Selwyn_Times: April 12, 2023

Selwyn Times Wednesday April 12 2023
24
SPORT
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
The footballing
lifestyle – and
a taste for coffee
BIG FUTURE: Zoe McMeeken’s busy off-season will
include a New Zealand under-20 camp, playing for
the Phoenix Academy and possibly finding a cafe job.
Below – McMeeken gets away from a Canberra United
player in round 4 of the A-League.
• By Jaime Cunningham
FOR ZOE McMeeken, football is
a lifestyle. She lives and breathes
the sport everyday and struggles
to name anything she enjoys
more – except maybe coffee.
“I guess a hobby is drinking
coffee? Everyone knows I like it a
lot, I kind of have a caffeine addiction,”
she said.
The 19-year-old former
Lincoln High student is currently
taking a two-week break from
football following the end of the
Wellington Phoenix’s second
A-League season, which finished
with a 2-2 draw against the
Melbourne Victory a week ago.
McMeeken was the team’s
youngest squad member in their
inaugural season and started in
all but one of their games. She
was one of 13 players to sign on
for a second season with the club.
It was also the first season
the team could play their home
games at Wellington’s Sky
Stadium after the Covid-19
border restrictions prevented
any games being played outside
Australia last season.
“It was so much better. The
support from all the fans and
our families made such a great
atmosphere,” she said.
Although the Phoenix finished
at the bottom of the table for a
second year, McMeeken said
their draw, two wins and some
close losses over the last month
were promising signs going into
their third season.
“Compared to last year,
everyone in the team felt like we
were more competitive,” she said.
One of McMeeken’s highlights
was last month’s 1-0 win over
A-League leaders, Sydney FC on
March 11 – which also happened
to be her birthday.
“We beat Sydney, who are
one of the league’s top teams (in
Sydney), which was pretty cool.
It was such a good birthday,” she
said.
Over the last six months
McMeeken has been based in
Wellington.
“Moving to Wellington was
a big change, but I’m a lot more
used to it now.
“If my parents had a choice
they’d want me back here a lot
more though.”
The young fullback is staying
with her parents’ in Lincoln for
another week before travelling
to Auckland for an under-20
Football Ferns camp. After that,
it’s back to Wellington to play for
the Phoenix Academy until the
A-League re-starts in October.
Between her football duties,
she’s looking forward to watching
the Football Ferns play at home
in the FIFA Women’s World
Cup, which runs from July 20 to
August 20.
She hopes to play for the
Football Ferns one day. “I know
quite a lot of them playing now,
so I will definitely make my way
to the games,” she said.
Although she hasn’t extended
her contract with the Phoenix for
another year yet, McMeeken is
keen to continue playing in the
A-League.
“I’m planning to stay in the
A-League. I love all the coaches
and players at the Phoenix so
we’ll see.
“I just want to become more
of a consistent starter and make
a team over in Europe one
day,” McMeeken, who named
Barcelona’s Lucy Bronze as her
favourite player.
“The Women’s Super League
is growing so much and to see
(50,000 people) at one of the
games recently was just insane.”
She has come a long way
from playing for Halswell and
Selwyn United boys’ teams in her
younger years, which McMeeken
really enjoyed.
“A lot of my coaches
recommended playing with
boys,” she said.
“I really liked playing with
them because they really cared
for me but I quite enjoyed
tackling them too.”
McMeeken is hoping to be
selected for next year’s FIFA
Under-20 World Cup, although
the tournament venue and dates
are still to be confirmed.
In the meantime, McMeeken
will be searching for a job in
Wellington in the off-season
while she plays for the academy
team and finishes studying a
psychology course this semester.
“This year (the contract) was
enough to fund everything it
needed to,” she said.
And if McMeeken lands the
job she has in mind, it doesn’t
look like her coffee addiction will
be ending anytime soon: “It’ll
probably be something to help
with my social skills, like maybe
a cafe.”
From Broadfield to China for Baxter
FARAH PALMER Cup head
coach Blair Baxter will take up a
new role as assistant coach with
China’s women’s sevens team.
China is seeking to qualify for
next year’s Olympics and hope
Baxter will help them get there.
“Definitely some nerves
heading into this opportunity.
However, with that comes
growth,” the Broadfield resident
said.
“There was a chance here to be
a full-time coach, get my hands
dirty, and work on the technical
and tactical aspects that’s going
to help me be a better coach
long-term. My main motivation
is a chance to grow. It’s so far
removed from what I know.
The language barrier and a
completely different culture
will force me to become a better
coach.”
Baxter has coached the
Canterbury FPC side for the last
three years, leading the team to
three home finals and two titles.
He was Matatū head coach
when they secured a last minute
31-33 victory over Chiefs
Manawa to win the Super Rugby
Aupiki title on March 25. “I was
lucky to get the opportunity
with FPC three years ago.
“It’s provided me exponential
growth as a person and coach.
“Women’s rugby is a fantastic
area of our game to be involved
in. Everyone is there for the
right reasons and wants the
best and I’ve been lucky to work
with amazing individuals who
consistently drive to be the best
they can be.”
The shift to a full-time role
with China is the next step in
a coaching pathway that saw
Baxter start at Belfast before
spending seven years coaching
the Sydenham colts and
premiers.
He coached the Cantabrians,
Canterbury B, metro and the
under-19’s before coaching the
FPC side.
The vacant FPC head coach
role will be addressed in the
coming weeks, a Canterbury
Rugby spokesman said.