Ararat Storm Female Football Club is holding a Come and Try Day ahead of its biggest season yet.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In 2021, for the first time in the club's history, it will field both an Under 18 team and a senior team.
The Storm would have already achieved this milestone had COVID-19 not caused the 2020 season to be scrapped.
But senior team coach Beck Phillips said there had still been a lot of positives to draw from the few occasions the team had been able to meet.
READ MORE:
"Considering we had no season and they were still rocking up to training, it's a pretty good indication that they were loving it," she said.
"It was great. We had a lot of people that had just moved town and were looking for a club, and thankfully it was our club.
"They managed to make friends through it and on the weekends we'd still go out for hikes and stuff together, partly for team-building but also for that friendship side of things as well."
Phillips said this is indicative of the club's inclusive values.
"You don't need any previous experience, it doesn't matter how old you are or anything like that, we just want to have a good time out there," she said.
"The Ararat Storm prides itself on the friendly and fun group that we are."
Until recently the storm had only fielded Under 18 teams.
READ MORE:
In 2017 the club won the Ballarat Youth Girls League, but just two years later it found itself teetering on the verge of extinction as it withdrew from the same competition due to insufficient numbers.
Phillips said the resurgence in interest following the disappointment of 2019 was crucial to women's football maintaining its autonomy in Ararat.
"There was talk we were going to have to potentially join with one of the other clubs around town," she said.
"But it's good we've been able to stand on our own and had enough funding and enough support that we can remain under our own banner. It is really important for what we stand for"
The Come and Try Day will be at Gordon Street Recreation Reserve on Wednesday, February 10. Prospective Under 18 players will start at 5pm and Seniors at 6pm.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from The Ararat Advertiser. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Ararat shire, sign up here.
