With the ladder painting a tough story, yet another promising female football coach Ash Wilson says the development and competitiveness of her young side is of utmost importance as she continues to trailblaze a pathway for young footballers in Northern NSW with the Emerging Jets.
We’ve become accustomed over the years to watching sides on the wrong end of a ladder make drastic changes and completely refurbish a squad.
However, for Emerging Jets head coach Ash Wilson, her focus is on the bigger picture.
Speaking with Ash, she seemed unphased by her sides’ position on the table, focusing more on the positives and just how far her girls have come. A character trait for a coach which is extremely refreshing.
Holding the reigns of a side with an average age of 17, who are competing against highly experienced players, many with W-League experience, Wilson says their competitiveness is admirable.
“For a squad of young girls, I’ve been impressed with their mentality.
“They’re competing against some fantastic players who have played at the highest level but that doesn’t phase them. The results haven’t gone our way but it’s great to see them take it to these teams.
“The results will come in time.”
Being an academy whose focus is to develop tomorrow’s footballers, it would be taxing as a coach to keep your side motivated.
To keep their eyes on the bigger goal regardless of the scoreline each week.
For Wilson, she believes it’s the little wins that need to be emphasised as a way of finding the positive.
“The main thing as a development academy is that these girls get pushed to reach their potential.
“It can be tough when the results aren’t falling your way but it has taught them so much.
“Whether that means testing them so that they’re decision making is quicker or to be more clinical in front of goal.
“Along with this, it’s important for me as a coach to focus on their small victories. If they win a 50/50 or successfully beat a player it helps them see the method in the madness so to speak. That they can compete against the best.”
It’s this side to Wilson’s coaching that from the outside looking in, is of vital importance, her commitment to developing young footballers along with a pathway for women’s football in Northern New South Wales deserves praise.
“We have a strong connection to Northern NSW.
“Being the leading academy in this area, it’s important that we are bringing in the best footballers so we can help them to develop.
“We want to make sure that the pathway is clear for them too. From the academy all the way through to the W-League.
“Of course it doesn’t guarantee that they will reach that level but it’s crucial that they are given the chance to reach it.
“We’ve been fortunate to be able to train right now and continue to develop the girls with intra-games and intense sessions.
“We can’t wait for the season to restart and continue to challenge the best. I’m sure if we do that, the results will come.”
-By Joseph Esposito