Winning culture all the way

By Gavin Staindl
THE under-16 Dandenong White Star girls soccer team won through to the State Championships last week, but it was how they got there that has parents and followers inspired.
With eight nationalities featuring in the 12-player team, White Star is as multicultural as the town it represents.
Their approach to multiculturalism is a welcomed change to the ethnic-driven senior clubs that dominate local soccer at both the men’s and junior levels.
Despite at times having no substitutions or even taking the field with 10 players, the teenage girls of Dandenong proved success can be achieved when cultures unite around a common bond.
As the coach of the junior team, Elvira Pinta explained: “We are all from different walks of life but we all think about soccer”.
“It symbolises the Dandenong culture,” she said.
“What is it (discrimination)?
“We come to the soccer pitch to play, that’s why we are here.
“I may not like a hair cut of someone, or the brother of another but when we arrive at the pitch we are a unit and I tell the girls if we do not perform as a unit then it will not work.”
After forming as a team two years ago, White Star went undefeated last year and fell one game short of back-to-back championships last weekend at Darebin.
But after the team lost only one game in the regular season and scored more than 100 goals for the second consecutive year, team manager Tony Cosentino said the results were a testament to cultural harmony.
“It shows when girls from different cultures can come together and work together what can be achieved together,” Cosentino said.
“We don’t have to be divided, cultures can come together and achieve something and, hopefully, that’s what we are teaching the girls.”
Dandenong is asking girls interested in playing next season to contact White Star.