It’s Girls and Women in Sports Day and to celebrate we profiled referee Lucy Hungerford on her love for the game of football.
Hailing from Newcastle, 16-year-old Lucy Hungerford is in her 5th year of officiating, “I started halfway through 2019 when I was 12 years old and I’ve found immense joy in it ever since.
“My favourite memory was when I was given the opportunity to officiate alongside my older brother. I was able to learn a number of things from him that have helped me as I start to progress up to refereeing higher levels of football.”
Lessons from Football
For Hungerford, football has evolved into more than just a game, likening it to a family, “I love having the opportunity to work with a wide range of referees whilst also creating friendships that extend out of officiating,” she says.
Football has taught Hungerford lessons that she carries with her outside of the field, “while refereeing, I’ve developed ways of remaining calm in situations that could otherwise be stressful. It’s allowed me the ability to communicate a lot more effectively and speak to everyone in a way that I wish to be spoken to.”
The Importance of Females in Football
National Girls and Women in Sports Day recognises the accomplishments of female athletes, the benefits of sports involvement for girls and women, and the advancements made in the ongoing fight for women's sports equality.
In support of this, the Northern NSW Football aims to increase the representation of women and girls in football, seeking to boost female participation by 35% by 2023 and in turn encourage the next generation of Matilda’s to begin their football journey.
Hungerford has had to face her fair share of adversity on the field. She’s learnt to overcome challenges of stereotypes whilst officiating football, which she has her biggest inspiration, Kate Jacewicz, to thank for. Jacewiz is most notable for being the first woman to referee a match in the A-League when she took charge of the Melbourne City v Newcastle Jets during the 2019-20 season.
“Last year I was given the opportunity to officiate alongside Kate for Female Football Week. It was such a great learning experience to be able to watch the way in which she engaged with the players and controlled the game. She was able to give us tips and insights into her football history and career highlights and how she was able to get to where she is in a male-dominated sport, guiding us to be the best referees we can be,” Hungerford says.
As we gear up for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, there’s no better time than now to join the game of football. “At the moment, there are currently many pathways for females to learn how to referee such as scholarships which provide females with many opportunities, as well as staying active and earning some pocket money.
“I’m really excited to see the many Australian and International female referees in action at the highest level. I’m keen to see and learn the various ways in which they officiate, as well as watching quality football being played”.
About the NSW Football Legacy Program
The NSW Government recently announced a $3.1 million investment into more than 100 grassroots football projects across the state to help improve facilities and run programs to boost player participation as part of the NSW Football Legacy Fund.
The investment is intended to broaden female player options and increase participation opportunities, whilst enhancing football facilities and supporting infrastructure. This fund also aims to assist clubs in developing football programs at all levels through the construction or upgrading of community facilities, leadership, and development initiatives.
As Australia prepares to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, strengthening the football community in NSW is key to matching the unprecedented level of interest in female football. The NSW Football Legacy Fund seeks to ensure it has the facilities and programming to match the buzz that the FIFA World Cup is generating for Australia’s next generation of future Matilda’s
More information about the NSW Football Legacy Fund is available here.
