Jo Arnold accepts role as Girls & Womens Co-Ordinator for 2023!!
We welcome Jo Arnold to the team in 2023 as our Girls & Womens Co-Ordinator and we are extremely excited for her involvement to push the womens game in to the future at Papamoa FC.
Jo has been around the club for over 5 years and has made in roads bringing our Bay League Womens teams together in recent years to compete in these competitions. Jo is therefore no stranger to the Papamoa Way.
Read Jo's message below which will provide some updates on what's in store for the girls space in 2023.
"Kia Ora everyone,
My name is Jo Arnold, I am a new member of the Papamoa FC committee, my role on the committee will be supporting and promoting girls and women's football.
Last season I was the Senior women's coordinator as well as the female U13's coordinator. I am currently the player/coach of the Senior Women's team The Legends. I hold a senior level one coaching cert and I am looking to begin my C license cert in the new year.
I am married with 4 daughters and I work full-time as an ECE teacher. I am very passionate about promoting girls' & women's football opportunities as I am from the generation of women who were not allowed to play with boys over the age of 10, I grew up in "small town" NZ where I was the only girl playing, so the opportunities to play were extremely limited.
The opportunities available now for girls & teens has come a long way since then, but we are still behind the boys and men in regards to the amount of girls playing the sport, I hope to help the club continue to support girls and women's football & create opportunities for all players no matter their age or skill level.
Next season will be an exciting one for our community with Papamoa FC and Tauranga City combining to create the new entity FC Tauranga Moana and build a local talent pathway for those players wishing to advance their football skills in the BOP. More information about this entity will be released soon.
The Female junior & youth spaces will also see a slight change with new age bands being introduced. The previous U13's grade will now be split with a new U12's Grade created. An 13/14 youth grade will be created which includes non-competitive & competitive football opportunities.
For the youth teams the previous U15's grade will now become an U16's grade to include any girls wishing to play in a team more suited to their age group.
These changes are a great opportunity for teams to stay together over consecutive seasons and for players to play in the correct age group.
2023 is looking like an amazing season for all players both male & female, young & old.
Keep an eye out on the Papamoa FC website, facebook and Instagram pages for more information as it comes to hand.
Please contact me if you have any questions and suggestions on how we can continue to support and grow girls and women's football for our local community.
Regards
Jo Arnold
Girls and Women's Coordinator Papamoa FC