Emily Condon had to overcome many difficulties to have a professional career. Entering her 11th season at Adelaide United, the former Matilda is looking to give young female footballers the advantage she never had through her business EC Advantage.
Emily Condon in action against Western United during her 10th A-League Women's season for Adelaide United. (Image: Ben Blaess/BDb.media)
Born and raised just over 200 kilometres north of Adelaide, in the small city of Port Pirie, Emily Condon always faced an uphill battle in her bid to become a professional footballer. Playing in predominantly male teams growing up due to the absence of female sides, Condon also had to contend with lengthy travel.
While all footballers have to deal with the game's physical and mental factors, a young Condon also faced the predicament of completing a five-hour round trip, not including training time, after being selected to be part of Football South Australia's development program.
"I share my story in my book, Don't Kick It to the Girl, which just shares some of the setbacks that footballers face," Condon told Front Page Football.
"Obviously, we all face setbacks at some point, whether it is sickness, injury, or illness. For me, it was travel as well as all those others, and it was just the passion for the game that kept me going.
"Travel is not easy, especially for me, but for my parents as well, who were the ones doing all the driving when I was younger, five-hour round trips three to four times a week. It's not easy, but these are just hurdles you need to overcome. I had to change my perspective on that, and that is how I've been able to overcome the travel and other setbacks I have faced throughout my career."
Reflecting on her career, Condon saw a gap in the market for female-specific, one-on-one training to improve young footballers from an early age. As a result, Condon launched her business, EC Advantage.
Using her platform as an accomplished professional footballer, she works with small groups or one-on-one, in person or online, with young female footballers to improve their technical skills, strength, conditioning, and mindset.
For Condon, this is not just a business venture but something she wishes she had available to her when she was growing up. Now, her goal is to provide that advantage to the next generation.
"I wish I had something like this when I was growing up, and that was the reason why I decided to create something like this: to provide players with that extra edge, that advantage," she said.
"As the business name says and what I like to promote, it gives players that extra edge whether it is on the field, off the field, physically, or mentally."
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While football programs for girls are ever-improving, Condon's aim is to influence players at a young age and set good habits that will hold them in good stead moving forward.
"It is important to start when you're young because getting into it at that stage helps set you up in the long run. Then, when you get to that higher level, you are confident, you are good with the ball at your feet, and you are physically ready.
"You don't just wait until you are 18 to work on your strength or to start to hone in on your skills, it is something that you do when you are younger so that when you're older, there are more opportunities and you have a greater potential to take your game further and even play professionally."
As the women's game grows on the professional stage, some areas lag behind, and Condon believes that a female-centric focus is often lacking.
"Credit to the women's game because it's growing and getting better and getting more and better coaches, but we're still lacking on the side of female-specific training," she shared.
"Obviously, we are different to men; we are footballers at the end of the day, and we are the same in that sense, but having that female touch and me being a professional player allows me to make that connection to younger players where they see a female player achieve what they aim for. It can help them with their development.
"We are still lacking in that sense, but I am trying to do my part to bridge the gap."
A love for the game has seen Condon through a lot, be it discrimination and gruelling hours of travel as a junior, or illness and injury in her professional career. She wants to ensure that love for the game can inspire the next generation to aim and achieve higher.
"The idea is to create something that is better for the next generation and hold the game to a higher standard. I want to make sure that there are quality players coming through, and my aim is to provide this support to as many young female footballers as I can."
While off the field, she is busier than ever. Emily Condon begins her 11th campaign with Adelaide United away to Melbourne Victory next Saturday, November 2nd, as Adrian Stenta's side looks to rebound after a disappointing 2023/24 A-League Women season.
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