By Corey Everitt
Women are continuing to apply themselves to local sport, as the local baseball club is the latest club to grant a uniform change for their women’s team.
Recently the committee for Pakenham Pumas Baseball Club allowed the women’s team to change their uniform from the established white pants to black pants.
The small change is a big solution for women players across all sports, where wearing white pants can be an uncomfortable way to play, particularly when a player has their period.
Pakenham players Jessica Moulding and Johanna Blackler were the driving force who forced the issue to get addressed.
“The big drive for the changes was the fact that I and a few of the other girls when we started didn’t like the fact that we wore white pants because when it came to having our periods it was a big problem,” Johanna said.
“Obviously uniforms are put in place for a reason, so to try and get that change was a big step.
“We’ve fought a few obstacles along the way of trying to get the change.”
This change is happening from local sport to elite international sport.
It was in this year’s Women’s World Cup that the English women’s team ditched the iconic all-white uniform for darker-coloured shorts to address anxiety around periods.
For the Pumas, uniform changes are a big process that has to pass through the club committee to even higher institutions.
Johanna, who is the club’s women’s coordinator and on the club committee, was aware of the process but was emboldened to press the issue after liaising with other women’s sport leaders in Cardinia Shire Council’s Women and Girls Sport and Participation Network.
“I really started to drive it when I did a women’s in sport workshop with Cardinia Council and speaking with several different clubs, so football, even the bowls club, a lot of those clubs had changed uniforms for their women for the same exact reason.
“So after I had finished doing that program I really pushed for it and the same with Jess she was alongside me pushing for that as well.
“And we have finally had it pass through the committee and approved with Baseball Victoria.”
As the winter season wraps up and the summer season on the horizon, Pakenham Puma’s two women’s teams will be sporting black plants.
“The women’s team love it, everybody is happy with it, men don’t particularly care, it doesn’t really affect them, they’re not really fussed,” Johanna said with a laugh.
“It might be a minor change for the club or a minor change for Baseball Victoria, but for our women’s program it’s a massive change, something that the girls have welcomed with open arms.”
With a focus on leading women to be more confident in the formerly male-dominated arena of local sport, Johanna and Jessica have seen the consistent growth of the women’s side.
Starting in 2019, the women’s side began with a team that only just made it to the nine players required to take the field.
Now they have two full women’s teams at the club all-year-round.
“Especially in the winter season, we have consistently had the two teams,” Jessica said.
“I think Bonbeach had two teams once, but we’re the only club that has the two in our area.”
Out of such a change, club president Gregg Clutterbuck is pleased the women’s team is making their mark on the club.
“The majority of people we have talked to about it have been, ‘yeah we’re on board’, especially once people see what you are trying to do as well,” he said.
“From the club point of view it’s been a fantastic addition, at the start there was always the, ‘oh not sure how this is gonna go’, but that’s long, long gone.
“It’s been fantastic to have the ladies join in, with the contributions across the club, the engagement, getting involved in committees, coaching and training with the kids.
“The passion they have brought to the sport has been fantastic to see.”
Gregg says it gives all the more reason for other women to come down and try it out.
“It’s also an encouragement to any women looking to come down and get involved in sport,” he said.
“It’s great to see that it’s something that’s been encouraging from the environment the girls are creating, the teams they have got have been welcoming to get people to come down.”
