The Maccabi Mummy Bees (Soccer Mums) played in front of a sold-out crowd of 50,000+ people at Marvel Stadium during the Women’s World Cup warm up match between Australia and France on 14 July 2023.
A few weeks back, Maccabi FC was contacted by Football Victoria (FV) who invited the current competitive Soccer Mums team, the Bees, to play on the field during halftime. Our group was selected by FV who wanted to recognise a club who had made “game-changer” progress during the first season - something our Soccer Mums have shown in spades! "It was a great honour for our club to have their commitment and progress recognised" said the Bees coach Sarah.
And so, a little before halftime, the Bees were escorted down to the ground where they played a quick friendly match - 5 on 5 - on the big stage! And while it may not have been exactly what they expected - they played in an incredibly tight space with very small goals - the experience of playing in front of a huge crowd on one of the premier stadiums in Victoria exceeded all expectations.
But perhaps the most poignant part of the evening came while watching the big match. Looking around, what was clear, was how many young fans the Matildas had - especially young female fans.
As the Bees regular Emily Gian observed, "Young boys are accustomed to seeing male role models playing sport on every station. Young girls with female sport role models, less so. Representation in sport is so important, and so it is for our club as well. After all, you cannot be what you cannot see."
“A beautifully contrasting moment was the realization that we had been waiting to see our Female Athletic role models up close though it hadn’t dawned on us for a moment we too were roles models for inspiring the wider community to join in!" added regular Jen Hankin.
“At Maccabi FC and in collaboration with the Game Changer program at Football Victoria we hope to continue to lead by example and nurture the dreams and talents of those who want to join in football for big and little goals! It is through this reciprocal cycle of inspiration and guidance that we can create a legacy that extends far beyond our individual achievements to create a widespread impact on our future female footballers!” a proud coach Sarah shared.
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