Founded with only seven teams in 1991, Glenhaven FC has grown and established itself within its community and the Hills Football Association. Now entering this season with over 540 players across 41 teams, the club has been able to grow not by overstretching or trying to be something they’re not, but by understanding and solidifying their foundations, recognising that to grow, they must first have solid fundamentals.
Guided by their new president, Emma Graham, the club has been built on the basis of community first, providing everyone the opportunity to participate and belong whilst also improving all aspects of the game, including referees and coaching.
“Before I was president, I was the clubs referee coordinator and my primary focus in the beginning was that I wanted to strengthen our referees and become a mentor,” Graham said.
“I wanted to know everything about refereeing, how I could improve it, where it was lacking, where the strengths were, to the point where I then became a referee, and I’ve helped grow the referee’s space from there, and I’m very proud of that.”
“We now have 13 instructing referees, and we have 14 referees who have completed their level four courses.”
Graham, in her first year as club president, has been involved with Glenhaven FC since her son began playing for the club over 12 years ago. Serving as the club’s first-ever female president, she understands the importance of her role and the work done by her predecessors.
“I’m following in really strong footsteps. One of my really good friends was the previous president, and he did an amazing job.”
“I just want to try and make as much positive change as I can. I want to make my time impactful and just strive to improve whatever I possibly can.”
“Keep driving our values for which we’re the family-friendly club. We want to just make everybody feel included and welcomed, and it’s just really important to us not just for their physical well-being, but their mental well-being,” Graham said.
Though Graham stated that the best thing about her role and about the club is the people that make up the club, who generate the atmosphere and make the environment an enjoyable place every time she turns up to Holland Reserve.
“If you came to our club on a Saturday, you would see about 50 kids, all different ages, different schools, different teams hanging out, playing in the bush, having the absolute time of their lives, kicking the dirt around, collecting cicada shells, just living their best lives. Being outside, just loving it,” Graham said.
“Then, you’ve also got it on a Friday night. We’ve got two over-35 men’s teams this year. Pretty much every single one of those players is coaching. So again, you get this real sense of family, sense of community. At 8:00 PM at night in the pitch black and the freezing cold, it’s just such a friendly, familiar place to be. Everyone is included.”
