At GWS, babies come on the team bus to interstate games
Greater Western Sydney has reshaped travel and work so players and staff can bring babies on trips.
When GWS travels interstate, airport lounges become playgrounds as babies tag along. The club's travelling kids' club includes forward Alicia Eva with 18-month-old Patrick, physiotherapist Gemma Vale with two-year-old Murphy, and media lead Tilly Werner with eight-month-old Joni.
Coach Cam Bernasconi's son Leon, born in May, is set to join future trips. Vale wondered if motherhood meant leaving elite sport before the club offered simple words: "Whatever you need, we'll make it work."
Players act as built-in babysitters. The children even join some several post-match sessions.
For Eva, having Patrick there after tough losses reminds her that family matters more than the scoreboard.
- Alicia Eva, Patrick age 18 months
- Forward with youngest child
- Gemma Vale, Murphy age 2 years
- Physiotherapist's child
- Tilly Werner, Joni age 8 months
- Media lead's child
Why it mattersShows how rigid elite-sport structures can bend to fit modern families without sacrificing high performance.
AustraliaAustralian footy clubs watching GWS may adopt similar flexibility, signalling a shift in how elite sport accommodates working parents.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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