Nikala Mills is loving her Kootginal Kougars experience

Fast forward to today, and the 21-year-old Coles employee came out of a work freezer, stepped into the frigid early morning air and spoke passionately about a highly rewarding new element of her life.

It's a relationship that began this year, when Mills decided to reactivate a long-dormant fondness for playing soccer.

"I really enjoyed playing it in high school, and I thought I was OK at it," she said.

This time, however, Mills wanted an even more fulfilling experience, including a social outlet.

So she enquired about joining a club in a post on "Tamworth; who, what, when, where, how".

She got plenty of relies, but it was the Kougars who caught her eye.

"I had a lot of the Kootingal girls comment," she said. "That's why I was like, "I might decide to go there.'"

And once in Kooty land, Mills has not looked back. Playing for the Kootingal Purple women's team was "really good", she said, adding that she "looks forward" to match days.

"They're all, like, really encouraging," she said of her teammates. "It's just fun to play with them."

Mills, who lives with her partner and two dogs, added: "There's no bickering, like, 'You should've done this, you should've done that.'"

It's hardly surprising, then, that Kootingal Purple have five wins from five matches and sit second on the ladder. At Gipps St on Saturday, they play North Companions Black.

Kootingal president Cassie Cutmore is Mills's teammate.

"She's such a resilient and confident young woman who takes everything in her stride," Cutmore said of Mills, who is also "an absolute gem".

Cutmore continued: "She has a strong presence on the field and is very universal, making her a key asset to her team."