Sport / ‘It’s really exciting’ – Delting launch women’s football team
DELTING have become the first club in Shetland to launch a women’s football team, in a potentially major step towards the creation of a local women’s league.
Women looking to play football in the isles have only had one avenue in recent years, with the Shetland side, while young girls starting in the game are also able to play for established junior teams.
However, there have been no dedicated women’s teams in Shetland since the collapse of a local league in the early 2010s.
That is all set to change now, with Jakki Grant, Debbie Young and Sara Farmer leading the Delting Women’s and Girls team – which will provide footballing opportunities for folk from the ages of 14 and up.
Former footballer Grant said Delting’s Danny Peterson had supported them to get the club off the ground.
“I used to play football as a teen and wanted to start playing again, but also wanted to make football more accessible for people in the North Mainland,” Grant told Shetland News.
“Danny was supportive from the very start.”
Delting Women’s first training session was held a few weeks ago, with the three coaches saying it had been “amazing to see it grow” since.
“We’ve had between 11 and 20 players turning up to our sessions each week so far, which is really positive,” they said.
“We’re always seeing new faces, and it’s fantastic to see such strong interest and enthusiasm for women’s football here in Shetland.”
Delting’s squad roll is not only growing, but is made up of both lapsed players and players who have never kicked a ball in their life.
The focus so far – Grant, Farmer and Young said – was “building basic skills, getting everyone fit and confident and just enjoying playing football.
“It’s about creating a supportive environment where everyone feels welcome, whether it’s their first time or they’ve played before,” they said.
The trio added it was “really exciting” to see players learning the game anew, while also “making friends” and “most importantly, having fun every week”.
Women’s football is in the midst of its biggest ever year locally, with the Shetland side having lifted a first ever national competition, impressed at the Island Games and thrashed county rivals Orkney.
That success has “definitely heightened” interest in the women’s game up here, the coaching team said.
“We hope that our training sessions will help build confidence and skills for females who might want to try out for the Shetland team in the future,” they added.
“Our short-term focus is to keep training weekly, focussing on building up the skills andconfidence in everyone that turns up.
“That includes us as coaches – we’re new to this too, so we’re learning and improving alongside the players.”
Long-term, Delting Women hopes to start playing competitive games – either in a local league, or potentially some tournaments.
“We’ve heard through the grapevine that there might be other clubs interested in starting their own women’s teams, although nothing is set in stone yet,” the coaches said.
“If the interest is there, setting up a league would be the obvious next step, giving everyone the chance to play competitively.”
Asked what they would say to any girls or women who might be considering coming along to a Delting training session, they emphasised that nobody should feel anxious about just giving it a go.
“Whether you’re completely new to football or returning after some time away, our training sessions focus on the core fundamentals — the essential skills that help you develop as a player, and that even advanced players benefit from revisiting.
“We really listen to our players – what they enjoy, what they want to work on — and we build that into our training sessions and plans.
If you’re feeling nervous about coming along, please don’t be!
“You might be new to the sport, but we’re also still developing as coaches, so we’re all learning and growing together.
“From our side, we can honestly say it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done – and we’d love for you to come and be part of it too.”
Delting Women and Girls train every Tuesday night in Brae from 7-8.30pm, with everyone welcome to attend.
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