Another name which has become synonymous amongst the CDSFA community is Russell Lea Women’s Soccer Club President, Danielle North, who shared her experiences since recently joining the footballing world.
As a late bloomer, Danielle has brought a breath of fresh air for the CDSFA since becoming a member of the football family.
Her path to President of Russell Lea is quite an unusual one with the primary school teacher only getting involved in football a matter of years ago.
“I joined [Russell Lea] as an adult about five years ago when a girlfriend was looking for players for her team and they were happy to take on anyone, any age and any level of experience or inexperience,” Danielle said.
“I was looking for some exercise and activity and happy to meet new people.”
She boils down her rapid rise to Club President to ‘good timing’ before adding, ‘I found a little club that I enjoy being with, equipped with people who have made me feel really welcome.’
There is one point in particular that Danielle stressed throughout our conversation as to why she believes she has found the right club for her.
“It’s the sense of community. Having a team and club to belong to. The worth of being part of something. At a grassroots level and here at Russell Lea there are no superstars. There is no one at the club who we have to bow to or tiptoe around.”
She believes that being solely a female football club has allowed coaches to direct all their efforts to help growing the women’s game without the added distraction of having boys and grading mixed teams.
“It gives people the time and energy to focus on girls. We’re not having to share focus, I’m not saying we shouldn’t be all equal but here at Russell Lea, we’ve got more time to spend with the girls.”
Photo: Danielle and Grace Martin at the CDSFA Awards Dinner. Credit: MMS Sports Photography
The club’s commitment to developing female football in a nurturing environment is something that Danielle is constantly having to reiterate to parents who may not necessarily always be seeing eye to eye with the club’s beliefs.
“It can be challenging getting everyone onboard about the club’s ethos. We’re here to provide equal opportunities for girls. We’re here for them to join in no matter what entry level.”
“For girls and families who want to pursue opportunities which Russell Lea doesn’t offer then we can point them in that direction.
We’re looking to get everyone involved. Some girls aspire to being Matildas or representatives which is great but that is not in our focus at the moment. We want to provide a club where girls can come down and play as well as enjoy themselves.”
In terms of supporting clubs at grassroots level, Danielle had a simple message for anyone who may be looking to volunteer their time.
“Don’t be afraid to make suggestions and take on responsibilities without being told to do it. In our club if you see a need for something to be done, then be proactive and go do it.”
As we have done with all the women, we have interviewed this week, we asked Danielle what she think could be improved for female football.
“You need female role models. Showing how rewarding coaching can be if that is your thing because it is quite a male dominated field.”
As for her footballing career, Danielle is enjoying her time with her over 30’s team and sees no end date on the horizon.
By CDSFA Communications Officer – Samuel Greco Schwartz
