WOMEN’S team manager, Gareth Scott, kindly gave up some of his time to discuss the upcoming season as the Bannsiders get set for a return to action…
Just like last season, Coleraine will have two teams competing in the NIWFA football pyramid this season as the Reserve team get under way with a clash at home to Belfast Ravens III tomorrow evening in Division 6 at Coleraine University (KO 7.30pm).
Meanwhile, the first-team are also scheduled to compete against Mid Ulster Ladies Reserves at The Showgrounds on Wednesday (KO 7.30pm).
Supporters are encouraged to keep an eye on women’s fixtures, results and news on the club’s Facebook page and website throughout the season.
Q1. Thoughts heading into the new campaign? How has pre-season been? Feel you have a group who are all eager to learn and go on a journey together?
Absolutely thrilled that the season has come round again.
It’s always everybody’s favourite time of the year…coaches, players, we’re no different, and in this women’s set up, a lot of people have worked very, very hard during pre-season.
We’re looking forward now to get on the pitch and see where that hard work has taken us. You can see the difference is some of the players where they’ve done a lot of personal stuff.
They’ve got personal trainers and did 75 hard programmes and things like that. It’s absolutely inspirational to see the effort a lot of these fine women have made to get themselves into a position where they’re competitive as teammates, competitive for the badge of Coleraine Football Club and doing themselves proud as well.
I’m delighted to see the backroom team that I have with Simon and Michael, who have been stalwarts there long before me. Obviously with the additions of absolute top class people like Colin, who’s been doing great work with the youth set up, and big Lee, who’s there to help us with mindfulness.
We’re planting trees that maybe an old boy like me will never see, but I’m proud to be part of to be contributing to the legacy of the great work that has been done at the women’s side of things at Coleraine FC.
Q2. The reserves had success last season in their very first year – I’m sure that was very pleasing?
A lot of young players now are coming through and it’s going to be great to see them play.
It’s going to be great to see them get their place in the team, especially the reserve team, to really, really push some of the, shall we say, the more experienced players for places.
Before the season’s over, through exams, through family holidays, through family commitments, which is a challenge in women’s football that you have to deal with all the time, a young player is going to get a chance to play lots and lots and lots of games.
We’re going to need every single person. It’s all about the collective challenges, can we be all in, and making a quantum leap to how we perceive ourselves, to how we’re perceived within the club, and how we’re perceived in the wider women’s football programme.
Q3. What are the hopes and aspirations ahead for both the first-team and the reserves?
I think we’re very much in the right step and we can’t wait to show how much progress we’ve actually made.
There are plenty of challenges ahead, but again, we don’t get too high whenever things are going well, and don’t get too low when things don’t appear to be going the way you want them to go.
That’s where mindset comes in and the one thing I know is the mindset of this group won’t be found wanting.
Q4. I’m sure you would like to see as many people as possible come out and support the girls?
The women’s game is going to be a huge part of this club’s story moving forward. The potential is there, everything is there and the people here are part of the foundation of this.
The people that have come before are part of the foundation of this and I am totally enthralled as an individual coach just to look at this and say ‘wow, I’m part of contributing to putting something very, very special together’.
I would just love to see people in the town coming out to see their teams because everybody that you will encounter is trying their best to put pride in the Coleraine badge.
Listen there’s plenty of good days, there’s plenty of days that will be a bit more challenging, but we will work on the things that cause us challenges.
However, we’re moving onwards and upwards and it’s now time to take that quantum leap and see if we can catapult ourselves a little bit higher for the next stage whenever that comes, which I believe is going to be very soon.