Canberra Coach off to New Jersey.
Katrina Neuss will coach in America for two months
"I love coaching," says America bound Katrina Neuss.
Canberra Coach Katrina Neuss is going to New Jersey, USA, to coach for two months. She is the first Australian female coach to team up with specialist group UK Elite.
“I’m really going to develop myself. I want to learn as much as I can from the American way of coaching and from their coaching systems. The USA has one of the best female teams in the world so they must be doing something right. I am always looking to improve my knowledge around football.”
“I’ve coached since I was 19. I’m now 38. I feel ready for the next step. I’ve coached and won at National titles, coached ACT Representative sides, and Canberra City and Belconnen women’s premier league teams. I’ve also been Director of Coaching at Majura Junior soccer club.”
“I’ve been assistant to the Canberra Eclipse in the National Women’s league, I’ve worked with Matilda’s coach Tom Sermanni, and Chris Tanzey, and others. I feel I have a lot to offer and would like to take my coaching to the next level.”
How is the trip funded?
“Well it hasn’t been easy, I've been selling chocolates to raise money for this opportunity. I’ve also had some wonderful sponsorship from various people. Capital Football, ACT Sports Minister Andrew Barr, Canberra Recycling and Tomakin Sports and Social Club down the South Coast have all assisted. I also just being told I’ve won the ACT High Performance Women’s Coaching Scholarship. Without them I couldn’t have done it.
“I’ve taken two months off work and will head off to New Jersey in late June. We have one week of orientation where we meet the other coaches and are told how we will operate and coach at the camps I’m interested to see if we can use our own coaching skills in the program. A lot of the coaches are younger, so I will be used as a mentor for other coaches. My family, I have three children (Shaun 10, Kasey 5 and Zoe nearly 2) and my husband Michael, are wonderfully supportive. It’s a great opportunity to coach children. I love coaching, but it’s also important to watch and learn how such camps and US coaching is organised.”
“Hopefully I can bring some new ideas back to use in my coaching here in Canberra.”
Is it hard to progress in coaching in Australia?
“It is, the women’s game is still developing. There aren’t many opportunities for women at the elite level, but I see more women coaching at the National Championships these days. I’d love to coach the Canberra Eclipse in a National League. We still rely on men to coach at the elite level, but hopefully as more female players come through that will change. I’ve seen much more acceptance of the women’s game and female coaches since I started. In Canberra I think I’m still the only female coach at the elite level.”
“We have a lot of female players in the ACT but there is still a lack of a clear pathway for girls at the higher level of the game. I know Ian Shaw (Capital Football Technical Director) is working hard to address this.”
“We need a national league, everyone knows that, but while we’re waiting, I always encourage my players to get any new experiences they can. I’d love to see some ACT girls get scholarships to American colleges. That’s something I’ll be pursuing when I’m in America.”
“In Canberra I see players who can be future Matildas. I have no doubts about that. We need to support and challenge these players to improve themselves. I always run a strict training session. Rules are discussed at the first session and once we agree on them that’s it.”
“There is a time to play and a time to train. At the elite level you must have clear rules. But of course teenage girls are individuals and you have to be a parent, a friend, a teacher, psychologist and many other things all at once. Coaching is not easy but I’m passionate about it. I love it.”
“In the ACT we put the girls into Under 12 and 13 development squads. They train from October to March twice a week. Then they go back to their clubs and play with their clubs in the normal season. It seems to work well.”
“But we lose a lot of girls beyond the age of 16, 17. With no National League there is nowhere for women to aim for if they don’t make the Matildas squad.
“We need a Canberra team in a national league and we need to get more elite coaches into the women’s game.”
“I’m really going to develop myself. I want to learn as much as I can from the American way of coaching and from their coaching systems. The USA has one of the best female teams in the world so they must be doing something right. I am always looking to improve my knowledge around football.”
“I’ve coached since I was 19. I’m now 38. I feel ready for the next step. I’ve coached and won at National titles, coached ACT Representative sides, and Canberra City and Belconnen women’s premier league teams. I’ve also been Director of Coaching at Majura Junior soccer club.”
“I’ve been assistant to the Canberra Eclipse in the National Women’s league, I’ve worked with Matilda’s coach Tom Sermanni, and Chris Tanzey, and others. I feel I have a lot to offer and would like to take my coaching to the next level.”
How is the trip funded?
“Well it hasn’t been easy, I've been selling chocolates to raise money for this opportunity. I’ve also had some wonderful sponsorship from various people. Capital Football, ACT Sports Minister Andrew Barr, Canberra Recycling and Tomakin Sports and Social Club down the South Coast have all assisted. I also just being told I’ve won the ACT High Performance Women’s Coaching Scholarship. Without them I couldn’t have done it.
“I’ve taken two months off work and will head off to New Jersey in late June. We have one week of orientation where we meet the other coaches and are told how we will operate and coach at the camps I’m interested to see if we can use our own coaching skills in the program. A lot of the coaches are younger, so I will be used as a mentor for other coaches. My family, I have three children (Shaun 10, Kasey 5 and Zoe nearly 2) and my husband Michael, are wonderfully supportive. It’s a great opportunity to coach children. I love coaching, but it’s also important to watch and learn how such camps and US coaching is organised.”
“Hopefully I can bring some new ideas back to use in my coaching here in Canberra.”
Is it hard to progress in coaching in Australia?
“It is, the women’s game is still developing. There aren’t many opportunities for women at the elite level, but I see more women coaching at the National Championships these days. I’d love to coach the Canberra Eclipse in a National League. We still rely on men to coach at the elite level, but hopefully as more female players come through that will change. I’ve seen much more acceptance of the women’s game and female coaches since I started. In Canberra I think I’m still the only female coach at the elite level.”
“We have a lot of female players in the ACT but there is still a lack of a clear pathway for girls at the higher level of the game. I know Ian Shaw (Capital Football Technical Director) is working hard to address this.”
“We need a national league, everyone knows that, but while we’re waiting, I always encourage my players to get any new experiences they can. I’d love to see some ACT girls get scholarships to American colleges. That’s something I’ll be pursuing when I’m in America.”
“In Canberra I see players who can be future Matildas. I have no doubts about that. We need to support and challenge these players to improve themselves. I always run a strict training session. Rules are discussed at the first session and once we agree on them that’s it.”
“There is a time to play and a time to train. At the elite level you must have clear rules. But of course teenage girls are individuals and you have to be a parent, a friend, a teacher, psychologist and many other things all at once. Coaching is not easy but I’m passionate about it. I love it.”
“In the ACT we put the girls into Under 12 and 13 development squads. They train from October to March twice a week. Then they go back to their clubs and play with their clubs in the normal season. It seems to work well.”
“But we lose a lot of girls beyond the age of 16, 17. With no National League there is nowhere for women to aim for if they don’t make the Matildas squad.
“We need a Canberra team in a national league and we need to get more elite coaches into the women’s game.”
“I’d like to come back from America and act as a mentor for young female coaches. I’d love to coach at a higher level and will be trying to achieve this in the coming years.”
4 comments:
This sounds like it will be a great adventure. It does sound like Katrina has an really amazing Husband letting her follow her dream and staying home to look after the children.
surely, just the normal Aussie bloke:)
Eamonn, Just to let you know I am home and have been enjoying the write ups on the blogg about the wonderful Matildas, you and Heather are doing a great job.
It is a bit sad that the Matildas can't even make the news or the papers. Thank god for you guys.
I look forward to catching up with you to chat about my trip. It was very interesting to say the least.
Cheers
Chevy
sounds great Chevy..and go the Matildas...whooooaa!!
alos we have an FM radio show about to start in a couple of weeks
so how about coming in sometime in the next couple of months and talk the talk
should be fun
Eamonn
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