Three elite young athletes have recently suffered setbacks, but are continuing to set their sights high.
Swimmer Samantha Hollands, rugby league player Toby Key and hockey player Holt Cubis have taken their setbacks in their stride, and are now looking forward.
Hollands competed in the open national short course titles, which were held in Brisbane from July 14-18.
The 16-year-old Pallamallawa girl was eliminated in her heat, after finishing a second outside her personal best.
While she didn’t expect to progress further in what was her first open meet, she was disappointed not to have swum a faster time.
Hollands will soon be returning to Brisbane, for the Queensland Short Course Championships on August 28-29. Unlike the national titles, which contained Olympians, this meet has age divisions, so she is expected to be more competitive.
Looking even further ahead, Hollands is aiming to qualify for the 2012 Olympic trials.
Key has also just come back from Queensland.
The 17-year-old Moree boy was part of the NSW Combined High Schools side that played in the national championships in Coolangatta from July 11-15.
Although he thought he went “real good”, he failed to win Australian selection.
His team beat Queensland Schools, NSW Combined Catholic Colleges and ACT, before again beating QS, 29-12, in the grand final.
Key said that it was a “once in a lifetime opportunity” to take part in - and win - a match that had a State of Origin atmosphere.
“I think I was pretty unlucky,” he said of his failure to win national honours, adding that he felt his game was at a similar level to the forwards who were chosen ahead of him.
Nevertheless, he was satisfied with his efforts.
“I’m happy with how far I got - playing for my state is good enough.”
Cubis was in Newcastle from July 7-9, where he and the rest of NSW’s under-15 squad took part in trials, in preparation for October’s national championships.
However, when the 30-person squad was trimmed to 20 - 17 first choice players and three shadows - he failed to make the cut.
The boys played four short matches per day and did a lot of skill work.
The 15-year-old Moree Secondary College thought that he went “alright”, but “probably didn’t stand out as much as I could have”.
He said that nerves held him back, when he should have been more assertive in his play.
He also said that although he was fit, being even fitter would have helped his cause.
Like Key, he felt of a similar standard to some of those chosen ahead of him, but “was pretty happy just to make the [initial] squad”.
Despite being somewhat disappointed, Cubis is already looking ahead, and hopes to make the under-16 state team in 2011.
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