Casey Gilbey lives in the heart of Muswellbrook and holds the roles of mother, production operator in the mining industry as well as football coach.
Although relatively new to football, Gilbey has discovered her passion for nurturing the skills and camaraderie of young football players at the Muswellbrook Eagles Football Club.
This year, Gilbey took over the reins as the coach of the under-12s team after being involved with the club as a manager and assistant coach.
Despite not having a significant background in sports, she has discovered the joy in immersing herself in the world of football and sharing her experiences with her son.
One significant step in Gilbey’s coaching journey was her participation in the All-Female FA ‘C’ Diploma course.
“I was so ready for this course,” Gilbey said.
“I thought it was well structured, Ryan was a brilliant facilitator and I found lots of things I could bring back to my team to improve the way I coach moving forward.
“Being able to participate in an All-Female course took lots of the pressure off for me.
“I’m relatively new to football as a fan and as a coach so I was worried about judgement from those that have more knowledge than me.
“The women in my course were so supportive and helpful. Most also work full-time, have families and are on committees as well as coach so they understand the juggle that’s needed to keep life going.”
Gilbey hopes that her experience can help encourage other women in the football community who are aspiring to be a coach to get involved.
“Jump in and have a go. The learning curve is steep, but the support and the camaraderie within the coaching community is abundant,” Gilbey said.
Find out more about the ‘C’ Diploma here.
NSW Football Legacy Program
The NSW Football Legacy Program is a $10 million investment from the NSW Government. The program seeks to support female football through new community facilities, participation initiatives, development programs as well as tourism and international engagement.
This web story is by the NSW Government under the NSW Football Legacy Program.
