Town girls are making great strides

Soccer: In less than two years, Ballina Town FC has gone from struggling to field just one underage girls team (at under-16 level) to having seven players selected for Mayo inter-league teams from under-12 to under-16 for the 2024/25 season.

It's representative of a remarkable sea change at the club, where the female football programme had withered as the male side thrived.

Two years ago, committee members and coaches got together to see what could be done to increase female participation at Ballina Town FC. The answer was to start at the bottom and work upwards.

There were a few girls in the academy who would be graduating to league football but without attracting more players, the club wouldn't have been in a position to enter under-12 or under-13 teams in 2023. So 'taster sessions' were organised and proved hugely successful, while coaching programmes in local schools – primary and secondary – also helped young girls in the locality look towards Town for more football.

Word of mouth helped too, as confirmation spread quickly that girls' football was back on the agenda in Belleek.

The upshot was that Ballina Town FC was in a position to enter teams at all levels from under-11 to under-16 in 2023, and again in 2024.

In addition, having had under-17 and under-19 teams entered into the Mayo Women's League for the previous few years, the next step was to enter a senior team in 2024. It was the first time in eight years that Ballina Town FC had a senior team playing in the Mayo Women's League.

The culmination of this year's under-17 season saw four Town players named in the Division 2 Team of the Year: Katie Mitchell, Grace Cunningham, Sophia Cardillo and Zuzanna Patyk.

On the inter-league scene, last year two Town players – Grace Cunningham and Elizabeth McFetridge – were selected for the Mayo under-14 and under-12 teams respectively, and were chosen for the FAI Emerging Talent programme too.

This year, Grace (now under-15) and Elizabeth (now under-13) have been been joined on Mayo inter-league teams by five more Town players: Bethany Murphy (under-16), Sophia Cardillo (Under 15), Roxanna Ginty (under-14), Mia Marion Cafolla (under-13) and Henrika Barrett (Under 12).

Thanks to a supportive committee, Telus International as a key sponsor, a great bunch of girls and ardent volunteer coaches facilitating the drumbeat of training and games, the club is now seeing the fruits of everyone's labour – and hopefully there's more to come in the next few years.

To enquire about the female football programme at Ballina Town FC, contact Jenny on 086- 7774501.