“Petrichor is becoming known among the leaders in grassroots football DEVELOPMENT and innovative models of change especially for women’s football.”
-Paul Dreisbach at the World Football Summit
Petrichor was honored to be a part of the panel on ‘Women’s Football Development in Africa’ at the World Football Summit in Durban, South Africa. The event was packed full of connecting with old colleagues, meeting new friends and networking with industry leaders.
Left to right: Tlhopie Motsepe (Mamelodi Sundowns), Lola Ogunbote (Burnley FC/Goals for Girls), Romaney Pinnock (Badgers FC), Paul Dreisbach (Petrichor), Dr. Mariam Mell’osiime Mpaata (Moderator/Author)
What did they talk about? Glad you asked.
The investment into the women’s game is long past due and the popularity is on the rise VERY FAST. The work being done at the top of the game in first teams around the world for women is amazing to see and the resulting football is fantastic.
One problem is that the investment stays mostly at the top. Petrichor and a few other leaders in this space are building the structure and systems to eventually support the top leagues. It is a difficult and complex space but it is there that we need to commit to collaboration, teamwork and dedication.
Sponsors and partners that care about the women’s game need to process what the future holds and how the rapid expansion of the top clubs need to be supported by systems that we are building.
When we can sit at the same table (or panel) and focus on this together is where we level up. Building sustainable programs and pathways for players around Africa can only come with substantial investment into the future of the game in a transparent and responsible way.
In the early stages of Petrichor we had to learn fast and surround ourselves with people that would make us better.
Chris Bullock is one of those people. He helped us navigate the more technical aspects of growth, strategy and approach. We were finally able to meet in person at the Summit in Durban and it was a special moment to be able to say thanks in person.
We have been lucky to help others that are a few steps behind us and give back a bit by sharing the lessons we have learned. Feel free to reach out with question about this work and space!
After years of working together remotely, our founder was finally able to meet our incredible Communications and PR Coordinator Nozibusiso Sibiya who is based in Johannesburg. She has done a fantastic job spreading the word of Petrichor to places like ESPN - (ever heard of it? :)
Tourist time.
Petrichor has ambitious plans to be the leader in world of grassroots development and youth sports. We will be sending staff to speak at a few sports events in 2023, stay tuned!