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2006 Development Squad
Women's Development Squads Australia-Bound
by Jeremy Ruane
 Seven of the squad heading to Coffs Harbour
Standing: Holly Jones, Hannah Valentine, Poppy Binning, Annabelle Bramwell, Katherine Robinson
Kneeling: Roseanne Cox, Betsy Hassett
Some of the country's leading U-17 women's soccer players will be heading across the Tasman in July to take on some of Australia's finest players of the same age during the Australian National Youth Championships.
While not an official entrant in a competition New Zealand last participated in in 2000, the week-long tournament at Coffs Harbour presents NZ Soccer with the ideal chance to secure some international experience for the U-17 Women's Development Squad, with a long-term goal in mind.
There is focus aplenty at present on the NZ U-20 women's squad, and rightly so, given they will be just the fifth national team from this country to appear at a World Cup Finals tournament when they grace Russian soil in August.
The FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Finals is a biannual event, however, and the upcoming trans-tasman sojourn effectively represents NZ Soccer's first steps down the road towards qualifying for the 2008 version of the competition.
“Playing a game each day for the eight-day duration of the tournament will provide an excellent experience for the girls”, says coach Maurice Tillotson, who has been requested to oversee the initial stages of this squad's progress while NZ U-20s women's coach, John Herdman, channels his energies towards guiding the players these youngsters aspire to succeed.
Tillotson is no stranger to the women's game, of course, having coached the national women's team between 1995 and 1998. In more recent times, he was CoachForce Development Officer for Hawkes Bay and Poverty Bay, before transferring to Auckland to take up the same role north of the Harbour Bridge.
The experience of the former English League professional - he made 35 appearances for Stockport County before migrating here to play for the likes of Gisborne City and Stop Out, as well as New Zealand - is also being brought to bear on developing another group of prospective young female players who also have World Cup Finals aspirations.
“In his role as High Performance Manager, Ricki Herbert asked me to help drive the U-14 Women's Development Squad, which has as its long-term target the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals in 2008. It doesn't necessarily mean I'll be the head coach, but I'm certainly happy to help out in the meantime”.
Following the Century Foundation national age-grade tournament held in Napier before Christmas, a thirty-one strong pool of players was named. That squad is training at their various bases throughout the country, and will be going to Australia for some international opportunities in September.
“The door's not closed on anyone, however”, says Tillotson. “There are players who, for various reasons, have come into contention since that tournament took place. On Friday nights, for instance, I coach twenty players from the two northernmost federations - there were only seven from these areas named in the U-14 Development Squad.
“One of the key aspects at this stage of proceedings is getting to see the players in training and match conditions, and how they respond to same. As well as being part of the players' development, these opportunities also give coaching staff ideas about an individual's potential, etc..”
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 Hannah Wall (Wellington)
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