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Illuminate t KATE WOOD-FOYE
THE GUTS, GRIT AND GROUNDWORK OF REMARKABLE REGIONAL E N T R E P R E N E U R S , I N N O V AT O R S , LEADERS AND GAME CHANGERS.
Laura Noble is a passionate powerhouse with a focus on family, football and the future of her community. As the first female president in the history of the Port Saints Football Club, she was awarded 2020 Club Person of the Year and elected as the first female board member for Football Mid North Coast in over a decade. Laura leads the way with an incredible group of like-minded soccer enthusiasts and volunteers. Together they are pushing to increase diversity, advocacy, and inclusion in the sport for all players – particularly participation for women. Her dedication and vision for the sport has meant that boys, girls, men and women at all levels, ages and abilities can experience the on and off field opportunities and connection only football can bring. Renowned for her next-level ninja style organisation skills and drive, Laura is changing the face and the playing field for football on the coast. 114 GREATER PORT MACQUARIE
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LAURA
NOBLE
ongrats Laura on your election to the Football Mid North Coast (FMNC) Board of Directors. What do you hope to achieve in your three-year term? Thank you! I’m honoured to have this amazing role. I hope to combine both strategic thinking and skills in business management with my passion for the game. To continuously improve and further promote the importance of developing the football landscape in our region, I will be focussing on creating a valuesdriven leadership team. It is critical to support coaches, players, parents, carers and volunteers to flourish and contribute positively to our football community. My role with youth focussed charity Mid Coast Connect has also been the driving force behind my goals in football – we’re all about providing opportunities for local young people – and at the heart of everything I want to achieve with FMNC is opportunities, opportunities, opportunities. Showcasing our beautiful region, its amazingly talented players and increasing female voices at higher governance levels are all opportunities I want to help create! It’s important to raise the profile of our beautiful region; its talent and the endless sports tourism possibilities to the rest of NSW. The board have been very welcoming and supportive of my ideas and input. It’s been great to get settled in and assess where things are at, to really understand FMNC’s values and goals and how they align with my own. It’s been a great experience so far and I can’t wait
to get to work! You are passionate about participation for all players and have a particular focus on female participation in the sport – why is this so important? Over the last few years female player participation has been rising across the FMNC zone and at Port Saints, with 25% of players being female. This is due to providing as many opportunities as possible. Our zone offers girls-only and mixed comps at a club level, as well as at a high-performance level. I want to increase opportunities for female participants to take on leadership roles, including game leaders, referees, coaches and committee/board members. For women and girls to feel included, grow and be successful in football as it currently exists, a shift in the way we think and lead is needed. I want to be a driver for that new leadership. I’m also a member of Women Onside, which focuses on policy development and advocacy, professional development and networking to achieve their vision of women in football, everywhere. Port Saints FC has been going from strength to strength under your leadership. How important is collaboration in your leadership strategy? Collaboration is critical. 2021 has seen our club recover to pre-pandemic numbers and surpass 2019 by 70 players'. With 527 registered in 2021, we are now the second largest club in our zone. This could not have been achieved without the professional, passionate and dedicated volunteers I work with at the club. Over the
