Hayley Stirling has resigned from her role as Football South Women’s Development Officer. After nearly three years in the South, the 33-year-old is heading back north to take a coaching opportunity on Auckland’s North Shore. Stirling originally came to Dunedin from Northern Football. While she was sad to leave, the opportunity to work with the clubs up there was one she could not turn down.
"I’ve loved it down here; it’s a bit of a heartbreaker to leave.
"[It is a] cool city. I’ve enjoyed the challenges down here. They’re quite unique in comparison to the federation I came from up in Northern. But there’s a lot of opportunities for clubs as well. So it’s quite an exciting environment down here; it just needs to be taken advantage of."
She has coached the federation’s national women’s league team for the past three years and felt it was heading in the right direction. While the team had struggled results-wise, it had made improvements that were beginning to show towards the end of last season.
"I certainly feel like it’s in a better place than when I started with it. I think we managed to get the passion and the want to be a part of that team back from the girls.
"I think we performed admirably. I know a team and a coach is judged on their results, but I think the way they were playing and the philosophy they brought into it was evidence for me as a coach to see that development. It’s probably one of the most pleasing aspects of my time down here."
She had enjoyed working with the clubs and giving direction to the passion there was for the women’s game within the federation.
While the move back north was a step forward, it was no means the end point for Stirling.
"I start my A-licence in a week’s time, so obviously that’s a big goal for me to try to achieve that. But ultimately I want to be coaching in a professional coaching environment.
"Whether that’s affordable here in New Zealand or something I’ve got to go overseas to do, that’s what I’m working towards and hopefully that can come to fruition."
