Membership

Interested in joining The Flying Bats? Wondering what it involves? Read on or join us for a training session!

We are the largest lesbian soccer club in the world! If that in itself isn’t reason enough to join, in 2010 we proudly celebrated our 25th year playing football (then known as soccer of course)!

Never played before? We are keen for all women to join our club, regardless of age, sexual preference, skill level, fitness or soccer experience.

Check out the FAQs below for information on our teams, where we train, and the season ahead! If you have additional questions about the team, email us at info@theflyingbat.com. Or look at our registration and club rules pages for more information.

FAQs


Which association do you belong to?

The Flying Bats Womens’ Football Club plays in the North West Sydney Womens’ Football Association (NWSWF) competition. We were a lead member of the initial group of women who set up this league 25 years ago, and have competed in every season since.                                                                                                                    

Where do you train?

We train at Tempe Reserve on Holbeach Avenue!                                                                                   

When does training start?

Training starts in early February each year. It continues every Wednesday until the season finishes, weather permitting. It starts at 6.30pm during daylight saving hours then commences at 7pm when daylight saving ends.

When does the season start and finish?

The first game of the season will be on Sunday 3 April 2011. Games will then be played every Sunday (unless your team has a bye) until mid-late July. Games are usually scheduled from 11am to 3pm but make yourself available all day.

If your team finishes in the bottom half of the table, you go through to the Pennant playoffs of 3 further games. The best placed team from the 3 games wins the pennant.

If your team finishes in the top half of the table, you go through to the Championship playoffs of 3 further games, possibly followed by a Grand Final mid-late August!                                                                                                                                              

Where are the games played during the season?

As part of the North West Sydney Women’s Football Association, the games during the winter season are held around Putney, Gladesville, and North Ryde areas. They are all on bus or train routes from the city centre, or team members often car pool to get there. Click here for more info on directions.

How much does it cost?

The player registration fee for the 2011 season will be $245 for full membership, with no student membership options. Our registration page has more information.

What is the registration fee for?

The registration fee covers FFA membership fee, association registration fees, insurance fees, referee fees, pitch hire and floodlights, equipment, and Bats membership fee. We are a non-profit club and will hold several fundraisers through the year to cover other ad hoc costs.    

Do I need to buy soccer boots?

In order to play you must provide your own football boots, shin pads, and plain black shorts. We will provide the playing shirts, and socks will be included with your rego fee.

You do not need boots for the first few training sessions, however shin pads are highly recommended.    

What if I can’t play every game?

We do ask for a certain level of commitment from our players as it can be quite demoralising for the rest of your team to play with only 9 players every week.

Therefore if you know you are going to miss more than a couple of games this season, we recommend you register as a part-time player. There is no reduction in fees, but this helps the grading committee allocate players to teams.

When is grading?

At the start of March, all players will be graded and placed in the most appropriate team for their ability, where possible. However, we also need to consider other factors such as balancing team numbers and player commitment. Look here for more information on grading.

How many teams in the Flying Bats?

We are actually the biggest lesbian football club in the world. In 2010, we registered 5 teams in the NWSWF league in Div 2, Div 4, Div 8, Div 10 and the Over 35s.

In 2011, we hope to expand to 6 teams, with similar competitive levels.

What level of football and fitness do you need?

We have players of all skill levels, fitness levels and ages. You do need to be over 18 years old to join the Flying Bats, but we have no upper age limit. We had absolute beginners playing for Div 10 last year.

We also have very fit, very skilled players. We will be entering a team in Div 2 for 2011.

And we encourage fans to get involved as well. There are often very dedicated partners, family and friends vocally supporting us in all sorts of weather!

What is the club like?

We love our football and we are also a very social club. Teams meet up in the Golden Barley every Sunday during the season to catch up with each other and there are many social events organized through-out the year, both at club and team level. Check out our calendar and events pages for more information!