Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FROM GRASSROOTS TO SHOOTING STARS
IFA are helping Damolly girls aim for the top
EVEN the rain and hail couldn’t dampen spirits in Newry last Wednesday evening.
The girls from Damolly Youth FC were treated to a unique visit from Marissa Callaghan, captain of the Northern Ireland senior women’s team, and Lauren Moore, Irish FA Girls Participation Officer, at their weekly training session.
Despite being a little starstruck, the Damolly girls impressed Marissa and Lauren during their essential skills sets and weren’t afraid to demonstrate that anything boys can do girls can do better, when they finished their special training session by beating their young male counterparts in the traditional Damolly Girls versus Damolly Boys play-off !
An exciting Wednesday night for the young players at Damolly, the club’s coaches and parents were quick to praise the Irish FA for the effort which they made in visiting Newry, which sometimes, they feel, can sit on the periphery of things when it comes to national football youth development.
Joanne Patterson, who is involved with the coaching of the girls at Damolly Youth FC, expressed the club’s gratitude to the Irish FA, thanking Marissa and Lauren in particular, for taking the time out to make the young girls at what is a real grassroots club feel so special.
Speaking about the visit, Joanne said: “Damolly is a small club but with a massive heart and, like many other groups in the area, the coaches, volunteers and parents work so hard to keep the club alive and growing. So a dedicated visit, like this one from the Irish FA, means so much to us all.
“Marissa and Lauren have created such a buzz in the Damolly camp and the young girls who train and play with us, week in week out, have felt so privileged this evening.
“There is a real aspiration now, on their part, to be wearing that Northern Ireland top some day.”
Speaking about the Irish FA’S vision for the area, Lauren Moore, Girls Participation Officer, said: “We want to grow participation, develop clubs and volunteers and provide a framework that promotes football for all. With the two established Electric Ireland Shooting Stars centres in Down Leisure Centre and Newry Leisure Centre, we are working to increase the number of girls at the base of the player pathway focusing on providing a fun introduction to football for all girls aged four to 11.”
Reflecting on her visit to Newry, Lauren added, “It is exciting to see the growth and interest around girls football in the Newry, Mourne and Down area and with fantastic clubs like Damolly FC working hard to grow the game this will only continue [#Gamechangersni].”