Natalie Lawrence will be mentored by Belgium’s national women’s coach Ives Serneels for the next 18 months as she grows her skills as the assistant coach for the Junior Ferns and the Wellington Phoenix women’s A-League team.
The mentoring is the second edition of a FIFA-led mentoring programme aimed to connect leading women’s coaches from around the world, and to provide them with coaching guidance and support on career development.
Lawrence’s mentor has been the coach of the Belgian women’s team since 2011, and is one of the longest-serving coaches on the national scene.
Main photo: Natalie Lawrence (left) with Phoenix women’s head coach Gemma Lewis.
Before taking on the national role, he managed several Belgian clubs after retiring from a professional playing career in 2003-04.
Serneels (49) is one of 20 mentors matched with up-and-coming coaches in the FIFA programme.
Earlier this year, three other New Zealand coaches were matched with mentors.
Football Fern Annalie Longo, former national U-20 goalkeeper Tessa Nicol and Canterbury coach Alan Gunn joined 44 other coaches from 27 countries to participate in the coach education programme.
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