Nicola Worsley Receives Women Leaders In Sport (WLIS) Grant.

MUWFC is delighted to announce that our 2022 Reserves Co-Coach, Nicola Worsley, has been successful in receiving a Sport Australia “Women Leaders In Sport” (WLIS) grant.

Nicola joined MUWFC in 2021 after moving to Melbourne from interstate. Her leadership stood out from the moment she arrived, and she quickly became a valued member of the community as a player and leader within the club. In 2021, Nicola provided a great deal of support to Head of Coaching, Erini Gianakopoulos. Together they developed and implemented a leadership program for our club captains and leadership group throughout 2021. Whilst the plans for the program could not be fully implemented in 2021 due to COVID-19, MUWFC intends to carry over these strong foundations into the 2022 leadership program.

At the conclusion of the 2021 season, Nicola's efforts were recognised through her appointment as Reserves Co-coach for 2022. Following this, Nicola applied for an individual grant through the WLIS program. The program seeks to support women with a passion for sport to further their career, and ultimately aims to strengthen the role of women leaders in sport. Through leadership workshops, organisational grants and individual grants, this program seeks to set new benchmarks and drive positive social change; one being equal representation in sport.

Marise Payne, the Federal Minister for Women, has said that growing the number of women leaders within sport is a priority for the government. “We are pleased to support a program that empowers women in sport and helps organizations create more diverse and inclusive workplaces,” said Minister Payne.

Nicola’s grant application centred on funding for a Performance Psychology for Coaches course with the University of Queensland. Through this grant, Nicola intends to further her knowledge and skills to then run a specific trial of a sport psychology program for season 2022. At its completion, the program will also have the opportunity to be revised for season 2023. Learnings from the course can also be applied to Nicola’s coaching practice, empowering her to further develop as a coach in AFL, Netball and any other sport she aspires to coach.

MUWFC recognises the important role that community clubs play in the physical and mental well-being of their members. In 2022, the club will have a strong focus on Mental Health as one of the key pillars of our newly established Advisory Committee. The club does not yet have a Sports Psychologist or specific mental health support and education program, and as such we are thrilled to trial the program in 2022.

MUWFC is delighted for Nicola and we look forward to seeing what she is able to achieve in 2022 and beyond.