Youth players at Vasse Soccer Club in Vasse, Western Australia enjoy a weekend game.
Vasse is a small town of 2,500 people located on a natural floodplain in the Busselton region of Western Australia (WA), the traditional home of the Wadandi Bibulmun people. Thanks to its stunning beaches, the seaside area is an ideal holiday destination. It is also the quickest growing suburb in WA and has seen an influx of expats from Europe and South America since COVID-19 has waned. However, like most places nowadays, Vasse is feeling the effects of climate change. Amongst the major issues facing the people of Vasse are water scarcity, flooding due to sea level rise and storms and an exacerbation of colder winters and hotter, drier summers.
Anna Simpson is a drama teacher in Vasse and the secretary of Vasse Soccer Club (VSC). She admits that the effects of climate change in Vasse are concerning, noting that the area relies on desalination plants located in Perth for nearly 40% of its clean water. As a teacher and volunteer at the local soccer club, Anna is deeply committed to the future of young people in the area and is working tirelessly alongside the committee and other club volunteers to ensure the club runs sustainably.
The club serves over 150 players ages four to seventeen, and is expecting to grow past 200 in the coming years. It is run largely by parent volunteers and has a deep connection to the southwest region of WA. Part of this connection is a recognition of the importance of the natural environment, as symbolized by the club’s tiger snake crest (designed by local students) - the tiger snake is a venomous but vital part of the southwestern Australian wetlands ecosystem.
As such, the club management committee has taken the decision to embed environmental sustainability into the ongoing management of the club. It is a decision that has divided opinion at times - largely due to the monumental nature of decarbonizing operations - leading to complaints from a small minority that a soccer club should focus solely on sports. Anna insists the club wants to be more than that and says club families and committee members are trying to “communicate to our players that no matter how small your voice is, you can make change for the better.” She adds that as the VSC’s sustainability plans take root the benefits are being embraced by committee members and community alike.
A youth player at Vasse Soccer Cub controls the ball and shields it from his opponent.
VSC’s inspiration is Forest Green Rovers (FGR), the environmentally conscious English League Two club. While the community club does not have the same budget as FGR, the VSC management committee understands that the principles of sustainability are the same and can be translated successfully to a smaller scale. Vasse Soccer Club’s new objective is “to reduce [its] contribution to climate change and to actively protect and conserve [its] natural environment.” It is doing so by looking at five key areas: minimizing impact, environmental protection, education, sustainable procurement and continual improvement.
Anna insists the club is only at the beginning of its sustainability journey, but says that climate change is something that cannot be ignored. In her words, “pitches are at risk and rising temperatures will have an impact on players.” While ignorance may be bliss for some, Vasse Soccer Club is moving as fast as it can to implement more sustainable practices, educate families, volunteers and players about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and make whatever changes are necessary to protect the future of the club while ensuring players continue to have fun.
The club is not alone in its struggle against climate change. It has enlisted several local biodiversity consultants to examine its effect on the region’s natural environment. Moreover, the club is working alongside the City of Busselton with the hopes of building a new sustainable sports pavilion in Vasse by 2025-26. The building will be state-of-the-art with solar powered lights, the ability to recycle rainwater and will be built with sustainable materials, possibly hempcrete. There will also be an environmental assessment prior to building, to minimize the impact on local ecosystems.
Unfortunately for VSC, building costs have been skyrocketing in southwest Australia since COVID, rising over 40%. The initial funding is no longer enough to cover the building costs and Anna admits the club will need to do fundraising and apply for grants to ensure building can be completed. She also says the club is working with a community development officer and will consult First Nations representatives to build mindfully and respectfully.
A group of young boys and girls from Vasse Soccer Club pose for a picture in their jerseys and club ... [+]
The club is by no means perfect, environmentally speaking, but this year it should find out exactly where its weak points are. For the first time, it will measure its operational carbon footprint, producing an impact report at the end of this season. It will then develop an action plan, sustainability policy and sustainable procurement policy using regional government guidelines. Vasse Soccer Club is also helping build community gardens, sourcing food from local farms, implementing recycling programs and hoping to offer bicycle racks in the near future. Critically, it has secured a deal with Adidas to purchase new jerseys made of “Primegreen” sustainable materials which can be recycled when the club needs to update its jerseys.
Most importantly, despite its size, the club is trying to implement lasting change. Anna says the club understands the learning curve will be important and they won’t get everything right immediately, but with the help of experts and the use of government offered open access tools, VSC hopes to make a noticeable reduction in its contribution to climate change. It will continue to monitor and improve energy efficiency, waste management and water consumption.
The club’s commitment to environmental sustainability and education through soccer is not going unnoticed. At the time of writing, Vasse Soccer Club is receiving a visit from Spirit of Football, custodians of “The Ball,” soccer’s Olympic torch equivalent. While in Vasse, the Spirit of Football team is delivering environmental sustainability related workshops for players and staff of all ages with the hopes of raising the profile of the issue.
Vasse Soccer Club is small and unknown to most, but it has realized the urgent nature of climate change and is punching above its weight in sustainability terms. With time it really could become an Australian Forest Green Rovers.