Making time to enjoy sport
‘‘But I think the biggest thing preventing women from playing sport is time.
‘‘Tonight, for example, we’ve got a mum who can’t come because her kids are sick and she can’t find anyone to look after them.’’
Cox said the club and her team’s coach, Nigel Leaver, were very flexible. Some mums could only come to training one night a week because of family commitments.
It also wasn’t unusual to see the coach pushing a pram on the sideline for one of his players, if it meant she could take part in training.
‘‘Nigel is very good. If you explain something up front, he understands.
‘‘On game days we’re supposed to turn up an hour before the game starts. There’s another player in the team that’s a farmer and sometimes she and I can’t make it there early.
‘‘We turn up and quickly get changed on the sideline and run on the field.’’
Cox said it didn’t mean the players weren’t committed to the team. But the flexibility to work in around their careers and families allowed them to stay involved in sport.
‘‘My son plays football, I coach his team too. He trains Mondays, Wednesdays and he comes with me to my training on Thursdays.
‘‘Liam plays on Saturdays and has tournaments Sundays. My husband also plays football.
‘‘I also have to work weekends so if my team is playing in Hamilton, I’ve got to hurry from work to get over to Hamilton in time. ‘‘It’s tough but somehow we manage.’’ Cox is 29 years old and has been playing for the Swifts for about 10 years. She’s only had a year off during that time, when Liam was born. She was one of the youngest players when she began playing for the club and remembers being around and learning from senior players like Natalie Gaskell. Cox plays centre-mid, an ideal position when you’re captain. She and Mary Ontiveros play in the centre and are often referred to lovingly as the ‘‘old girls in the middle’’ by their coach. ‘‘There’s a lot of running involved at centre-mid but you get to see everything that’s going on and talk to the players.’’ It’s easy to see that talking isn’t a problem for Cox. But playing football as one of the senior ‘‘old girls’’ has taught her to be a better communicator. ‘‘I always keep it positive but I’m also very honest with the feedback I give.’’
It’s just one of the qualities playing sport has allowed her and other women in the team to achieve.
‘‘If you talk to anyone who knows me, they’ll tell you I’m one of the most competitive people playing sport. I love any sport but particularly football.
‘‘I enjoy the team, socializing with the girls and the support we get.
‘‘I tell my players that I’m not the most skilled player out there. But what I lack in skill, I make up in determination and will to win.
‘‘I hope they can see that and just give it their all.’’
There are two other mums in the Swifts Ladies team. Cox understands how difficult it can appear for mums to return to sport.
‘‘But honestly I would say you just have to push yourself to make that initial step.
‘‘Going along to that first meeting or training is the hardest step but after that, you’ll be away.’’
She encouraged women to ‘‘push yourself’’ to be more active in life.
‘‘I know being a mum, when you have kids, you find yourself in this little world where everything revolves around your children.
‘‘And sometimes mums find that they don’t have time for themselves, but you just have to make time and do something you love.
‘‘It’s cold training at night like this but I drag myself out and come along.
‘‘I find that after 20 minutes, running around here with people you enjoy being with, you 100 per cent get into it.
‘‘I think you will be surprised at how easily you will fit in. Just do it.’’