Bowen looking forward to World Cup lift
When Football Fern Katie Bowen was growing up, her sporting heroes were David Beckham, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane.
That was partly due to her father’s love for Manchester United but also because there were few female athletes to follow.
Bowen was football mad and would later make history when picked as a 14-year-old for the New Zealand under-17 team but lacked role models she could relate to.
“I didn't really have any sort of female athletes that I looked up to because it just wasn't on TV back then,” Bowen told the Herald.
“I was always following those [Manchester United] players and the international teams.
“It's completely changed. Female athletes are far more visible and social media has helped with that.
“There's a long way to go, and compared to male athletes, a lot of room to grow. But it's changed a lot.”
Bowen’s reflections were timely on International Women’s Day, as she contemplated the rise of female sport in this country, with three prominent women’s World Cups, including Fifa’s female showpiece, scheduled over the next two-and-a-half years.
“Hopefully these tournaments here can inspire the next generation,” said Bowen.
“They can see us in person and think, if they can do it, I definitely can. And for young girls, instead of David Beckham and Ryan Giggs, they're looking up to the Rosie Whites, the Katie Bowens, the Abby Ercegs.”
Bowen has been a member of the Football Ferns since 2011 (70 caps), featuring at three senior World Cups.
She has witnessed the rise of the sport here, with more resources and infrastructure at elite level, but the curve remains steep.
“We have got a long way to go certainly in developing the youth and the pathways,” says Bowen. “But something like the World Cup can be massive; by being in someone's back yard and being able to go check out a game, it makes a huge impact on young players. We’ve got work to do but we're definitely moving in the right direction.”
Bowen is only 26 — and as a central defender, could easily play for another five or six years — but is already making provision for post-retirement life.
That’s the reality for many female footballers, who don’t have access to the financial rewards available in the men’s game.
“It’s certainly a bit difficult to have football as your main focus, supporting yourself,” said Bowen. “When I come back in the off-season [from the United States], I've contemplated playing in Australia, but then there will be no time with family, which doesn’t really float my boat.
“So I come back, I coach a lot. I try and run football clinics and pick up whatever I can, because I’ve still got to maintain my off-season training.
“I just try and make ends meet while I'm home. Thankfully, I live with my mum, so I'm not having to pay rent. But yeah, ultimately, it's not like I can come back from America and sit on the couch and do whatever I want. I've got to make sure [of] some source of income.”