Creating safe, comfortable and welcoming sporting environments are high on our priority list at Vicsport. However it's not just on our agenda, sporting organisations are thinking outside the box and coming up with new ways on how they can tap into areas where less women are active and create programs to encourage participation.
Soccer Mums is an initiative proudly presented by VicHealth, Football Federation Victoria and Melbourne City Football Club designed to give mothers an opportunity to join a local sporting club and learn to play soccer is a social environment. The #nojudgement and #noexperiencerequired program is bringing like-minded women together to form a fun network that is empowering and encouraging for women to learn soccer in a safe and welcoming environment.
The program launched last week at the North Geelong Warriors, the second Soccer Mums program in the Geelong region following the success of the inaugural program which is currently being run by the Geelong Soccer Club.
Early in it's infancy, Soccer Mums is an at introductory level, specifically designed for mothers to have fun in a relaxed environment and encouraging new and young mothers to socialise whilst learning basic soccer skills.
The program runs a short six-week season designed to entice mothers that are time poor to commit to the program. It's thought the longer the commitment, the less likely busy mothers are to sign up.
Newly appointed CEO of Football Federation Victoria Peter Filopoulos supported the program taking to Twitter on the weekend to praise the efforts of those who helped get the program off the ground:
With a clever marketing and strategy behind the promotion of the program, Soccer Mums is breaking the stereotype of mothers just dropping their kids off to play and being bystanders of the sport. Social media pages promoting the sport use positive language to encourage mothers to 'get off the sidelines' and join in.
This program comes to life at a time when the State Government is pushing for better facilities at clubs for women with grants and funding on offer as part of the Female Friendly Facilities Fund. For more information about the Female Friendly Facility grants, click here.
To register to be a part of the Soccer Mums program and #jointhefun, join the program today. soccermums.com.au/getinvolved/
Jasmine Richwol
Communications and Marketing Manager, Vicsport
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