Earlier this month, participants from the Daughters and Dads program were in attendance at Cromer Park to watch the Sapphire Cup game (the women’s knockout competition for NPL NSW, League One and grassroots teams) between Manly United and Sydney University.
The timing was fortunate, with the Cup game on Cromer Park’s main pitches starting just as the Daughters and Dads session was finishing on one of the back fields.
Daughters and Dads facilitator Marilinda Winter was thrilled by the opportunity, as it allowed the participants to interact while watching live football and achieve one of the program’s goals.
“It was wonderful for the daughters and dads to be invited into the corporate box at Cromer Park to watch Manly United play Sydney University.
“One of the homework activities set out in the the Daughters and Dads program is encouraging dads to take their daughters to watch a live match.”
This homework activity acknowledges that there tends to be a difference in the way young girls and young boys consume football. By encouraging the participants to watch live football together, it is hoped that the end result will be fostering a love for football amongst the daughters in the program.
“A big difference between girls’ and boys’ development in football is that girls do not watch football regularly. Boys pick up rules, strategies and terminology from listening to the commentary on professional football games, as well as from playing FIFA on Xbox and Playstation. It was fantastic hearing the dads commentating the game to their daughters and then the girls commentating what they saw happening.
“Seeing a live game allows young girls to observe how the rules are applied. The girls were super excited to observe the women performing football techniques they have been working on, such as drag backs and step overs, as well as watching the women demonstrate skills such as dribbling, passing and shooting. Watching skilled players perform at a high level can inspire young girls to emulate their techniques. It helps them understand the pace & flow of football, including how players transition between attack & defence, and also how they position themselves on the field.”
The night also helped create a bond between young girls from the Northern Beaches and the Manly United senior women’s team.
“I think the Manly United team has a new group of fans and the daughters can’t wait to support them at another game soon.”