Dotti Tsokas joined Darebin United three years ago, not by actively seeking a coaching role, but by becoming part of the club as family.
When the opportunity arose to become the MiniRoos Coordinator, she accepted it. From there, her responsibilities grew—she became the Female Technical Director and now also oversees the senior men’s teams. This year, she added the Senior Coordinator role to her duties, after spending two years focused on female and MiniRoos programs.
Tsokas began playing football later than most—starting at 13 as a goalkeeper, but her playing career was cut short at 16 due to family reasons, even though she had been picked up by South Melbourne.
Years later, with a family of her own and a daughter who loves the game, Tsokas found the perfect chance to return to football, this time as a coach.
“Football is my passion, so for me it felt right to look after MiniRoos,” Tsokas explained.
She strongly believes that “you need to get it right at grassroots,” highlighting how important it is to build a strong foundation early for kids to succeed both on and off the pitch.
“I am very big on the little ones,” she said, recalling her early days as a MiniRoos Kick-Off coach, where she loved teaching the basics and making a positive impact on children’s lives.
Tsokas has found over time her passion for women’s football and progression outweighs any other in the sport.
“I like to see women grow, I find them very inspiring,” she said.
Currently, Darebin United has three female teams and some mixed MiniRoos teams, but Tsokas’ vision is clear: “Ideally I would want to get them to 50/50 as well but it is a process.”
The club fields teams for U10, 14 and 15 girls, and Tsokas hopes to expand this further over time.
At Darebin United, Dotti Tsokas is building more than footballers, she’s creating a space where women can thrive.
"Every player feels valued, challenged, and inspired to reach her full potential on and off the pitch," said.
Tsokas understands that coaching girls requires a different approach, recognising their unique mental resilience and discipline.
“Girls are not like boys, they need to be trained differently, and a lot of coaches out there don’t understand those sides of things.”
Her coaching philosophy extends beyond skills development.
“I am all about fostering teamwork, respect, and confidence.” As both coach and technical director, Tsokas maintains open communication and is always learning,” she explained.
“Every female athlete is unique and brings her own strengths to a team.”
Her goal is not only to develop skilled footballers but to nurture “strong confident women who can then lead with integrity and passion.”
Tsokas also highlighted the progress made in female representation in leadership roles at Darebin United as the club moved towards 50/50.
“Before me it was the lack of representation in leadership roles at the club. And now if you look at our Insta we have more females in leadership roles which is great,” she said.
The club’s journey toward gender equality is ongoing, but Dotti remains optimistic.
“We are doing great in getting to 50/50. At the start of course there were going to be challenges but now we are a 2 Star club so I think everyone has welcomed it fine.”