2023 Women’s Preseason Training

Returning players will resume on Tuesday 31st January.

New players will be able to attend their first session on Thursdays, starting Thursday 2nd February! 

Here’s the information you need to be ready.

Preseason Trainings and Structure

This year we’re splitting preseason up across two different locations. Those of you training with VPL have already started, but please pay attention to changes from next week!

If you were a 2022 member, you have been sent a link by SMS and email (check your email Promotions folder) to update your details and provide the club with your playing intentions for 2023. Please complete that form instead of filling out a new EOI form. 

If you are a new player who selected VPL as your preferred level, you will be contacted by coach Shannon directly about trialling. 

If you are a new player who selected any of our Women’s State League teams, “Any Women’s Team” or “Women’s Unsure” as your preferred level, please come to a Thursday training at Princes Park for your first session. We will have volunteers ready to direct you to your training group.

Change rooms and toilets will be accessible, but we encourage players, as much as possible, to get changed and ready before arriving.

Preseason Trainings

Tuesdays

VPL & WSL2

RMIT Sports Centre, Bundoora
203 McKimmies Rd, Bundoora VIC 3083

Coaches: Shannon, Carla, Adam, Nic

Time: 7.30 – 9.30pm. 

WSL3 & WSL5

Princes Park, Carlton North

Southern Pavilion is our base during preseason. 

Coaches: Tom, Jacob, Toby, Beau

Time: 6.30pm – this may change in the coming weeks!

Thursdays

VPL Squad, SL2, SL3, SL5

Coaches: Shannon, Carla, Adam, Nic, Tom, Jacob, Toby, Beau

Time: 6.30pm – this may change in the coming weeks!

Things to bring to preseason sessions:

  • Princes Park: Futsal shoes, turf shoes and/or runners.
  • If training at Bundoora, boots/studs. Boots/studs are not permitted during preseason at Princes Park. This is City of Melbourne’s policy. 
  • Shin pads (mandatory for practice matches) 
  • Appropriate clothing
  • AT LEAST ONE BOTTLE OF WATER. 
  • Sunscreen
  • Face mask
  • Hand sanitiser

Moving forward, we are trialling using boots on a case-by-case basis during preseason at Princes Park on a case-by-case basis. Club leaders will communicate with coaches regarding what days, conditions and activities using boots will be appropriate. We are doing this as a way to balance both player safety concerns in wetter conditions during preseason and maintaining the condition of our playing surface across the year.

Moving forward, this means players can bring playing boots IN ADDITION TO runners for training at Princes Park. Do not bring ONLY boots to training at Princes Park. Runners/turf boots will still be worn for the majority of sessions, and VPL and WSL2 will still have one session a week at a facility where they can wear boots regardless.

If people take the mickey with this more flexible approach, the club will have to return to having only runners/turf boots at training.

And just a reminder:

  • Make sure to join the MUSC Playing Group and the Women’s Preseason group on Facebook. Events, volunteer opportunities, carpooling organisation and important info are shared in these. 
  • If you’re bringing new friends or family along, please make sure they have filled in our EOI form beforehand.
  • If you are intending to come to preseason but are on a holiday/on placement/other commitments, let us know. 

Selection & Registration

As the club grows and we experience increasing pressure on our resources like volunteers and facilities, it’s important for you to know that spots in a team at MUSC are very competitive! We have put a bunch of controls in place to ensure this is as fair as possible, but you can always reach out to a committee member or coach if you have ideas on how we can improve this.

  1. Coaches will be gradually reaching out on an individual basis to invite players to register for either a specific team, or the club in general.
    • Don’t panic if you hear that other people have started registering!
    • We ask for your patience and understanding that coaches will be slowly locking in players from now until mid-March.
    • They’re carefully considering the best fit for you AND for the rest of their team and this takes time, you won’t be forgotten!
    • If you’re worried, feel free to reach out to a coach or committee member
  2. Returning players:
    • If you would like to be considered for a different team than where you played last season, please make sure you reach out to both your original coach and the coach of the team you’d like to be in to discuss your goals
  3. Unfortunately, there may be players that do not get selected for a team at the end of pre-season. We will do our best to communicate this as early as possible and to give you ideas of other nearby clubs you can approach. 

Please bear in mind that selection is an ongoing thing! Even if you start training with one team, you may not get selected to play there for the whole season. Rest assured that coaches will be considering skill, position, conditioning, your personal development and the needs of each team in their selection decisions. We encourage you to have open conversations with either the coach you’re training with or the coach/es you’d like to train with so you can better understand these decisions.

Coaches assess commitment and reliability as well as skill. If you miss a few sessions without explanation, a coach will assume you are no longer interested and quickly move on to considering other players.

Any other questions, don’t hesitate to shoot through an email. See you next week!!