FIFA Live Your Goals has concluded in Tasmania following a week of school and club girls-only football festivals throughout the State.
One thousand participants were involved during the week and had the opportunity to meet Westfield Matildas striker Michelle Heyman.
The initiative was aimed at creating awareness and generating excitement, ultimately to increase participation of girls and women in football.
Football Federation Tasmania (FFT) have successfully managed to ensure an on-going link between the Live Your Goals festival and FFAs development programs, with approximately 70 participants to date having now registered with MiniRoos Kick-Off for Girls.
The ongoing importance of the festival is highlighted by FFAs Head of Community, Football Development & Women’s Football Emma Highwood who said: “Live Your Goals is a fantastic initiative from FIFA and we are pleased to have delivered it again this year.
"This event provided a great opportunity to promote female football development in Tasmania with one thousand girls participating throughout the week. The festival also offered many girls and young women the chance to interact with Westfield Matilda Michelle Heyman, ultimately inspiring them to achieve their goals.”
Live Your Goals Tasmania has been considered an outstanding success by FFT CEO Mike Palmer.
“The ease of football and the ability for every one of all abilities to participate made the week a success," he said.
“The joy of participation was clearly apparent across every session and to see so many young ladies motivated around football was an on-going special moment at each and every session.”
The FFT Women’s & Girls Development Officer Holly Ayton led the project in Tasmania and said it had helped enormously with the game's development across the state.
"The festival has given hope to many people across the state, in believing that women’s football is supported and truly cared about," she said.
“The festival provided hundreds of girls across Tasmania the chance to either experience the round ball game or fall even more in love with football.”