Talented soccer player defies gender and cultural stereotypes
0:00:25.289,0:00:28.320
My name is Cindy Lay and I play
football for the National Training
0:00:28.320,0:00:31.380
Centre (NTC) Victoria. I’m in Year
8 and go to Essendon and Penleigh
0:00:31.380,0:00:34.710
Grammar School (Melbourne). My
background is Chinese Timorese.
0:00:34.710,0:00:38.010
I was born in East Timor and my
grandparents were from China.
0:00:38.010,0:00:45.010
I’ve been playing (football) since
I was eight (years old) for Altona
0:00:51.710,0:00:58.150
City soccer club for two years in
the under 9’s and under 10’s league.
0:00:58.150,0:01:01.860
I then moved to Sunshine George
Cross and played there for three
0:01:01.860,0:01:06.390
years. Now I’m playing for the National
Training Centre. I started playing
0:01:06.390,0:01:13.390
football with my best friend. She asked
me to join a club. We played at school
0:01:14.829,0:01:20.439
mostly and I enjoyed it so I decided
to join up.
0:01:20.439,0:01:25.750
She (Cindy) was always kicking (soccer)
balls around and became very good at it
0:01:25.750,0:01:31.720
so she decided with her friend to join a
club. It was a bit hard for me (at first)
0:01:31.720,0:01:36.470
to accept that girls play soccer because
with most East Timorese people boys play
0:01:36.470,0:01:39.810
soccer not girls. When I looked at her
(play) I realised that she was very good
0:01:39.810,0:01:46.810
so I had to change my mind and support her.
0:01:50.070,0:01:57.070
I enjoy the technical side of the game –
thinking where to pass the ball and
0:02:00.740,0:02:07.740
controlling the ball. It’s a lot of fun
and keeps me occupied. The opportunities
0:02:08.360,0:02:13.879
and benefits I get from playing football
is that you get respect from other people
0:02:13.879,0:02:20.450
and you can get scholarships from school
so it can help you in the future.
0:02:20.450,0:02:27.450
She (Cindy) got a scholarship to go the
Grammar School. She has a lot of friends
0:02:28.129,0:02:30.650
that really like her there so she enjoys
it as well.
0:02:30.650,0:02:36.950
The scholarship I got for Essendon and
Penleigh Grammar is a full scholarship
0:02:36.950,0:02:41.340
until Year 12 and it’s a soccer scholarship.
0:02:41.340,0:02:48.340
It was pretty difficult for me to play
football because I was the only one
0:02:57.529,0:02:58.669
from East Timor.
0:02:58.669,0:03:02.430
My family background is from Chinese
Timorese and I’ve been living in Australia
0:03:02.430,0:03:07.989
for 12 years. I arrived in Australia as a
refugee. The language is very difficult.
0:03:07.989,0:03:14.510
When you arrive in a new country and you
don’t know how to speak the language is
0:03:14.510,0:03:14.760
the hard part.”
0:03:14.719,0:03:19.549
The cultural challenge was mainly when I
came to Australia there wasn’t many people
0:03:19.549,0:03:25.010
from my nationality playing soccer
especially girls.
0:03:25.010,0:03:30.760
I now understand that it’s alright for
girls to play soccer. My mum still doesn’t
0:03:30.760,0:03:37.760
like girls playing soccer and a couple of
my girlfriends for religious reasons won’t
0:03:38.669,0:03:45.669
allow their girls to go swimming or play
sport. As parents you know more than your
0:03:47.239,0:03:50.680
kids so you have to go to the coach and
explain that because of your religion you
0:03:50.680,0:03:55.290
may not be able to wear certain clothing
like short pants. This is part of the
0:03:55.290,0:04:02.290
culture and not proper to wear.
0:04:07.209,0:04:14.209
I need support from family, friends,
coaches and everyone around me as well
0:04:14.269,0:04:17.900
as I need to believe in myself and keep
focused.
0:04:17.900,0:04:24.199
As a parent you need to put in a lot of
effort and dedication to support your
0:04:24.199,0:04:26.470
child to achieve their goals.
0:04:26.470,0:04:33.360
My parents are involved in taking me to
training sessions and games. They analyse
0:04:33.360,0:04:38.250
the game so they can tell me the mistakes
that I make. Most of the parents come and
0:04:38.250,0:04:44.920
watch but sometimes when the parents can’t
make it a friend’s parents might take them
0:04:44.920,0:04:49.170
to the game. So as well as kids getting
along we have parents getting along as
0:04:49.170,0:04:49.420
well.
0:04:49.170,0:04:56.170
Coaches should understand what the cultures
(of their players) are as well as the
0:05:05.350,0:05:12.350
boundaries of those cultures. The parents
should know what the daughter or son is doing.
0:05:12.890,0:05:17.810
The coaches could be telling them off but
he
0:05:17.810,0:05:19.660
may be saying it in a good way.
0:05:19.660,0:05:24.940
As a coach you have to be very friendly with
the parents. It’s difficult for some parents
0:05:24.940,0:05:28.100
(from different cultural backgrounds) to
introduce themselves and say ‘hi how are
0:05:28.100,0:05:28.890
you?’
to coaches the way it’s done in Australia.
0:05:28.890,0:05:31.710
Parents from these backgrounds are often a
bit quiet so as a coach you have to go to
0:05:31.710,0:05:35.620
them and say ‘hi’ to them and make them
welcome to the club.
0:05:35.620,0:05:42.480
In the Muslim culture parents don’t like
coaches to touch their children so the
0:05:42.480,0:05:48.630
coaches have to respect that rule. The
clubs can help people from other cultures
0:05:48.630,0:05:53.450
to
play sport by getting to know them as well
0:05:53.450,0:06:00.450
as introducing them to other parents, staff
members and committee so they feel comfortable
0:06:02.630,0:06:03.900
around each other.
My name is Cindy Lay and I play
football for the National Training
0:00:28.320,0:00:31.380
Centre (NTC) Victoria. I’m in Year
8 and go to Essendon and Penleigh
0:00:31.380,0:00:34.710
Grammar School (Melbourne). My
background is Chinese Timorese.
0:00:34.710,0:00:38.010
I was born in East Timor and my
grandparents were from China.
0:00:38.010,0:00:45.010
I’ve been playing (football) since
I was eight (years old) for Altona
0:00:51.710,0:00:58.150
City soccer club for two years in
the under 9’s and under 10’s league.
0:00:58.150,0:01:01.860
I then moved to Sunshine George
Cross and played there for three
0:01:01.860,0:01:06.390
years. Now I’m playing for the National
Training Centre. I started playing
0:01:06.390,0:01:13.390
football with my best friend. She asked
me to join a club. We played at school
0:01:14.829,0:01:20.439
mostly and I enjoyed it so I decided
to join up.
0:01:20.439,0:01:25.750
She (Cindy) was always kicking (soccer)
balls around and became very good at it
0:01:25.750,0:01:31.720
so she decided with her friend to join a
club. It was a bit hard for me (at first)
0:01:31.720,0:01:36.470
to accept that girls play soccer because
with most East Timorese people boys play
0:01:36.470,0:01:39.810
soccer not girls. When I looked at her
(play) I realised that she was very good
0:01:39.810,0:01:46.810
so I had to change my mind and support her.
0:01:50.070,0:01:57.070
I enjoy the technical side of the game –
thinking where to pass the ball and
0:02:00.740,0:02:07.740
controlling the ball. It’s a lot of fun
and keeps me occupied. The opportunities
0:02:08.360,0:02:13.879
and benefits I get from playing football
is that you get respect from other people
0:02:13.879,0:02:20.450
and you can get scholarships from school
so it can help you in the future.
0:02:20.450,0:02:27.450
She (Cindy) got a scholarship to go the
Grammar School. She has a lot of friends
0:02:28.129,0:02:30.650
that really like her there so she enjoys
it as well.
0:02:30.650,0:02:36.950
The scholarship I got for Essendon and
Penleigh Grammar is a full scholarship
0:02:36.950,0:02:41.340
until Year 12 and it’s a soccer scholarship.
0:02:41.340,0:02:48.340
It was pretty difficult for me to play
football because I was the only one
0:02:57.529,0:02:58.669
from East Timor.
0:02:58.669,0:03:02.430
My family background is from Chinese
Timorese and I’ve been living in Australia
0:03:02.430,0:03:07.989
for 12 years. I arrived in Australia as a
refugee. The language is very difficult.
0:03:07.989,0:03:14.510
When you arrive in a new country and you
don’t know how to speak the language is
0:03:14.510,0:03:14.760
the hard part.”
0:03:14.719,0:03:19.549
The cultural challenge was mainly when I
came to Australia there wasn’t many people
0:03:19.549,0:03:25.010
from my nationality playing soccer
especially girls.
0:03:25.010,0:03:30.760
I now understand that it’s alright for
girls to play soccer. My mum still doesn’t
0:03:30.760,0:03:37.760
like girls playing soccer and a couple of
my girlfriends for religious reasons won’t
0:03:38.669,0:03:45.669
allow their girls to go swimming or play
sport. As parents you know more than your
0:03:47.239,0:03:50.680
kids so you have to go to the coach and
explain that because of your religion you
0:03:50.680,0:03:55.290
may not be able to wear certain clothing
like short pants. This is part of the
0:03:55.290,0:04:02.290
culture and not proper to wear.
0:04:07.209,0:04:14.209
I need support from family, friends,
coaches and everyone around me as well
0:04:14.269,0:04:17.900
as I need to believe in myself and keep
focused.
0:04:17.900,0:04:24.199
As a parent you need to put in a lot of
effort and dedication to support your
0:04:24.199,0:04:26.470
child to achieve their goals.
0:04:26.470,0:04:33.360
My parents are involved in taking me to
training sessions and games. They analyse
0:04:33.360,0:04:38.250
the game so they can tell me the mistakes
that I make. Most of the parents come and
0:04:38.250,0:04:44.920
watch but sometimes when the parents can’t
make it a friend’s parents might take them
0:04:44.920,0:04:49.170
to the game. So as well as kids getting
along we have parents getting along as
0:04:49.170,0:04:49.420
well.
0:04:49.170,0:04:56.170
Coaches should understand what the cultures
(of their players) are as well as the
0:05:05.350,0:05:12.350
boundaries of those cultures. The parents
should know what the daughter or son is doing.
0:05:12.890,0:05:17.810
The coaches could be telling them off but
he
0:05:17.810,0:05:19.660
may be saying it in a good way.
0:05:19.660,0:05:24.940
As a coach you have to be very friendly with
the parents. It’s difficult for some parents
0:05:24.940,0:05:28.100
(from different cultural backgrounds) to
introduce themselves and say ‘hi how are
0:05:28.100,0:05:28.890
you?’
to coaches the way it’s done in Australia.
0:05:28.890,0:05:31.710
Parents from these backgrounds are often a
bit quiet so as a coach you have to go to
0:05:31.710,0:05:35.620
them and say ‘hi’ to them and make them
welcome to the club.
0:05:35.620,0:05:42.480
In the Muslim culture parents don’t like
coaches to touch their children so the
0:05:42.480,0:05:48.630
coaches have to respect that rule. The
clubs can help people from other cultures
0:05:48.630,0:05:53.450
to
play sport by getting to know them as well
0:05:53.450,0:06:00.450
as introducing them to other parents, staff
members and committee so they feel comfortable
0:06:02.630,0:06:03.900
around each other.
