Williamstown CYMS inaugural women’s coach Lawrence Henry is stepping down from the role after seven years in charge.
The CYs announced that Henry had made the call following the club’s Victorian Amatuer Football Association season.
Henry said when he first joined the women’s team, he had put his hand up to pick up a few cones at training and somehow stumbled into the senior coaching job.
“I’ve always felt a sense of belonging here” he said in a thank you letter.
“Like so many of my male contemporaries and men of this community over the past 138 years, I’ve grown up at the CYs.
“It was my time to give back, and I wanted the women and girls of our community to have the opportunity to call the Fearon home. The players said it best with the theme they’ve carried through the past couple
of seasons, ‘why not us, why not now’.”
Henry said it felt like that women’s football had also been at the club with the culture that had been built.
The side went through last year undefeated on the way to the division 2 premiership, before jumping in premier B division this season.
The CYs were undefeated in the regular season before a straight sets exit. This year was also the first year the club had a women’s reserves side.
“I feel privileged to have been accepted and trusted by the players to coach their team,” Henry said. “A former captain stumbled through it perfectly, “one in, one all, all in”.
“What she meant was, everyone is welcome, we’ve got your back. Nothing sums up what I will miss most about coaching this club than the sense of togetherness and belonging that has always been the
CYs way.
“What we’ve achieved, we’ve achieved together.”
Henry said it was hard to put into words what they’d achieved the past seven years and his appreciation for the playing group.
He said there were so many highlights including the establishment of the player pathway with Williamstown juniors, the addition of a reserves team, rising divisions from D3 to Premier B and the first senior women’s premiership.
Henry said he was proud of what he had achieved at the club and would remain a supporter of the side.
The experience of coaching the senior women over the past seven seasons has profoundly impacted my personal and professional life and I’m immensely grateful for the lifelong
friendships, experience, and skills it’s provided me.
For the better, the introduction of women’s footy has enormously impacted the club and community.
