Westfield Matildas star Chloe Logarzo has explained one of the key benefits of the new Future Matildas program, launched on Monday, to help not only the next generation of stars, but also established senior players.
Logarzo is one of a few Westfield Matildas who won’t be playing overseas in the Westfield W-League off-season.
The Future Matildas program, launched on Monday, now acts as a chance for her to train in a full-time environment alongside some of the country's best up-and-comers.
READ: Football Federation Australia launch ‘Future Matildas’ program
READ: The ‘game changer’ to spark next-gen of Westfield Matildas
With players from all over the country aged 15-20 brought in to the Sydney-based set up, with interstate youngsters put up in host families, Logarzo and other Aussie-based national team players can now train under the tutelage of head coach Gary van Egmond and under the watchful eye of Alen Stajcic.
“I think this is a great step forward not just for [me] but for football in general,” Logarzo told matildas.footballaustralia.com.au.
“It’s been a long time coming – having a program like this for female football.
“It’s a stepping stone for girls who are too young to be in the Matildas, but too old to be in [other] programs – it’s a good gateway for the girls to all train in the one facility.
“And also for girls like me who haven’t gone overseas, it’s a great chance for us to train at the highest level and teach the young kids a thing or two coming through.”
Logarzo has first-hand experience of the benefits of full-time programs, coming through the NSW Institute of Sport program led by Stajcic, alongside current stars like Caitlin Foord, Alanna Kennedy and Kyah Simon.
“I was fortunate to be in the NSWIS program coming through and unfortunately when I left high school the program folded,” Logarzo explained.
“It’s been four or five years now where there hasn’t been a program like that around. Kids that came through those programs are now the pillar of the national team – it’s great to see there’s now a program back in place.
“From my experience, it’s something that’s needed – training in a facility like Football NSW, with world class coaches, Staj looking over and having all the support the girls need to make the step to become national team players.”
