WaiBOP Football would like to welcome Seamus Casey to our Football Development team. Seamus is based in Rotorua and will support the Rotorua, Taupo and Eastern Bay of Plenty areas, as well as focusing on goalkeeper development across the region.

Working with goalkeepers is a particular passion for Seamus as he is one himself. He played for East Coast Bays in NRFL from ages 17 to 19 while also attending NZ U17 and U20 camps as well as being part of Waitakere United in the National Youth League. He then pursued other career paths off shore before returning to East Coast Bays in 2018.

"Coaching wise, I am currently going through the advanced senior pathway holding the GK Level One Award, and am completing the Football Federation Australia/Asian Football Confederation Level 2 Goalkeeping Award," explained Seamus. "The equivalent is yet to be offered in New Zealand.

"Last year, under the guidance of James Bannatyne [ex-All White and FIFA Goalkeeper Instructor], I worked with the likes of Anna Leat (FIFA U17 bronze medalist), Nadia Olla, who had her first ever Ferns cap, and Victoria Esson, who is now playing professionally in Norway, at the Football Ferns Development Programme."

Seamus also assisted in the NZ U20 and U17 women’s camps and carried out some academy work at East Coast Bays.

WaiBOP is grateful for the support of Sport Bay of Plenty, which has made Seamus' role a reality via KiwiSport funding. "With WaiBOP I aim to give more goalkeepers opportunities to be involved in organised sport and, ultimately, improve the quality of those goalkeeping experiences.

"With Sport BOP, I'll be working closely with the CoachForce team looking to engage and develop coaches and players across the BOP region in partnership with their programmes and scholarships. We'll also look at getting into schools and drive the game from both a goalkeeping perspective as well as promoting football in general."

Seamus hopes to achieve a working partnership with clubs in the WaiBOP region to develop goalkeepers, both male and female, in football and futsal. "We'll do this by offering specific training for them as well as coaches, while also building a pathway for them to push for Federation selection and advance to senior football."

Photo: Phototek via Northern Football Federation.