NORTH Star’s Charlotte Raleigh’s dream of making the under 17 NSW netball team is one step closer with the talented up and coming netballer making into the final pre-selection phase in Sydney.
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The grueling process started in the recent September school holidays with the young NEGS boarder and two other local players travelling to Sydney to compete in the first phase of the under 17 NSW netball trials.
Along with 165 players from around the state the girls were placed into teams and required to play a total of 15 games.
Raleigh trialled at the defensive end of the court playing both goal defence and goal keeper.
At the end of these games the selections were announced.
From the 165 competitors they chose 60 to continue onto phase two.
The Year 9 student is one of the only players who does not reside in a metropolitan area and also one of the youngest at just 15-years-old.
The selection process also involved attending a talented athletes’ program weekend in Sydney coinciding with the school holidays.
Two NSW Swifts mentors were on board to offer advice and hone skill development and game play.
Later Raleigh traveled to Sydney again to attend the pre-selection phase to make the under 17 team or alternatively the development squad.
The trials to select the final squad will be held in January but prior to this all remaining players are required to complete a fitness program set by Netball NSW which aims to test players’ fitness and commitment to the sport.
Raleigh said it had been a fantastic experience.
“I was shocked to get through as the first trials were a massive hurdle. It was like nothing I had ever done before. To be thrown into this crazy netball environment was a big shock. There were 165 girls competing to get through to state and it was competitive but I mainly focussed on trying to compete against myself,” she said.