Griffith & District Football Association side Yoogali SC is set to upgrade its facilities after the club was awarded a grant for $150,000 as part of the NSW Government’s Legacy Fund.
Yoogali SC is moving forward with refurbishing its grounds to encourage an influx of female participants, as Australia is set to host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup later this year.
The project will see the upgrade of lighting at Solar Mad Stadium to LED with a new lighting system controller which will allow the club to switch between 100 and 200 lux lighting at the venue.
As it currently stands, the lighting fixtures are over 40 years old and are providing light to the Solar Mad Stadium, which is the central and premiere football facility in the Griffith district.
In order to support the growth of the game and offer the community adequate lighting, the grounds will be refurbished with an upgrade so the players can continue setting their sights on their football goals.
Only 35% of fields in Griffith have adequate lighting which impacts what times games and trainings can be held for both amateur and semi-professional players.
The Solar Mad Stadium upgrade will improve safety through the provision of higher standard lighting for players, referees, and coaches accessing the field.
Yoogali SC has seen a 444% increase in female participation from 2019 to 2022.
The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will be a great opportunity to continue this impressive growth over the coming years.
The completion of this project will help facilitate increased use of the sports field, in line with the NSW Football Infrastructure Strategy’s key objective of “Improving Existing Venue Capacity” particularly for night training and matches. This upgrade will extend the hours of use on the field, catering to more football participants.
Grants and Facilities Officer for the NSW Football Legacy Fund James Spanoudakis weighed in on the upcoming World Cup hype.
“Regional areas are striving to enhance the environment for their young female footballers.
“It is great for our young female footballs to not only see this kind of investment but feel a pathway or connection with our state and national bodies.
“Hopefully this funding can leave a long-standing impression after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup”.
About the Legacy Fund Participation and Infrastructure Grants
The NSW Government recently announced a $3.1 million investment into more than 100 grassroots football projects across the state to help improve facilities and run programs to boost player participation as part of the NSW Football Legacy Fund.
The investment is intended to broaden female player options and increase participation opportunities, whilst enhancing football facilities and supporting infrastructure. This fund also aims to assist clubs in developing football programs at all levels through the construction or upgrading of community facilities, leadership, and development initiatives.
As Australia prepares to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, strengthening the football community in NSW is key to matching the unprecedented level of interest in female football. The NSW Football Legacy Fund seeks to ensure it has the facilities and programming to match the buzz that the FIFA World Cup is generating for Australia’s next generation of future Matilda’s
More information about the NSW Football Legacy Fund is available here.
