With the defining part of the NPL season slowly approaching, the importance of sticking together cannot be undermined, with coaches, players, fans and staff needing to come together to ensure a strong finish. In their first season at the peak of NPL football, Spirit have been applauded for their work with their local community and their ability to develop potential in all areas of the club to contribute to their success. In doing so, NWSF provides opportunities to young people to learn and grow in their chosen fields, whether it be playing, coaching or working in football, while having the chance to be a part of Spirit’s journey.
No example can be better than that of Spirit’s first grade men’s and women’s video analyst, Matthew Barrett. Currently studying at the University of Technology Sydney, Matthew’s journey from being an under 12’s division 1 player at West Pennant Hills, an NWSF local club, to being Spirit’s Head of Video at only 17 years old is testament to the different pathways that NWSF offers away from the football pitch. Matthew’s dedication to his work at Spirit gives him an advantage over many others his age, with his deep knowledge and expertise of the club’s DNA helping the club strive to new levels.
Labelled as someone who goes “above and beyond” to help coaches and players around the club, Matthew’s love for football and his self-described “on-field knowledge,” is a key factor in the quality of the work that he produces for Spirit.
Early on, coaches from Matthew’s playing days in the AYL noticed his distinct ability to read the game and adapt to scenarios quickly, something which he points out as a key area that helps him analyse games at Spirit. Although he was not retained as a player, Matt was identified as someone who could develop within the pathway in this alternative role, and has since cemented his place as a vital member of Spirit’s coaching staff. This is reflective of the club’s approach to developing great people who can succeed either as players, or as people who work in football. In Matt’s case, his role as an analyst not only helps him contribute to the success of the Spirit First Grade teams, but also, to wider projects such as nwsfdna.com and contributing to many of the coach education programs run by the association.
Additionally, Matt also supports the Pararoos, Australia’s national team for people with cerebral palsy, brain injury and stroke, as an analyst, demonstrating both the quality of his work and how the NWSF DNA can help great people succeed at all levels of the pathway.
To Matthew, Spirit’s connection to the community is what separates it from other clubs around New South Wales and is why he believes that Spirit will continue growing as a club over the next couple of years. It is this system that Spirit has developed with the community that has made Matthew form a profound relationship with the football club and the community as a whole, a connection that he believes will take him through his journey in football and beyond.
By Renesh Krishnan
Renesh Krishnan is an aspiring football journalist at NWSF who currently studies a Bachelor of Media and Communications at Macquarie University. Playing for NWSF club, West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook Lions FC, since under 5’s, Renesh and his family have been a part of the NWSF community since 2009. With a passion for creative writing, public speaking, and all things football, Renesh looks to tell the unique stories and journeys of everyone at NWSF, helping bring the community closer together.
