Developing Women's Football in Jordan

Nehad Makhadmeh presented her initial PhD seminar at the University of Canberra yesterday.
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The aims of her research are to:

  1. Explore talent identification and development pathways in women’s sport in general and football in particular.
  2. Contribute to the flourishing of women’s football in Jordan, particularly in the north of the country (establish a club team in Al Ramtha).
  3. Evaluate the potential of an Australian talent identification and development process in two Jordanian communities (Amman and Al Ramtha).
  4. Investigate the relative age effect on selection processes in Jordanian sport.
  5. Establish talent selection criteria for women’s football in Jordan.
  6. Recommend long-term strategies for athlete development in women`s football that can inform other sports in Jordan.

IMG_0718Nehad’s research questions are:

  1. What does the extant literature tell us about talent identification and development pathways in women`s sport in general and football in particular?
  2. What are the opportunities and constraints in establishing a women’s club team in Al Ramtha?
  3. What is the potential of an Australian talent identification and development process for the development of women`s football in two Jordanian communities (Amman and Al Ramtha)?
  4. Is there any evidence of the prevalence of a relative age effect in selection process and on athlete retention in Jordanian sport?
  5. What are the most appropriate talent selection criteria for female football players in Jordan?
  6. What culturally sensitive, long term-strategies for athlete development in women`s football can inform other sports in Jordan?

The University of Canberra has close links with Capital Football and a growing connection with Football United. Nehad will work with these organisations to explore the development of women’s football.
This will be one of the first studies to explore talent development in north Jordan.  Nehad hopes to use Australian insights to enable a sustainable approach to talent development in women’s football in Jordan. She will focus on Al Ramtha and Amman. An aspiration for her research is that her findings offer a model for other sports within Jordan and the region.
I am supervising Nehad’s PhD along with Stuart Cathcart.

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