All-round development at JVW

JVW Girls Football Development in Bedfordview first team coach Ciara Picco has been with the club for three seasons and has seen just how many improvements the team has achieved and paved the way forward for women in football.

“Founder of the club Janine van Wyk contacted me in 2017; she was on her way to play overseas and needed someone to step in for her. I was already at JVW socially and she asked if I would coach the team in her place and I went for it,” said Picco.

Picco sees van Wyk as the biggest asset to JVW due to her being on the international stage and so opening doors for the club and players alike.

She said she played as a left midfielder locally when she was younger and listened to her coach intensively.

“I was a coachable player; I did whatever I could to assist the team and my coach. I stopped playing due to an auto-immune disease, which was a disappointment,” said Picco.

Football being in her blood, Picco decided to go into the admin of the sport, ensuring she was always connected to her passion, although it didn’t last.

“I got bored, I did a lot in between, but once I came to JVW on a social level and connected with many of the girls I knew already it was great to be in a familiar space. I found my way back,” said Picco.

Picco then began her new path as a coach.

“My coaching began in 2017, where we finished fourth in the Sasol league and then in 2018 with some changes to the team, we finished in third place,” said Picco.

She said the progress is due to the team’s determination much like hers to achieve goals in more ways than one.

“The players have become comfortable with one another; I have become comfortable with the players. We are growing together,” said Picco.

She said the first team includes 21 players and also has development teams starting from age nine.

“Development is a big part of JVW and it’s amazing to see football playing a huge role within it.

“Things are very different now, children don’t go outside as often as they did.

“We are in a space where sports and the social benefits are becoming increasingly important,” said Picco.

She said sport is needed due to society becoming individualised.

“Sport is participation, we need to participate to grow as people,” said Picco.

Picco said JVW is different in that it offers members the chance to rub shoulders with a number of national football players from teams as SA women’s national football team Banyana Banyana, the u-17 women’s national team Bantwana and the u-20 national team Basetsana.

“Young players come and train at the club and then get to see Amandla Dlamini train right next to them. It’s amazing to see the young players getting to see their role models,” said Picco.

She said not only is football an important sport for women, but sport in general is important for women.

“There are health benefits, mental benefits and social benefits to playing sport as a woman. It gives you a lot of character building,” said Picco.

She said women representation within sports is going in the right direction, but there is still ways to go.

“It is important for women players to see themselves within the media.

“Woman football clubs need to keep on promoting themselves and to get their names out there.

“The clubs need to get a fanbase and get support. You might get asked to play internationally, like Refiloe Jane who is now signed to Italian club AC Milan. This shows how women in football is going in the right direction,” said Picco.

Picco said seeing the club win the 2019 Sasol Women’s League was a proud moment as a coach, as they last won the league in 2016.

“It was such a proud moment to see how all the hard work and sacrifice from the team has paid off. To see my team so happy, made me happy,” said Picco.

Picco said van Wyk was recently announced as an ambassador for the Dana Cup in Denmark and sees this as a benefit for the club as a whole.

She said JVW, whenever possible, registers u-16 players in the Dana Cup.

“The players don’t get to play against males that often and this helps give them experience and teaches them how to cope and grow as players. It teaches them to know how good they really are and that, in turn, pushes them to become better players,” said Picco.

She said school leagues are also highly important at JVW, as this is where talent is discovered.

“It is exciting to see the young players so passionate about football and having a dream in becoming a professional player, “said Picco.

Van Wyk and Mamello Makhabane represented JVW at the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup in June.

“I was excited to see our players represent our country. We had many players and supporters travel to go and support them,” said Picco.

She said the support was more than she thought it would be and is vital for women in football.