In the latest of our WA On Wednesday series of player interviews, Murdoch University Melville‘s Sophie Patience speaks to Impetus’ Ben Gilby about her footballing journey, and how life has evolved at the club this season (7/8/24).
Above: Sophie Patience in action for Murdoch University Melville. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Sophie Patience
Whilst this season may not go down as a vintage one for Murdoch University Melville (MUM FC) in the NPLW WA, one of the bright lights in their 2024 campaign has been the growth and performances of Sophie Patience.
From consistently impressive displays in challenging circumstances to a stunning goal against Subiaco recently, Patience is part of a MUM FC side that has shown improved performances in their bid to finish the campaign clear of the bottom.
Reflecting on the club’s year to date, Patience said: “At the beginning of the preseason period, it was a completely new squad. A group of individual girls who had never met before, let alone played together. As the season has progressed, we’ve developed not only into a team but into a group of friends which has been great to be a part of.
“It has taken time made challenging by frequent changes to our squad, but we’re lucky to have such a dedicated and resilient group of girls who will keep pushing until the season is finished. I’m hopeful we can continue to improve as a squad for the final games of the season and get some more points on the board.”
Patience describes herself as: “being hardworking, resilient, positive, and always eager to learn. I enjoy being part of a team where we work together and support each other. I love seeing my teammates succeed both on and off the pitch and I always aim to encourage them wherever I can, just as they do for me. I’m appreciative of any feedback I get from my teammates or coaches as I always strive to become a better player for myself and my team.”
Her present status as an NPLW WA player has its roots back to when she was just eight years-old. “My earliest memory of playing was at Grasshopper soccer.
“I tried a few different sports when I was young, but ultimately decided to go back to soccer when I was 13. I began playing at Melville Football Club in 2015 and it is the only club I have played for since I started. Soon after I started playing at Melville, I trialled for the soccer excellence program at John Curtin College of the Arts (JCCA) and was fortunate enough to be selected.
“I spent the remaining four years of high school attending JCCA where I was coached and played alongside many incredibly talented footballers. After high school, I continued to play for Melville in the women’s amateur league for four years mainly for fitness and fun, until I was approached by Steve Atkins at the end of 2023 to play NPL for MUM FC. Although not something I had planned on doing, I was excited to make the most of the opportunity and challenge myself as a player.”
All players have significant challenges to overcome throughout their careers. Patience identifies hers as confidence.
“Going through high school at JCCA whilst playing at Melville outside of school, I was lucky to have such supportive coaches and teammates who helped me focus on my strengths to build that confidence. It was something I definitely struggled with, especially through my high school years.
“I think it was perhaps almost feelings of imposter syndrome, where I sometimes felt I didn’t deserve to be where I was because – simply because I would focus on the negatives and not the positive things I was doing in training and during games. Having coaches like Peter Rickers and Matt Donlevy who took so much pride in women’s football and our girls’ teams at JCCA really helped me come out of my shell and begin to acknowledge what I was contributing to the team and what I could be capable of.”
As Patience’s confidence grew, so did her achievements, leading to her proudest moment of all which came when she was in Year 12.
“It was when our JCCA girls’ senior squad won the championship. We had such an incredible group of girls who stayed committed to the program and each other the entire time we attended the school. When we were able to wrap up our final year, undefeated, with the same girls I started with, it just felt like all our passion, hard work, and commitment over the years had paid off.”
That hard work and commitment is something that is part and parcel of women’s football but still does not get the same recognition as the men’s game across the globe. As the MUM FC player powerfully identified, “Women are just as passionate, talented, dedicated, and hardworking as the males in the profession.
“I think the standard and recognition of women’s football has increased so rapidly over the last few years, especially in Australia during the Women’s World Cup. It was so refreshing to see the overwhelming support for the Matildas across the country and I only hope it continues to grow because the quality of women’s football deserves to be celebrated.”
As the NPLW WA season enters its final weeks, Murdoch University Melville may not be challenging for silverware in the way they were in the early years of the competition, but there is much to play for still. It feels from the outside of the club that the team has really developed over the past month or so. It’s something that Patience recognises too.
“I think the gelling of a team is something I took for granted after playing in the same team for the last four years. Understanding how each of your teammates plays and learning to read their next move has certainly taken time, but I also agree that it has started to come together over the last month.
“I feel as a squad we’re also learning from our mistakes and have become successful in identifying our strengths and playing to them as best we can. Steve (Atkins, head coach) has remained a very supportive, patient, consistent, and enthusiastic coach throughout the season, despite some tough losses. I feel as a squad we have improved greatly with Steve as a coach, even with the loss of some of our more experienced players, and I look forward to continuing to grow as a team in this league.
“Each team we play presents their own unique challenges, and we have to be adaptable. However, I think we need to start every game with a high level of intensity and aggression towards the ball that we do at training, and ultimately focus on our own game and doing what we know works best for us.”
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