The women and girls of Zbrojovka Brno finished the autumn part with a regular meeting with their parents. Female soccer players of all categories and members of the implementation teams gathered at Hotel Avanti, where, with the participation of head coach Eliška Houšťová, they evaluated the autumn part and discussed the outlook for spring.
A meeting with parents is also held regularly in the women’s categories after the end of the autumn and spring semesters. “We hold meetings to keep parents informed, to know what we are doing with their daughters at the club, but also to know the names and faces of the coaches. It is always good for parents to know what we are focusing on in training and in matches.” she described Eliška Houšťováhead coach of women’s football in Zbrojovce Brno.
Through regular meetings, they also try to get parents to get to know members of other teams, not just those where their children play. “We want to achieve connections across all categories. If I were a parent and had a child in Zbrojovka, I would want to know this and not want to ask about everything. It must come from the club, so that it can be seen that we are parents opening,“ she clarified another reason for the meetings.
As usual, the December one had two parts. At first, the members of the implementation teams of each category evaluated the autumn and explained the news that the club had raised. “We have GPS chips, VEO cameras, but also snacks. The girls can use regular regeneration or visit the gym,” named Houšťová. There was also important information about the spring part of the year.
In the second half of the meeting, the representatives of the individual categories grouped together with the parents and dealt only with matters that concern only that particular group. “This means, for example, concentration, when the winter training begins, or some changes in the cadre of the given category,” added the head coach.
At these meetings, he perceives a great interest from the parents in the events at the Brno club. “I try to talk to the parents outside the meetings as well. I have known some of them for a long time, so I get feedback from them on our individual steps, and the meetings have very positive responses. They like that everyone from the implementation teams is there, but also people from the academy’s management like Michal Prokeš, Petr Čejka or Tomáš Hák. This way, the parents see that the club management also wants to support women and that they care about them.” she zoomed in.
Women’s football has been on the rise in Zbrojovce Brno for a long time, and the club has once again gained the status of a Girls’ Academy. Houšťová is pleased with how the management supports her section. “I have never met such an open door and such possibilities. We have confidence and no one is behind us. No one says: You have to do this or you can’t do this. We have the opportunity to go in the direction we feel it is necessary. Everyone helps us to achieve the goals we have, if they make sense. I am very satisfied and thank everyone who is involved, whether it is our department, senior management or the club in general, led by the owner.” said the head coach.
The oldest of the four female categories are juniors who started in Zbrojovka before last season. After her there was a coaching change when Vladimír Klaška he was replaced by an Italian coach Antonio Console. “The junior team has completed its third half-year, before this season we put it together anew. There was a change of coach, a total strengthening of the implementation team, a change in the entire philosophy, requirements and habits. I think that there is the biggest progress compared to last season, in terms of playing style, attendance at training, the girls’ approach to the training process and in general. We only pay for the fact that we have the youngest squad in the league. We play with fifteen- and sixteen-year-old girls, while the other teams are dominated by seventeen- and eighteen-year-olds,” she pointed out.
In Zbrojovce, however, they believe that patience will pay off in time. “With the parents, with the girls and with the coaches, we are set in such a way that we want to play our way regardless of whether we succeed or fail to make the result. We believe that the results will come as we progress in the game and as we are patient throughout the process.” Houšťová explained.
And the Brno club can soon form a women’s team from the talented juniors, which Zbrojovce is now missing. “We are working on enabling women to establish in the near future. It is currently one of the things we are dealing with,” confirmed the Brno head coach.
