An early start to coaching and playing has earned Sam Muirhead (21) national honours with the New Zealand under-17 and under-20 teams, and 17-year-old Chelsea Whittaker's 11 years of competitive play have elevated her to the New Zealand schools squad, as well as national under-20 trials.
FootballSouth chief executive Bill Chisholm sees the progress of the pair as the tip of an iceberg of talent that is being nourished in the South by extensive coaching schemes, and which gives the opportunity to compete at the highest club level.
Fulltime staff coach David Martin-Chambers' new role as coach of the FootballSouth women's team is another positive factor.
The FootballSouth side is preparing to face Waikato-Bay of Plenty in a national league match at the Caledonian Ground tomorrow.
Unfortunately, Whittaker pulled up injured at Thursday training, and is unlikely to pay.
Muirhead showed her class last week, against the New Zealand under-17 team. She scored an equalising goal with a superbly-struck 35m floater, and was on the spot to score the late winner that gave FootballSouth its first win in six years.
If the members of the 2007 FootballSouth side had known their 1-0 win over Mainland, courtesy of Jaime Hackett's penalty, would be their last win in 2184 days, they'd have probably taken a minute to look around and savour the feeling at the final whistle.
You can bet inspirational team captain Annie Gilchrist and her mates did exactly that last Sunday.
''On the flight home, the air hostess mentioned that the girls had won their first match since 2007 and the people on the plane stood and cheered for us. It was nice for the girls,'' Martin-Chambers said.
Martin-Chambers believed six years of disappointment took a heavy toll, adding a steep mental hurdle his players had to clear even before the technical and tactical battles could begin.
''One of the problems we've had is the girls have travelled away, already thinking they are defeated, because we're travelling away to play Auckland or to face the under-17s,'' he said.
The coach will be hoping his team can repeat the effort tomorrow, this time on its home ground.
Waikato-Bay of Plenty has earned only one competition point, from a 2-2 draw with Central. It had losses to Auckland (1-0) and Capital (7-2).
Former University of Otago player Simon Mead now coaches Waikato-Bay of Plenty and will have tried to tighten up play since it leaked five goals in the first 16 minutes against Capital.
Women's league: Caledonian, tomorrow, noon
FootballSouth: Lara Malcolm, Coral Seath, Kelsey Kennard, Jo Rombouts, Holly Smaill, Kushla Glover, Elise Mamanu-Gray, Shontelle Smith, Alex McIntosh, Una Madden, Sam Muirhead, Chelsea Whittaker, Madison Clarke, Annie Gilchrist, Kate Guilford, Jordyn Walker, Maryann Cant, Norinda Kaur, Samantha Williams, Tessa Nicol, Tabitha Seaton, Jemma Gilbert, Holly White, Jade Middleditch.
Waikato-Bay of Plenty: Em Hanrahan, Amanda Wilshier, Megan Anderson, Kylie Jens, Kate Carlton, Eilesh Hayes, Alex Shadbolt, Emma Cawte, Emma Baker, Susi Peterson, Chelsea Elliott, Jackie Pretswell, Roberta Wigelsworth, Alice Bennett, Shania Heath, Katherine Robinson, Libby Williams, Helen Collins, Tessa Leong, Ella Golding, Rhiannon Jones, Kerri Gerrits.
