“This year was one of the best the club\u202fhas ever had!”\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Lucy Rendina is the Secretary of the Westside Strikers Football Club, home to a large community of novice and experienced soccer players. We sat down to discuss how the club fared this year (2023) and what the goals are for 2024.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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“This year we had a lot of teams\u202fin the B group, whereas now we\u2019re seeing that next year, a lot of those\u202fteams will be moving up to the A group.\u202fWith the amount of\u202fgames\u202fthey won\u202fduring the season,\u202fincluding reaching and winning finals\u202fand how well they\u2019ve\u202fplayed, they\u2019re\u202fall stepping up!”\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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As Secretary, Lucy is the administrative centre\u202fof the club, registering new players\u202fand their parents.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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“It gets to a point where people ask \u2018Is that blonde lady here? Lucy?\u2019 I\u2019m\u202fthe one that people want to talk with,” Lucy laughs. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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“I\u2019ve been part of the club for a long time. My son plays for the club and my husband is a coach.”\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Diversity and inclusion are key principles at the heart of the Westside Strikers Football Club\u2014 and it\u2019s\u202fnot only Lucy who thinks so.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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“Even now I\u2019m getting emails from parents and new coaches saying, ‘Thank you for the trials, you guys made us feel like we\u2019re already part of the family'”.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Lucy believes it\u2019s\u202fthe culture of the club that creates a positive atmosphere for the players and their families.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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“There\u2019s no politics, there\u2019s no issues. I make sure things run smoothly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u201cI also want to credit the great work that Club President Sam Raniolo and our amazing committee members do here; running fundraising, hospitality, and many other things that keep the club going.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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As an integral part of Melbourne’s west and north-west sporting community, the Westside Strikers receive an annual sponsorship from the Modeina\u202festate, operated\u202fby the Dennis Family Corporation. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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“The sponsorship that we received from the Dennis Family Corporation goes back into replacing the equipment because the equipment doesn’t last forever,” Lucy said \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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“Without it, we wouldn’t be able to continue.”\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n
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There’s\u202fno understating the Westside Strikers Football Club\u2019s recent success <\/strong>\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They\u2019re\u202fcoming off a brilliant season in which several teams won leagues or ranked first in their levels. Some teams even played in state champions, two won the state finals and three teams finished the season as runners-up. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With\u202f41\u202fteams for the 2024 season and their 10\u202fyear\u202fanniversary approaching, the club would love to continue expanding but is limited by space and facilities. They’re\u202frallying the local council for more ground allocation. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “I want the council to help us\u202fexpand because if they can expand, we can get more people into the sport,” insists Lucy. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “That\u2019s what I want \u2013 the opportunity for more kids to play.”\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Beyond expansion Lucy’s goals for the club are clear: welcoming the new all-abilities team and encouraging more women to play.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In addition to the seven girl’s teams added this year, the club is hoping to get more girls signing up in the new year.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “We accept players from all backgrounds,” insists Lucy. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “I want people to know that even if they’ve never played soccer before and don’t have any experience in the sport, they’re welcome at the Westside Strikers.”\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In the 2024 season the Westside Strikers, the\u202ffamily-orientated club, encourages new members to join regardless of experience as a great way\u202fto integrate into the community. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Organised sports are an easy way\u202fto make friends fast, even amongst strangers, and particularly in a new environment. Team sports not only encourage friendships amongst players but also provide\u202fa great opportunity\u202ffor parents to socialise on the sidelines. \u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Football, more commonly known in Australia as soccer, is a universally recognised sport, played across the globe. The International Association Football Federation, also known as FIFA, has more members than the United Nations.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lucy celebrates the strong diversity within the club.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNext year we\u2019re introducing multicultural days, dedicating specific days\u202fto a different culture because we have such a diverse group of players,” she said.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “I love that there\u2019s such a wide variety of nationalities and backgrounds \u2013 I love it!”\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For more information on the Westside Strikers, head online to their website or Facebook page, updated regularly with statistics and opportunities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Come by and support the club at their home ground, Taylors Hill Recreation Reserve at 121 Calder Park Dr, Taylors Hill.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n https:\/\/www.westsidestrikers.com.au\/<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/westsidestrikersfc<\/strong><\/a><\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n