Football Victoria would like send a warm congratulations to Sharna Naidu, who has been selected as one of only 47 female coaches worldwide to receive a FIFA Coach Education Scholarship.
The scholarship is one of FIFA’s eight women’s development programs. It is designed to offer talented female coaches and/or players financial support to further their coaching education, along with career development mentoring, and networking opportunities.
Naidu, Technical Coordinator & Analyst for FV's Talented Player Development (TPD) Programs was humbled to be selected for the program, stating it will provide an unrivalled opportunity to learn from the world's best coaching minds.
"I feel very honoured to be a recipient of the FIFA Coach Education Scholarship and I am really excited to see where this takes me," she said.
"Along with the financial support provided, the career development mentoring and opportunities to network with other coaches around the world is invaluable. I’m looking forward to this new experience and hope that I can implement the learnings that I take from this program throughout my career."
Currently serving as Video Analyst & assisting the Under-20 Victorian State Squad, Naidu was selected as a result of her extensive experience and burgeoning reputation within the football community.
A lifelong football lover, Naidu played competitively during her youth before uncovering her passion for coaching, a passion she decided to pursue as a long-term career.
"The more that I played the sport, the more I found that I wanted to work in the sport, not just play. I want this to be my career, I want to pursue it to the highest level. I'm going to go for it, that level of determination may not have been there on the field but it has always been there off it," she said.
Kicking off her career as a Sports Science Intern with Melbourne Victory's A-League Women's team in 2014 under FV, Naidu formally joined FV's talented pathways program in 2015. Despite her initial passion for sports science, coaching caught her attention and she gradually transitioned to analysis and coaching, leading to her appointment as a full-time Technical Coordinator in 2018.
Among her career highlights to date, she has contributed to the FV SAP Program, National Training Centre, FV Emerging team, TIDC, attended National Youth Tournaments for both boys and girls over seven years, and attended countless State Talent Identification Camps.
At a national level, Naidu is currently serving as an Assistant Analyst with the Matildas after impressing with the Junior Matildas from 2018 to 2019.
Always seeking further education, Naidu has continuously worked to upskill herself and improve her knowledge of the game. She completed her C-License in 2019 and is currently working on attaining a FIFA B-Class Coaching License.
On behalf of the FV Team and the entire Victorian football community, congratulations Sharna on this incredible achievement.
If you're interested in learning about becoming coaching football, head to www.playfootball.com.au to find your football fit.