make it equal – they didn’t talk about the gender, but about the quality of the coach.”

 

The mission to empower

In 2011, the same year Japan’s women won the World Cup, the domestic league was yet to become professional. Known as the Nadeshiko League, players would work during the day and train in the evenings.

The transition from an amateur to the current professional league required time, resilience and a change in perspective.

“The sports world in Japan is more traditional – it is dominated by men,” said Kobayashi.

“If you want to make the environment even, or (want) more women to come into the (football) world, you can change the mind of the players.”

Since 2021, the WE League has embodied a sense of growth and positive change for the women’s game. In name and nature, it looks to empower players, coaches and all involved in the industry.

“I was in charge of mission achievement for women’s empowerment. We wanted to educate the players, to inspire girls and women who watch the game.”

However, the drive to empower women in football was not without backlash and challenges.

“Some people don’t like that word: ’empowerment’. It’s too strong for them. Some women really appreciate it, but it’s not easy to change the mind of society through football,” Kobayashi admitted.

 

Growing and attracting talent

Although WE League clubs are accelerating youth development and expanding pathways across U15, U18 and first team football, Kobayashi acknowledged that the overall product must improve to bring foreign players to Japan and entice homegrown talent to stay.

“Most of the national team players go to Europe or North America. I don’t say it’s a problem, but from a young age, girls who can play in the WE League want to go abroad,” Kobayashi outlined.

Indeed, when looking at the starting XI in last month’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup final, only one player – Hana Takahashi – plays in the WE League.

But the key to attracting domestic and international players to the WE League, is aligning financial investment and industry attitudes.

“The reason why women’s football has developed in European countries is the social thinking – you have to be equal and have the same opportunities as men in football. The Japanese way of thinking, especially in the football world, is not that at all,” Kobayashi continued.

“When I speak to people at Spanish clubs, women’s football is not a charity, but an investment.”

“We have assets. We have good, young players, but we’re exporting them, so we need to import too.”

Indeed, Spain is a perfect example of what can happen when investment becomes intentional, not optional. Back-to-back UEFA Women’s Nations League titles, 90% television viewership increase since 2016, and record-breaking crowd numbers reflect what can happen when the industry aligns in vision and commitment.

Japan has the players to compete against any nation in the world. Purposeful investment, combined with its overall quality of players and style, could transform the WE League into a true, global powerhouse.

 

The vision for the future

Moving forward, Kobayashi hopes that girls progressing through JEF United’s academies develop confidence and resilience, whether as players or people.

“We want to make the girls – even if they aren’t in JEF United – continue playing football and continue to be leaders,” Kobayashi said.

“Some of them have a dream to be a coach or a leader off the field too, so that’s one of the attributes we want to develop.”

This resilience, reflected by the club’s ‘never give up’ philosophy, is testament to the vision of empowerment championed by Kobayashi across the women’s game.

Even in the face of social obstacles and a lack of financial investment, perseverance and hard work is at the bedrock of women’s football in Japan. It is not just that these values exist, but that they are consistently manifested on and off the pitch, which can show future generations that football is a sport for all – men and women alike.

 

Final thoughts

There is no limit to what the WE League and the national team can achieve if given the resources it deserves. All the ingredients are there: individual quality, a distinct playing style, football philosophy and ambitions to grow.

By following the example of industry leaders like Kobayashi, women’s football in Japan can hopefully continue to make waves of impact – in the sporting landscape and society as a whole.

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