Stephanie Galea reflects on pre-season camp

Pre-season has begun to take shape for the Heidelberg United senior women’s NPL team, with the squad returning from their camp at Ocean Grove over the weekend.

Led by captain Stephanie Galea, the team enjoyed a trip down to the coastal town in Victoria.

Following a successful pre-season camp last year in Ballarat, Galea emphasised the importance of building trust in a team that featured many fresh faces.

“The camp was aimed at team-bonding – we’re a fairly new team and with the turnover of players that we’ve had, there is quite an age gap from our youngest to oldest players,” Galea said. 

The camp offered a way for the squad to spend time together, featuring a range of team-building activities from beach walks to an amazing-race style competition.

“The whole idea was to do fun activities to get to know each other a bit better, open up and build on that trust,” she said.

“We definitely learnt a lot of things about each other and the three days we spent together had a real purpose in team bonding – my goal is to ensure we have a good culture from start to finish, and I think that will help us get the best out of us.”

The skipper acknowledged the difficulties of working through a pre-season with a fairly new team, but is willing to provide the support and guidance when needed.

“I feel like my job gets a little easier toward the end. My main goal is to make sure everyone is comfortable around each other and obviously form that trust that they can come to me if they need anything – I’ll always be there for them.”

The senior women’s season kicks off at the beginning of April with Heidelberg United hosting Bayside United in an afternoon clash at Olympic Park on April 2. After an interrupted season last year, which was suspended without resumption at Round 17, Galea details that the expectations and goals for a successful season are possible with a determined squad.

“We have a great squad, I expect this team to be one that can make the top four. Since my time here at Heidelberg, we haven’t made the top four, and as captain it’s important for me to support a team that believes in one another.

“It’s about having a team that will always stick together, and who don’t lose that faith in each other.”