Lizzie Newberry's work, social and sporting lives intersect in rewarding fashion

As a young women, fresh out of university and armed with a physiotherapy degree, she envisaged working for a couple of years at Tamworth Hospital. "And see where life takes me," she said.

"I thought maybe I'll go overseas," the 35-year-old added, "or I'll do locuming and sort of travel Australia, but sort of found my groove here."

Thirteen years later and Newberry still works at Tamworth Hospital and is now married with two young sons.

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It was following the birth of her first son, four-year-old Finlay, that she decided to reacquaint herself with soccer - which she played in high school at Alstonville. Her family had moved to the North Coast town from Bingara.

It was her colleague, mentor and friend, Claire Doherty, who steered her towards Oxley Vale Attunga.

"She a very avid, keen soccer player," Newberry said. "So she asked every year for 10 years, 'Can you come and play soccer? Can you come and play soccer?'. And I finally said yes."

For the past three seasons, they have played together for OVA in the women's Premier Division. They are playing for OVA White this year.

The side is coached by Doherty's husband, Steve, who is a doctor at Tamworth Hospital.

Steve also coaches the OVA Red women's side. And both the White and Red outfits are littered with staff from the hospital, including Newberry's speech therapist sister, Laura Redgrove.

"So it's a real family affair - lots of us are doctors and medical professionals at the hospital," Newberry said. "But we're a really mixed bag," she added, in reference to the overall makeup of the teams.

Doherty was working at Tamworth Hospital when Newberry arrived there in 2009. They ended up together in outpatients, where they remain to this day.

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"And she's just been a fabulous mentor to me [and] a really fabulous friend - but a mentor not just in the physio world but in life, helping me steer my children.

"Both her and Steve are just such giving people - always happy to help out."

Newberry said her and Doherty were "really passionate about physical activity and keeping girls in sport".

"Much to everyone's disgust, every training [session] and game we do a warm-up and cooldown, so that we're looking at injury prevention ... keeping women and girls strong so that they can keep playing."

Last round, OVA White beat the previously undefeated Kootingal Purple 3-0 and sit third on the ladder, a point behind Tamworth FC and Kootingal.

At Johnson Field on Saturday, OVA White plays fourth-placed North Companions Black.

"If we could field our strongest team every week, I would be confident that we could make it through to the semis and, hopefully, to the grand final," said Newberry, a left back and goalie.

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