The new MiniTillies program has gone from strength to strength throughout northern NSW off the back of the success of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cupᵀᴹ.
In Term 4 of the program in 2023, Northern NSW Football ran five MiniTillies hubs throughout the region with 63 girls registered in the program.
MiniTillies is a national introductory football program for girls aged between four and 11. The program uses short, game-based sessions to introduce the sport in a fun and inclusive way and provides grassroots football participants with more playing options and opportunities to try the world game.
Northern NSW Football Female Participation and Inclusion Officer Nat Boyd is thrilled to see participation rates across the program increase after the success of the World Cup and is hopeful the growth can continue in 2024.
“It’s fantastic to see so many girls participating in the MiniTillies Program across the region. After the success of the Matildas in 2023, we want to ensure girls have opportunities to play and enjoy football is ways that are suitable for their participation,” Boyd said.
“My role is to help clubs within the northern NSW region to better increase their female participation numbers and to improve their experiences in football so we can retain those numbers.
“When we talk about female numbers at clubs we are not just thinking about female players, we are looking for more female coaches/managers, female referees and female committee members to support clubs. Northern NSW Football help to support that growth by offering coaching and referee courses subsidised through scholarships, and female leadership programs. We also host free school gala days for primary-aged kids, run a Kick-On for Women program and of course the MiniTillies program.”
Registrations are now open for 2024 programs! Find out more and register HERE.
Expressions of interest are now open to clubs to become a MiniTillies hub in 2024 HERE.
This web story is by the NSW Government under the NSW Football Legacy Program.
