Bleazard signed a three-year deal with the Cherries as the club continues its rise up the football pyramid.
They are firmly in the hunt for promotion to WSL2, and Bleazard told the Daily Echo of her pride in taking the role.
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“I think it's been around for the last four to six weeks of trying to sort the contract and obviously give my notice at work, but yeah, a hugely proud moment for me personally,” she said.
“But I think it just shows where the club's looking to go, and it's a great feeling to know I've got the club's backing and support, not only for the rest of this season but for the next few years to come.”
Helen Bleazard. (Image: Richard Crease)
Bleazard had three seasons with the club as a player, before transitioning into her coaching role last summer on initially an interim basis when Steve Cuss stepped down.
Asked if she foresaw the growth of the club in that time, she said: “No, not a chance”
“I mean, when I came in, Bill Foley hadn't brought it under the men's club, so yeah, we were still under the trust.
“I think it was my first season, they then halfway through came in and it was drip-fed, the resources and everything. If they'd done too much overnight, it would have been too much.
“So yeah, the fact that it's come bit by bit and slowly and gradually, everyone started to see it, not only within the club but outside the club, seeing the resources and not only that but the impact of what it's done for the women's team and the community as well.
“To see more and more fans coming to our games at Ringwood and also the Vitality, and I think it's been that gradual progression but a nice one.”
Helen Bleazard (Image: Richard Crease)
Bleazard had a successful career as a player, plying her trade at the highest level of the sport in the WSL and playing in two FA Cup finals.
But she only had the one chance to go full time as a player and never expected that she would get the opportunity as a coach.
“It didn't quite go to plan [as a player] in terms of just the finances and everything that comes around that,” she said.
“So I never really thought it'd be an opportunity as a player, let alone a coach, and the fact it's happened so quickly I think it just shows the growth of the game as well, which is great.
“But to be able to actually do this as a day job and it just be my only day job is something I'm really looking forward to.”
She continued: “I've got two more weeks of my day job until I can fully embed in, but yeah, it's just being able to have that time and it not be so much of a hobby, like this will actually be my day job.
“So being able to be around this building [at the performance centre] more and more, and not only what I can do on a day-to-day, but what I can learn from the people in this building.
“I’m with the academy side so much now, and I can pick so many coaches' advice.
Helen Bleazard. (Image: Richard Crease)
“I speak to the analysts all the time about different things that I can learn from there, and it's just fine-tuning all those details.
“We’ve embedded so much already, but it's about how much more we can do for the last months of the season.”
The coach said she had already developed a lot this season in her first campaign as boss.
“It's been huge,” Bleazard said, on the learning curve so far.
“One of the first things I wanted to do was come in and embed my philosophy, which I knew would work with the girls we have.
“I can't just come in and embed something and it not fit the team. So I knew how I wanted to play would suit the team.
“I think the biggest thing for me is just trying to be as adaptable as possible. I came in thinking we might play one or two formations and we've played three or four already this season, and it's just kind of the needs of the game and what we can learn from that.
AFC Bournemouth Women v Manchester City in FA Cup 4th round match at The Snows Stadium at AFC Totton. (Image: Richard Crease)
“But also I think just always trying to learn. I've said to the girls multiple times I've made mistakes this season, it's how I've learned from it.
“It's also what they can do to learn from theirs as well. But just trying to be as open as possible and I always say be a sponge and try and learn off as many people as you can and try and seek mentors along the way.”
While promotion to the WSL2 would have likely brought a full-time deal, Bleazard said the timing of doing it now was a real statement of intent from the club.
“We've put ourselves in a position that's probably why I'm being offered this early because I think everyone forgets that this is our first season in tier three,” she said.
“And yes, we've had a massive trajectory, but I've always said there is still no pressure on us on promotion this year. It's about learning and growing, and we've put ourselves in that position to do so, which is great.
AFC Bournemouth Women (Image: Richard Crease)
“But at the same time, it's about how we learn along the way and embedding that culture.
“We talk about culture a lot and having the right characters, and if we can improve on that I feel that as much we do off the pitch as we do on the pitch helps us on a match day.”
Reflecting on becoming the first full time women’s boss, Bleazard said: “Football's been my life since I was 4 years old, and to be able to do it as a day job is something I never thought would be a possibility.
“So it's an incredibly new dynamic for me as well, and I'm sure it will take me a while to actually adjust to it.
“But it's business as usual from that point of view, and we're all competitive people, we all want to strive and do as best we can, and there's the outside noise.
“And not only that, the support that we get, but in terms of the day-to-day stuff, nothing will change between now and the end of the season, but it's just something, as a club, we're moving in the right direction and you can just see the backing of what the men's club are providing us, and yeah, we're really, really grateful for it.”
Asked if the aim is to make more history this season, Bleazard was emphatic: “Absolutely, why not?
“Like I said, there's no pressure on us. We go out, we play every game, and we've done that going from tier four into tier three.
“Yes, we know that there is natural pressure, but we just play each game as it comes and hopefully there's more history.”