The Central Girls Youth team has proudly clinched second place in the National League competition for the 2023 campaign. The league concluded last weekend with our final match taking place at Fraser Park against the Wellington Phoenix.

While the outcome of the last round didn't go our way, our team secured a commendable second place in the competition. With a total of 16 points, including 5 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses, our squad, affectionately referred to as the Gremlins, had an incredibly successful season.

Central captain, Zara Erol-Watt, who shone as a remarkable leader throughout the season expressed her pride in the team; “ I am so proud of the Gremlins to come out of this campaign with a silver medal. The way they embraced the Central uniqueness and used it as a driver makes this team so special. We had so much fun while playing throughout the season and our results reflected that. There is so much talent through this team and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for them! “

The team was led by an exceptional coaching staff, consisting of Head Coach Donald Piper, Assistant Coach Rachel Finlay, GK Coach Duncan Muir, and Manager Jess Robinson. Together, they played a pivotal role in shaping the team's culture throughout the campaign.

Head Coach Donald Piper; “Coaching a Central Federation side at any level come’s with its unique set of challenges, our geographic span makes selection and training a challenge.

However, great things can happen if you establish the right environment and ensure the group is focused on a collective goal.  We were fortunate that the group played together in various Federation teams and throughout the winter in smaller groups, so we weren’t starting from scratch. The experience of coaching this group came with equal parts of being challenging and rewarding and as a coaching group we were thankful for the opportunity to guide the group. 

It would be easy to say that the biggest accomplishment was our eventual finishing position, but for us, it would be the realization from the girls in their potential and the self-belief that came from that. This was probably the main catalyst for our eventual success. 

A few highlights for us were the group’s almost instant bond with each other and unity, the laughter at ourselves and each other and without a doubt the win’s away in Auckland against Auckland United and Fencibles, big results those!”

Congratulations to everyone who was a part of this successful campaign and we can’t wait to see what the 2024 season brings!

Article added: Wednesday 22 November 2023