Maza with her FFA award | TWG Maza with her FFA award | TWG

She may have only been coaching for one year but in that year Heidelberg United’s Jamara Maza has achieved and given plenty.  On Tuesday night Maza was deservedly recognised for her dedication with the FFA Female Coach of the Year Award. 

“I am a little overwhelmed,” she said still shocked after receiving the award in front of her football peers.  “Most of the people in the room are those that continue to inspire me.”

And now Maza has become an inspiration herself.

While coaching is new to the Victorian, football and leadership aren’t.  Jamara Maza started playing football at the age of 13 and she currently plays for Heidelberg United in the Victorian Women’s Premier League, captaining the club since 2007.  In 2011 she has maintained those playing duties as well as taking up coach which makes her coaching achievements all the more remarkable.

“I have been a player for a while,” she stated.

“I probably just wanted to extend my experiences and what I have learned through this game onto my community, as well as anyone else that wants to learn.”

With a Youth Certificate II in hand, Maza has used this to bring and spread the world of football to young girls in the indigenous community.  She has delivered the Indigenous Football Development Program at Worawa Aboriginal College and coached the Victorian Girls team at the National Indigenous Football Festival in Alice Springs.  Along the way she has worked diligently on improving her own skills and using them to encourage young females to participate in football.

“Obviously I will be seen as a role model in my community so if I can encourage more people to come and pick up this sport, then I think it would be half of my job done.”

“I think it is a wonderful sport and it’s a great time to be female in Australia and especially in the world of soccer.”

Although there are several inspiring high profile female indigenous footballers like Matildas Kyah Simon and Lydia Williams, it is coaches like Maza who are starting to exert real influence and make a real difference. While the players obtain many benefits, Maza admits that she gets plenty out of coaching too.

“The joys are basically just seeing the girls participate and the joy on their faces when they win a game,” she said smilingly.

“When I went to Alice Springs with the indigenous U15s girls team, a lot of the participants had never played soccer before.”

“So for them say “I am going to go home and join a soccer club”, that’s my job done.”

As to how to engage and encourage skilful indigenous children into football, Maza’s answer is simple.

“We just need to go out to the communities and encourage them and let them know we have supporting networks there.”

“All we need to do is get the word out there and make sure they have the full support that I had given when I first started.”

As well as the FFA award, Jamara Muza’s dedication, hard work and passionate support of indigenous programs has also seen her awarded the Female Coach of the Year by Football Federation Victoria.  With all of these accolades its easy to forget that this is her first year of in the caper.  However the coach herself doesn’t and is well aware that she has far to go.

“I honestly want to learn more.  This is my first year in coaching and to receive such a prestigious award is great.”

“There is further knowledge and experience that I can gain along the way and the future.

“I would love to continue on with my community service work as well as adapting coaching to my communities.”

“I would like to thank Heidelberg United, which a club I have grown up with, for their suppor and guidance over the year.”

“I can’t image where I would be without the support from them as well as my coach John Lioupas, Allison and not to mention the QAS and all the community representatives who have supported me.”