Supportive isn’t soft
When Matildas forward Emily Gielnik visited our Under-13 NPL squad in May, she spoke about leadership, mindset, and building team culture. But the most powerful moment came when she turned the spotlight onto the girls themselves, and their responses said a lot about the kind of environment we’re building at Alamein FC.
Emily invited each player to stand at the front of the group. She then asked the team to call out “three good things” they admired about that teammate: qualities on and off the ball, moments of leadership, flashes of resilience. To make time for everyone she only allowed three teammates to speak about each player, yet hands shot up faster than Emily could point to them. Girls who usually compete side by side on game day were suddenly competing with each other, for the chance to celebrate one another.
For those of us parents, coaches and committee members watching, this was incredibly heart-warming. But it was also revealing. In a high-performance environment, athletes often focus on gaps rather than gains. Emily’s exercise reminded the girls that:
Each player brings more value to the team than they may realise
Recognition multiplies confidence: our teammate’s words are powerful
Positive cultures are built deliberately, they don’t happen by accident
Supportive doesn’t mean soft
Supportive environments are sometimes dismissed as “soft.” Emily addressed that myth head-on. She told the squad that the most successful teams she had played in were relentless on standards, and in backing one another. Errors can be corrected quickly, but respect never drops. When we support each other, players take braver risks and recover faster from mistakes.
Our Under-13s proved her point. Every girl in the room is playing at the highest level for her age in Victoria, and places in the starting eleven are never guaranteed. Yet their eagerness to praise their teammates out-paced any instinct for personal grandstanding. That balance, elite expectation allied with collective pride, is exactly what we aim to foster at Alamein, and we’re so proud when we see it naturally unfolding!
Why we invited Emily
Role models matter, and access matters even more. Bringing a current Matilda into the changeroom allows our players to see that the pathway from Junior NPL to the professional game is real and achievable. It also signals that Alamein invests in its athletes beyond tactics and fitness plans. We curate experiences that shape character, confidence, and long-term ambition.
What to take from this
Whether you are a player, a coach or a parent:
Speak up: if you admire a quality in a player, tell her today
Ask for feedback: you might be contributing strengths you’ve never noticed
Choose environments that lift you: technical coaching alone may win matches, but combining technical coaching with positive culture sustains careers
Ready to grow in the right environment?
Expressions of Interest for our 2026 squads are now open. If you or your daughter want an NPL program that pushes for excellence while practising everyday respect, we would love to hear from you. Express your interest here.
At Alamein FC, talent is celebrated, effort is rewarded, and your teammates are your loudest cheer squad. Emily Gielnik saw that in ten quiet minutes with our girls. We hope you do too.
