Latest news with #Women'sCoachoftheYear
Boston Globe
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Filipa Patão promises passion, for the ball and for the chance to build Boston Legacy from the ground up
'I think I say this many, many times in Portugal and now I say it in the States: I'm a person that searches every time for a challenge,' Patão told me on a video call from Portugal. Advertisement At Benfica, she exceeded those challenges over and over again — from her start as a club youth coach in 2007, initially with the men and then to the fledgling women's program, to the U15, U17, and U19 women's teams. Patão took over the senior women's team in 2020. She amassed a 156-28-15 record across all competitions, winning the Campeonato Nacional (Portugal's top flight) five years in a row while also taking Benfica to the quarterfinals of the 2023-24 UEFA Women's Champions League, the first Portuguese club to advance that far. That was enough for a Ballon d'Or nomination as Women's Coach of the Year in 2024, and enough to raise the antenna of the Boston Legacy ownership group. Advertisement Their pitch beat out interest from overseas, including at Liverpool. 'When I start to hear about the project, when I start to hear that they're going to want to build everything new, and I can put some of my personality, some of my ideas, my philosophy, my passion . . . I felt at home," Patão mused. 'I felt a lot of passion about the project of Boston, in the football competition, from the supporters, from the city, everyone around. Honestly, it feels like Benfica. A little like this, the supporters here are very very passionate. There's a lot of pressure on everybody, they want to win, but they want to have identity, an identity that represents them. I feel the same in Boston, in this team the Boston Legacy, and I want to build it.' The process has already started, even though Patão — along with her English setter and her cat, named Oliver and Benji in honor of the Advertisement 'Filipa demonstrates all of the qualities that personify this club and the way we want to play: with passion, grit, and style,' Epstein said in the team's official announcement. Related : It starts with relentlessness for the ball, an attacking mindset that led Patão to regularly hear her players described by European opponents 'like dogs' for the way they'd press and fight for the ball. 'I was a player, and the most beautiful thing in football is having the ball,' she said. 'If you want the ball, you're forbidden to lose the ball, but if you lose it, OK, come on and catch it again. Be fast, be happy again with the ball. My teams are like that. One second to recover the ball. Everyone has to run, have a mission to recover that ball.' And when they have it? 'I want players that want to take risk,' she said. 'Football is a risk. You need to take risk. It's impossible to have players afraid to take risk. This is the style I want to see. I want to see brave players, who want to play beautiful football, challenge themselves, go one-v-one if necessary.' Patão compared it to educating a child. 'A young player, they're like a sponge, want to absorb everything. When you build something new, you don't have issues, don't have anything, you're like a white paper. You can write whatever you want and you can create a legacy like the name. You can create a history there,' she said. 'It's a great responsibility to write a good or bad thing. They chose me because of that. 'I love challenge. I love winning. I'm very, very competitive and I love to develop young players.' Related : Advertisement In another time, or another place, Patão would have continued playing, pushing a budding career with the Portuguese national team to a top professional level. She would have focused on her passion for football instead of feeling it drain away as she squeezed in training at night, long after she'd finished her multiple other jobs, teaching at a school and training youth soccer clubs for hours at a time. There just wasn't a high level of support for women's players back then. Times have changed in the decades since, and now she is creating opportunities for others. 'I didn't have coaches that believed in me, worked with me, that thought all day about how I'm going to help my team, help my players to achieve great things. . . . So every time, I say to my players, please enjoy this ride, enjoy this life,' she said. 'Now I'm a really happy person, I feel I'm doing something. 'It's impossible to change the world but you can change the world of somebody, so do it.' Tara Sullivan is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
Boston Globe
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Boston Legacy FC officially names Filipa Patão its first head coach
Advertisement Boston Legacy FC begins play in the National Women's Soccer League next March. 'Boston is a club where we want to develop both technical identity and have a clear style of play, but also we want a coach who thinks about more than just winning games,' said Guasch. 'Filipa is a coach I believe can help us build a great culture where players understand they will come here to grow and learn.' Patão led Benfica to the second round of the UEFA Women's Champions League this year after taking the team to the quarterfinals the year before, a campaign that earned her a nomination for the Ballon d'Or's first Women's Coach of the Year award. Advertisement Patão began with Benfica 18 years ago as a youth coach before moving up the ranks, coaching the U-17 and then U-19 teams. Legacy FC controlling owner Jennifer Epstein believes Patão epitomizes the identity the team is seeking. 'Filipa demonstrates all of the qualities that personify this club and the way we want to play: with passion, grit, and style,' said Epstein. 'She is a coach who loves to develop players and loves to win, and that attitude is very evident in the way she is approaching our inaugural 2026 season head-on. We can't wait to watch her build Boston's next championship team.' Boston Legacy's home in Michael Silverman can be reached at
RTÉ News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Ben Martin named as new Leinster Women head coach
Ben Martin will take over as head coach of the Leinster Women's senior team ahead of this summer's Vodafone Interprovincial Championship, replacing the outgoing Tania Rosser. Martin represented his native Australia on the Sevens circuit during his playing career. He served as a player-coach at Kanturk in the AIL before taking over UL Bohemians Women, where he won the AIL title and picked up the 2019 Women's Coach of the Year award. He guided Blackrock College RFC's Women's team to two AIL finals, lifting the trophy in the 2022/23 campaign. Most recently, he served on Neill Alcorn's coaching ticket in the Celtic Challenge as the Wolfhounds won nine of their ten games to claim the crown. "It's an exciting time, obviously, with a Women's World Cup on the horizon," said Martin, who has Michelle Claffey and Charlie Doel as backs and forwards coaches, respectively. "There's a chance to potentially unearth some diamonds that haven't been found yet within the pathways of women's rugby. "I'm excited. It's a big challenge. There's a nice history with what's happened, especially in the recent history, with Leinster being back-to-back champions, so that puts a little bit of pressure on us." Leinster begin the defence of their Interprovincial crown against Ulster at Energia Park on 10 August. Women's Interprovincial Championship Fixtures: Round 1: Sunday, 10 August Leinster v Ulster at Energia Park (kick-off 2.30pm) Munster v Connacht at Virgin Media Park (4.15pm) Round 2: Saturday, 16 August Leinster v Munster at Energia Park (2.30pm) Connacht v Ulster at Dexcom Stadium (4.15pm) Round 3: Saturday, 23 August Connacht v Leinster at Dexcom Stadium (2.30pm) Ulster v Munster at Kingspan Stadium (4.15pm) Finals Day: Saturday, 30 August Games will be played at Energia Park.
CAF
19-03-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Coach Desiree Ellis – Banyana Banyana Head Coach
With CAFOnline's ongoing celebrations and recognition of International Women's Month, the focus has moved to the reigning CAF Women's Coach of the Year, Desiree Ellis. The former Banyana Banyana captain who guided South Africa's senior women's national team to its first ever TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations title two years ago is now officially addressed as Dr Desiree Ellis, after being officially conferred by the University on Thursday, 25 April. Dr Ellis' recognition comes as a result of a long list of accolades and achievement by the reigning African Women's Football Coach of the Year, which include guiding her former national team to its first continental title, leading Banyana Banyana to two FIFA Women's World Cup competitions, lifting four COSAFA Women's Championship titles as well as four consecutive CAF Women Coach of the Year awards. In this exclusive sit down with CAFOnline, Dr Ellis shares her journey in African football, her inspirations and her wishes for the women's game across the continent. Coach firstly congratulations on your achievements over the years, how do you reflect on this? If I think back, I could not have imagined all this turning out the way it has. I am so blessed and grateful for the opportunity given to me by the South African Football Association (SAFA) as well as the support along the way. Also, just a reminder that I don't work alone – the technical team and support staff have been amazing, and of course the key role players… the players, as coach T aptly says make us look good. March is International Women's month; how would you reflect on the growth of women's football both on the continent as well as globally? The growth of women's football has been massive globally, as well as on the continent. There are so many African female players now all over the world at some of the best clubs, with more and more players consistently getting scouted abroad. Not so long ago the most expensive transfers were Racheal Kundananji and Barbara Band, until recently Naomi Girma of American/Ethiopian decent. The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup showed the growth of the African teams with 3 out of the 4 countries reaching the last 16 but I feel that with the financial resources Europe has access to, the gap is rather getting bigger than smaller, just when we think we're catching up we fall behind. They have a Nations league, and countries play each other every window with fixtures already designated and not having to find an opponent., but that is not the case for us. However, there is now zone-specific playoffs prior to the CAF Women's Champions League final tournament to get to the overall champion, providing further opportunities in the multiple regions with further scouting potential. There are also schools' tournaments at grassroots level, u17, u20, Futsal and WAFCON, as well as Morocco set to host the next five U17 Women's World Cup tournaments. In addition to this, are zone specific tournaments like COSAFA, CECAFA etc. Bringing it closer to home, how do you reflect on the growth of football in SA? It's not where we want to be but it's a step in the right direction. Back in the day we had one league in our region and interprovincial at the end of the season. We now have the National League, the provincial league that is run provincially with 144 teams ( +- 16 team in each province, regional leagues run across about 52 regions and more development leagues in some regions). There is also University football which has bridged the gap further and also provided education to many footballers. But the urgent cry and need is a professional league which will really take our game to the next level. If we were to trace back your journey, from the days of being captain to working your way up to national team coach, what are some of the key turning points that you feel have gotten you where you are today? Despite facing many challenges in life, perseverance, resilience, and an unwavering love for the game—along with my determination to pursue my dream—have been key in shaping my journey. You have been involved in the women's game all your life and have observed a lot during your career. Who are some of the young and older women would you say have inspired or continue to inspire you? Fran Hilton-Smith, Nomsa Mahlangu, Ntambi Ravele, Ilhaam Groenewald, Coach Jacqui Shapinga and of course Vera Pauw just to mention a few. They have always offered a listening ear and valuable guidance. While there has been growth in recent years, are there any key areas that you would like to see improving in the women's game? While the women's game has seen significant growth in recent years, there are still key areas that need improvement, such as increased investment, greater professional opportunities, and enhanced grassroots development leagues/programmes to ensure long-term sustainability and competitiveness. Any word of advice to young and aspiring African coaches who look to follow in your giant footsteps? Make sure you work on your craft and find your own unique style/way that works for you. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who share your vision, ambition, and drive
CAF
07-03-2025
- Sport
- CAF
#4YearsOfProgress: Dr Desiree Ellis and Barbra Banda hail progress made in developing women's football in Africa
TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations-winning coach Dr Desiree Ellis and reigning CAF Women's Player of the Year winner Barbra Banda are fulsome in their praise for the Confédération Africaine de Football's (CAF) efforts at developing women's football on the continent. Dr Ellis, who has won four CAF Women's Coach of the Year titles, was an international footballer before turning her hand to coaching and has been involved at the top level of the African game for more than 30 years. Her expertise is well respected within African football, as is her commitment to the betterment of the game, and she is delighted with the progress she has seen in recent years to develop the next generation of female coaches. 'I think there's been a massive jump,' Dr Ellis said. 'Before, there were very few courses and not much opportunity. Now you see that there are courses for women all over the continent. 'There has even been instructors' courses and refresher courses. In the past it was very slow. It was just South Africa that had courses for women, and I think at the moment, still South Africa has the most licensed women's coaches. 'But that has improved all around the continent with so many more opportunities for women.' Since launching the female-only Coaching Courses program in 2023, CAF has been collaborating with Member Associations (MAs) to support them financially in conducting development programmes. This initiative has already successfully reached 18 countries and has led to the completion of 21 courses, providing valuable resources and support for female coaches at various stages of their careers. The ultimate aim is to equip them with the necessary skills and credentials, enhancing their professional development and increasing their representation within the coaching this collaboration and the push to include more women in coaching courses, CAF has seen remarkable results. Since 2022, 590 female coaches have attained their CAF coaching diplomas. Of this group, 498 earned the CAF C-License and 92 achieved the CAF B-License. On the pitch, there has also been a change in recent years with the playing field being levelled and nations raising their standard quickly through better organisation and coaching. 'You just need to look at the countries that have now qualified for TotalEnergies Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), Morocco 2024 finals that will be played in July,' Ellis says. 'One quarter of the finalists at the last finals in Morocco (in 2022) have been replaced. They are not the same countries that were there the last time round and this is proof of widespread development. 'Algeria, Tanzania, Mali and Ghana are back. It means a lot of countries around the continent are in contention to qualify for the finals, which wasn't the case too many years ago. 'It used to pretty much be the same old faces all the time but now the line-up for WAFCON is more diverse. Cameroon is a country that has been a WAFCON runner-up three times previously and they have also qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup and the Olympics Games. But they were unable to qualify for the next WAFCON. That's how competitive it is now.' Thirty-nine teams out of CAF's 54 MAs entered the qualifiers for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON, Morocco 2024, up from 24 in 2018. The difference is stark. And Ellis says the introduction of the CAF Women's Champions League, with the inaugural event staged in 2021, has been a game-changer too. 'In the last regional qualifiers there were a whole lot of new winners,' she says. 'All of this is proof of how competitive the women's football landscape has become. Women's football is not standing still. If you stand still, you do so at your own peril. 'It's really improved football on the continent. Even look at the international stage and how well the African teams did at the last FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.' Banda has been a star on the international stage for Zambia for several years having played at two Olympic Games and the FIFA Women's World Cup, and says the general feeling around African football is that the game is on the up on the continent. "Kudos to CAF for their investment in Women's Football these past years and that should continue because that's the only way we will develop the women's game on the continent. It's a welcome move that should be supported by all,' Banda said. "The future of women's football is very promising. It is slowly getting the respect it deserves and people are now noticing the amazing talent and are going to games to support. "Seeing my sisters from Malawi, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco, Ghana, Tanzania and so on going out there and showcasing their talent and putting the world on notice is something that warms my heart. It really shows that the continent has a lot of talent and is headed for greatness as far as women's football is concerned.' Banda says she has noticed an uptick in the competitive of opponents on the continent. 'We have seen the competition, it's not easy to play most teams and, of course, we have seen players making records out there and doing really well across the globe from the continent, which is amazing to see. 'It has developed well, we are on the right track. We just need more and more investment.' Part of that has been the investment made by CAF in women's football, which includes increased prizemoney for the TotalEnergies CAF WAFCON and CAF Women's Champions League. The recent Girls Integrated Football Tournament (GIFT), an Under-17 pilot project held in the CECAFA region, is another step forward in terms of providing international exposure for young players to help them on their football journey. This has been welcomed by Ellis. 'More competitions, especially for the youth, are needed because they only have qualifying competitions played on a knockout basis, where they play home and away, rather than in a tournament,' she says. 'And then when you have countries that withdraw, it means some teams don't play any games until they get up to the final stages. And then they have not prepared properly. With more tournaments, that will really improve football on the continent even more.' You can download CAF Women's Football graphics for editorial use only. Click here.
