ANZA Sports

SOCCER MUM’S THE WORD

Being an ANZA Soccer Coach is a role that suits all genders, as CARA MAYEGA and JANELLE MACBAY reveal.

Children are great imitators, so it’s crucial that we surround them with great role models to follow in all areas of life - and that includes on the soccer pitch. Cara D’Avanzo certainly sets a great example for her children Declan, 19, Aran, 17, and Chris, 15. An integral member of the ANZA family, Cara serves as Communications Coordinator on the ANZA Soccer committee and is one of a handful of female parent coaches who’ve stepped up to actively coach the kids on the game. We asked Cara how she went from regular Saturdays to spending her weekends striding the sidelines.

When did you begin coaching at ANZA Soccer?

It was back in 2014 when I started coaching my youngest son’s U8 team. As a child I’d played soccer myself from

Above: Cara D’Avanzo with oldest son Declan on Awards Day, 2017. Below: With the victorious SEA Cup team, 2015

Calling all females!

ANZA is working hard to improve its ratio of female coaches and has been actively recruiting more women. We provide all the support required with training, drills, and session plans. Most find that any initial hesitation quickly dissipates when they see how much the kids love having parents involved.

We also have two female professional coaches to help improve the skill level of our Matilda players – Coach Vaan and Coach Mastura, who both played for the Singapore Women’s National Team. They bring not just expertise and extensive experience, but a passion for seeing more girls and women play soccer.

the age of five through to college, and I also coached while teaching in the US, Taiwan, and Australia. Initially, no other mums were coaching at ANZA Soccer, so I thought they were just not “allowed” to volunteer for this role! After watching my son Chris play, I was itching to become more involved, so asked the Age Group Coordinator (AGC) if I could coach too. Since then, I’ve trained at least two of my three sons’ teams each season and been involved in coaching competition teams as well.

What have been your favourite ANZA Soccer coaching experiences?

It’s been a total privilege to teach all the wonderful youngsters I’ve had on my various teams - Snipers, Warriors, Gordons, Flyers, and comp teams. I’ve also had some great times coaching with (and against) many fantastic, enthusiastic, and competitive dads! I absolutely love going along to the pitches on Saturdays and seeing how each of the players grows and improves over the season. Perhaps my favourite coaching “success” was at SEA Cup 2015 in Bangkok. Coach Mike and I were lucky enough to proudly lead ANZA Soccer’s U11 team, including my son Aran, to that age group’s inaugural gold medal.

Above: Cara with son Aran and the U17 Warriors, 2019 Below: Cara’s youngest son Chris, soon after his mum began teaching

Why should more females volunteer at ANZA Soccer?

At a younger age, soccer knowledge is less important than being able to manage and engage with children - something females can do just as well as males! It’s also really important to provide female role models to kids of all genders. If all the coaches on the pitch are men, this can send the message that only guys can progress to higher levels of sports and coaching, which we all know is untrue. Most of all, coaching at ANZA Soccer is a great way to interact with your own child in a different role and setting, while making new friends in the process. I really hope to see a lot more mums on the pitch in the coming years.

ROLE MODELS FOR MATILDAS

Launching in 2022 is our “Role Models For Matildas” programme, where we encourage our senior Matilda players (aged 6-16) to take on a leadership role in both coaching and mentoring our younger players. This benefits the teens, who’ll learn about coaching, mentoring, and leadership, and our younger players, who’ll have trainers they can aspire to. The senior girls can also apply this opportunity towards their schools’ required volunteer/ service hours, needed for graduation. To lead our new Matilda recruits on developing these skills over time, our female professional coaches will be on hand to provide assistance and guidance.

If you’d like to get involved in ANZA Soccer or volunteer as a coach, register at anza.org.sg/sports/soccer/

RIDING INTO 2022!

New cycling rules, a new app for improved communication, and a lovely new Membership Co-ordinator. By MEGAN KINDER.

Last November’s return to groups of five came as wonderfully refreshing news - at last we were once again able to run some Club Induction Ride groups. A workaround the prior month had seen newcomers interested in finding out more about the club and our activities paired up for a “Buddy Ride” where each prospective member was partnered with one of our Ride Captains. Whilst this proved a good way to share the club spirit, it was quite removed from our usual inductions, whereby prospective members are treated to a full run-down on our group ride etiquette, style and rules, and taken out for the full experience of a 40-50km ‘ANZA’ bunch ride. Let’s hope the new year sees more induction rides, which are typically held on the first weekend of each month, and we can get closer to the “new max” of ten in a bunch.

What are the new rules for cyclists?

As of January 1, 2022 there is likely to be an enhanced enforcement of rules pertaining to cycling in Singapore. Cyclists should be aware of the following points:

GENERAL ROAD CYCLING Cyclists ARE ALLOWED to ride on any roads, EXCEPT expressways (PIE, AYE etc) or in tunnels (flyovers and underpasses are okay!) HELMETS are MANDATORY (on the road), as are LIGHTS (white front, red rear) during hours of darkness Groups should strive to leave a BUS LENGTH DISTANCE between groups Cyclists MUST follow road rules in accordance with the TRAFFIC CODE

CYCLING ON MULTI-LANE ROADS (MORE THAN ONE LANE IN A SINGLE DIRECTION) Cyclists ARE ALLOWED to ride TWOABREAST Cyclists ARE ALLOWED to ride in groups of MAX 10 (or MaxN as per Covid restrictions) CYCLING ON TWO-WAY ROADS (ONLY ONE LANE IN A SINGLE DIRECTION) Cyclists must ride in SINGLE FILE (and split to MAX 5)

Following suggestions that a ‘safe passing’ rule be added to the Traffic Code, a requirement has been put in place that motorists leave a minimum 1.5m distance when overtaking. This currently appears as a ‘guideline’, although we hope that it will soon also be enshrined in law, so as to be enforceable.

Above: Ewa and Marco Mejia, co-creators (along with Chris Wilmott) of the Bunji App Below: Amanda Lewis with new member Marc Holloway

Kudos to all

Congratulations to all our members who took part in the Metasprint Series 2021 Triathlon, which was held in a modified format, comprising a 15km Wattbike cycle, a 750m open water swim and a 5km run at Palawan Beach, Sentosa in November. Similarly, huge kudos to all members who participated in the final event of the JungleCross offroad series. With road events limited to the OCBC ITT and TTT held several months back, the Singapore Cycling Federation has been exploring options for virtual road racing. They've since established The Cycling Esports Singapore National Championship, a qualifier for the UCI Esports World Champs, which will take place on stationary Wattbikes. Stay tuned for updates!

Megan with new member Thierry Bergero

All ANZA rides now on new Bunji app

Over the past 18 months, we’ve witnessed growing diversity in what our members want from their cycling. With that, a proliferation of channels and platforms are now used to coordinate group bike rides. While this has been exciting to see, it has provided a challenge to uphold our core value of inclusion. Recognising this, three of our club members, Marco and Ewa Mejia together with Chris Willmott, co-developed an app specifically to serve the needs of sporting clubs such as Anza Cycling. This app is called Bunji.

Bunji is a word widely used across Australia, derived originally from Warlpiri, an indigenous Australian language from the Northern Territory that means “mate” or “friend”. Meanwhile, the app logo is a symbol for “meeting place”. The ANZA Cycling committee was excited to pilot the beta version of Bunji exclusively and since its launch to club members in late November 2021, we’ve been happy to see how many members are putting it into play. It has made the process of joining rides so much easier. We ask all ANZA Cycling members to download Bunji, which is freely available on iPhone, iPad and Android phones. Find ANZA in the Clubs section and request to join. Contact Marco Mejia at marco@ bunjiapp.com if you have issues or questions.

Introducing our new Membership Co-ordinator, Ann York

Ann and her husband Graeme have been expat-ing for 17 years, with stints in London, Chicago, Bangkok and now Singapore, where they’ve lived since 2019.

“We joined ANZA straight after arriving in Singapore, and it’s been an absolute lifesaver, particularly throughout the pandemic. The social interaction (even when in groups of two) during the past few years has provided a real mental wellness boost.

I used to work in accounting, administration and recruitment, but maintaining a career while on the move was a challenge, so I moved into the fitness industry. I’ve been lucky to work as a fitness trainer in the UK, USA, Thailand, and now here. The flexibility around where and when I teach is great and it also means I can go home regularly and visit our (now adult) kids in Perth and Melbourne. Right now I work for Pure Gyms, teaching around 10 classes a week (BodyPump, Spin, Core & HIIT bike).

I took up cycling six years ago, when a friend of mine in Melbourne gathered a small group of friends together for a 200km weekend charity ride. That pretty much kicked off my cycling addiction.

I really got into road cycling while living in Bangkok. There are some fantastic rides through the rural villages. We would drive out of the city most weekends, to ride in beautiful, interesting places, dodging all sorts of obstacles along the way. I’ve also cycled in Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos, as well as central and northern Thailand - it’s a great way to see Asia, away from the usual tourist traps.

I also ride in Melbourne with a big ladies cycling group where there are around 200 of us cycling at all levels. Pre-Covid we cycled from Porto in Portugal to San Sebastian in Spain, and in 2019 Denmark and Poland.

ANZA Cycling is a huge part of my life, and I was excited to take on the membership role. I love being part of a committee that is so passionate. I’m really looking forward to meeting more members in person and seeing the plans for the future as we open up more fully.”

GIVING BACK WITH BILLIE!

Meet Billie, ANZA Netball committee member and all-round top scorer when it comes to dedicating her time, effort and skills as a group volunteer.

One of ANZA Netball’s greatest strengths is the supportive community and large volunteer group that enables us to thrive. Billie Haywood is one of the many enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers at ANZA Netball. She started off as a volunteer coach, then joined the ANZA Netball Committee as a coach liaison to support all the volunteer coaches in the programme. Here she explains why she signed up.

1Why ANZA Netball? I heard about ANZA Netball when we first arrived in Singapore seven years ago. By the time we settled in and my daughter was old enough to participate, it was time to join up. The programme was attractive to me to maintain a connection with other like-minded Australians who wanted to keep their children in team sports. My girls have made lovely friendships that they wouldn’t have made otherwise, especially with kids from other schools.

2Did you play netball or other sports growing up? Growing up in county Victoria, my sports were limited to netball, AFL, swimming and karate. The best times I had were through netball as it allowed me to play and grow to love the game, as well as be with my friends. I wanted some of this comradeship for my daughters. At ANZA Netball, whilst the professional coaches have developed a strong programme, it’s delivered in such a fun way it reminded me of my time playing as a teen.Billie’s daughters speakout!

3How is ANZA Netball coping with the changing restrictions? Like everyone in Singapore, I’ve found that Covid has played such a big role in limiting the activities and social

Willow, 10 “I like the funny coaches that I’ve had at ANZA Netball, the new skills they’ve taught me, and also spending time with my friends. It’s very good!”

Jagger, 8 “What I enjoy most about ANZA Netball is having fun with my friends. I really like the groups that I’ve had and picking partners. I have so much fun!” interactions of my three children over the last two years. They’ve craved returning to sports, so it's great that ANZA Netball has continued to operate wherever possible to give children a chance to remain active.

Having such a dedicated team in the committee helps. Ultimately, we all want the best programme for our players to get out on the court and have fun.

4How did you get to be part of the ANZA Netball Committee? When my family initially joined ANZA Netball, I volunteered to help coach my eldest daughter. As I hadn’t coached before, ANZA assisted me by offering an external coaching course to brush up on my skills. Once I began, my daughter was so proud I was involved. After a while, I was approached by one of the committee members to see if I’d be interested in joining. As I couldn’t coach both of my daughters at the same time, joining the committee seemed like a good way to be involved and present for both my girls.

5What’s your favourite part of being a netball coach with ANZA? I love being a part of this hardworking team. The group of dedicated volunteers is lovely, and it’s been a pleasure getting to know them. Becoming a committee member is an ideal way to remain connected to your children’s activities, and to meet new people. We’re always looking for new members, so I urge all readers to please shout if you're interested in joining!