2015 Season Information Booklet About Rams Women Welcome to Macarthur Rams Women’s FC Inc. Rams Women’s FC plays in the prestigious National Premier League (NPL) NSW Women’s 1 competition, the highest level of football in the State. Our home ground is Lynwood Park, Rangers Road, St Helens Park. The Rams had a very successful season in 2014, with our First Grade team winning the premiership and Under 15s coming second in the premiership. Both teams played in their respective grand finals, with our 15s taking out the title, and First Grade runners up. The Rams 1st Grade team boasts a number of highly successful Matildas players, including Renee Rollason, Kylie Ledbrook, Danielle Brogan, Leena Khamis, Teresa Polias and Nicola Bolger. In addition, most players in the First Grade squad hold W-League positions. We are very privileged to have some of our 1st Grade players helping out during the season with training programs for our junior players. The Rams Women’s FC Management Group The 2014 Rams Management included Deborah Macdonald, John Murtagh and Petrina Greenwood. The Team brings a range of experience in key areas, including playing football at an elite level, business management, accounting and football club administration. The Management Group is supported by its Adviser, Rob Laws, who is President of the Macarthur Football Association, and past President of Rams Women’s FC. It should be noted that the ‘Macarthur Rams Women’s FC Inc’ and the ‘Macarthur Rams FC Inc’ (mens) are two quite separate legal entities, with different management groups, constitutions and different coaching staff. Both clubs are supported by the ‘Macarthur Football Association (MFA)’, and both clubs share Lynwood Park as their home ground. (The MFA’s administration offices are also based at Lynwood Park). As the Rams men’s competition is played on Saturdays and the Rams women’s competition is played on Sundays, the two clubs don’t often cross each other’s paths. Nevertheless, both Management Groups liaise with each other for our mutual benefit. For example, we join forces to increase buying power when it comes to purchasing gear, trophies, canteen supplies, etc. 1 Coaching Head Coach: Norm Boardman This year we’re proud to welcome Norm to our club. Having held roles such as Technical Director and Coaching & Development Manager with Football NSW, Community Coach Education Manager with the Football Federation of Australia, along with his current role as Head Coach of the Western Sydney Wanderers W-League team, Norm comes to us as arguably the most qualified person in women’s football in NSW. With his wealth of high-level coaching experience in women’s football, Norm will coach this year’s 1st Grade team, and will also provide an important oversight role for the club’s entire coaching staff. In doing so, Norm will play a crucial role in meeting one of the club’s objectives to provide ongoing skills development for both players and coaches. Youth Technical Director: Richard Harrison Richard brings to this role a wealth of experience as a high-level player and coach in both Australia and the UK. His qualifications include an Asia B Licence and FFA Class C Licence. Richard also brings to the Rams an enviable record of on-field experience, having played with teams such as Leeds United, Lincoln City, England University XI, Macarthur Rams 1st Grade and Picton Rangers First Grade. His coaching experience includes Leeds United Academy (UK), Derby County FC Academy (UK), USA Women’s Program (4 years), Macarthur Rams Youth Academy, Macarthur Rams Under 20s Men’s Coach, and Picton Rangers FC First Grade Men’s Coach. As Youth Technical Director, in addition to supporting the coaches in all grades in day-to- day coaching needs, Richard provides another level of development by analysing individual players and working with them to improve overall technique. Richard is a crucial communication link between the Coaching Staff and the Management Team. 2 Under 13s: Sam Alessi. We warmly welcome Sam back for his third year at Rams Womens FC. Holding a Youth and Senior Coaching Licence, Sam was our Under 13s coach for the 2014 season and Under 12s coach for the 2013 season. Sam’s coaching experience includes Under 12s and 14s Girls and All-Age Ladies, as well as Under 20s and 1st Grade University of NSW Mens State Division 1 team. Sam also coached Bringelly FC for 7 years in the NSW Men’s Premier League. Under 17s: Leah Blayney. With a Senior Licence qualification, Leah was our Under 14s coach in 2013 and Under 15s coach in 2014. She has an amazing wealth of playing experience including representing Australia, playing for Boston Breakers (USA), Eskilstuna United (Sweden), and Canberra United. Since her retirement from the international playing arena, Leah has adapted to a coaching role with great capability. As the 2015 Club Championship points will be aggregated from 1st Grade, Reserve Grade and Under 17s results, Leah will play an important role in maintaining our club’s tenure in the National Premier League by ensuring that her team contributes to this year’s Club Championship table. Coaching skills specialist: Rob Hutchison Rob holds an FFA Senior Coaching Licence as well as an AFC Class C Licence. He’s been a professional coach for more than 20 years and a professional educator for more than 30 years. His experience includes: Coerver Academy 9 years (Coerver is a renowned global football coaching program with a focus on ages 5-16); Head Coach of the Western Sydney Academy of Sport Women’s Football program; NSW State Coach for 4 years. Rob’s successes include 4 Schools State titles, 2 Schools National titles and winner of the 2012 Group B National Junior Championships (undefeated). 3 Rob was our Under 16s coach in the 2013 season and Under 17s coach in the 2014 season, and we welcome him back in 2015 in this new and exciting role. Under 15s: Rob Bradshaw We’re proud to welcome Rob to our Club this year. He holds a Bachelor of Physical Education degree, as well as a FFA ‘C’ Licence. Rob played football as a junior with Nepean Federation and represented several State League clubs during his playing career By day, Rob is a well-respected Coach in the Westfields Sports High School Girls Elite Football Program. He is also an Assistant Coach for the Western Sydney Wanderers W-League team. In recent years Rob has held a number of high-level positions including Coach of the Sydney South West Representative Schools Senior Girls, and Coach of the Marconi Stallions Women’s Premier League’s 1st Grade, Under 14s and Under 16s teams. We’re very fortunate to have secured Rob’s services as this year’s Under 15s coach. Fees Rams fees have been one of the lowest in the competition for many years, with many other clubs setting their fees considerably higher than ours. This year, fees have been capped at the same rate for all clubs in the competition, at $1,500. The fees contribute largely towards our highly experienced coaching structure, along with the increasing costs of players’ gear. Fees cover everything including referees’ fees, insurance, and the use of the playing field and training grounds. No other payment is required for the season. Payment of fees will be in three instalments as follows: Instalment 1 - After selection at the information night (a week after trials): $500 Instalment 2 - Due when pre-season training commences (end of January): $500 Instalment 3 - Due before commencement of the competition (end of March): $500 Unless you make prior arrangements with the Club President, this requirement will be strictly applied: players will not be permitted to play in any competition match until their fees are paid in full. Before signing on with our Club it’s important to ensure that you’ll be able to make this commitment, in order to avoid disappointment for your daughter. If it is easier you can set up a direct payment to our account and start paying as soon as you are selected, to spread the cost evenly between the end of trials and March. 4 Players’ Gear Players are provided with the following gear: Training: shorts, shirt, socks and jacket, training ball (youth) & bag Match day: playing shorts and socks, tracksuit, club polo shirt In the weeks following selections we will be sizing and ordering gear. Fitting and measurements will be held at the Clubhouse on dates to be advised. Training gear must be worn to all training sessions, with no exceptions or additions (except for skins if a player desires). Players must wear their polo and tracksuit to games with good quality sports training shoes. Training Summer training will commence in the weeks leading up to Christmas. It will be 2 nights per week. We will break for a few weeks before commencing pre-season training in late January. Pre-season training will most likely take place on Wednesday & Friday nights - Youth teams from 6.00pm to 7.30pm and Seniors from 7.30pm to 9pm. This year’s training field is yet to be announced, however it will likely be Coronation Park, Minto. The Season Football NSW is yet to announce the commencement date for the season. The season usually begins in late March and runs until August, with the Grand Final in September. Every second game is usually a home game played at Lynwood Park, and alternate games are played away. FNSW recently completed a review of the Women’s Premier League, and as a result the competition has been split into two leagues called National Premier Leagues (NPL) NSW Women’s 1, and National Premier Leagues (NPL) Women’s 2.