Two top German women footballers will share their skills and insights at a six-hour coaching session for young girls in the Waikato this weekend.
Stefanie Mirlach (33) and Julia Simic (34) will run a Training Day Experience for girls aged 8-14 in Cambridge on Saturday July 15, 2023.
The pair have been brought to New Zealand by Ricki Herbert’s RH3 Football Academy.
Attendees will experience a day of drills, skill demonstrations and learn from two players who have experienced World Cups, and have enjoyed professional careers with some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Both have played professional club football in Europe, for title-winning teams, and they have played age group internationals for Germany from U-15 to U-23.
Now, they enjoy hosting programmes and events to encourage young girls who want to develop as players.
RH3 founder Ricki Herbert said the visit to New Zealand came about when he met Julia Simic in Switzerland when they were both taking part in FIFA’s ‘The Next 90 Programme’.
“Julia runs her own academy that specialises in girls’ football, and she and Stefanie are running programmes together,” Herbert said.
“With the Women’s World Cup starting in July, it seemed too good an opportunity to miss, so I invited them to New Zealand.”
READ MORE: Former All Whites coach Ricki Herbert graduates from FIFA programme >>>>
Main photo: Stefanie Mirlach (left) and Julia Simic … in New Zealand to share their knowledge.
Training Day Experience
When: Saturday July 15, 2023
Where: John Kerkhof Park, Cambridge
Hours: 9am-3am
For: Girls aged 8-14
Cost: $99
Bio: Stefanie Mirlach
After playing her first game of football as a six-year-old, in a boys’ team, she played in all the German national age group teams from U-15 to U-23.
She was a member of Germany’s winning squad at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in 2010.
Mirlach played professional football for nine years with FC Bayern Munich (1.Bundesliga), and for two seasons with FFC Turbine Potsdam (1. Bundesliga) .
She won the DFB Cup (National League Cup) with Bayern Munich in 2012.
Now working for broadcaster Sky Sports Germany, she is responsible for women’s sport strategy & projects.
Bio: Julia Simic
Simic began playing in boys’ teams, when she was six, and played her way into Bayern Munich’s first team at the age of 16.
After 12 years playing professionally in the German Budesliga, Simic spent two seasons with English Super League club West Ham United and then moved to Italy to play for AC Milan.
At club level, she has won four cup finals, one championship and played in two Champions League semi-finals and a final.
Simic represented Germany at all age group levels, and earned a winner’s medal at the U-19 European Championship, and a bronze medal at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Chile.
After playing two full internationals for Germany, injury forced her early retirement as a player and she’s since worked as an assistant with the U-17 German women’s team.
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