Moree Secondary College will field two of its strongest tennis players to Gosford later in the year, to compete at the high-stakes regional tennis competition. Tennis coach Lisa Smith pointed out it was a momentous occasion for the school.
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“It’s the first time in 10 years that the school has been represented at this level of competition,” she said.
Students Brooke Muller and Chloe Flegerbein will head down to the regional city as part of the North West region team.
“They will play alongside teammates from Tamworth, Armidale and Gunnedah,” Smith said.
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The tennis duo will compete against other players from different regions throughout NSW in a series of singles and doubles matches. It will mark the pair’s first foray into the week-long, regional competition.
“I’m excited, a little nervous, but more excited,” Muller said.
As the first timers pointed out, the game day at Gosford has been a long time in the making.
The pair played off at the North West trials at Tamworth in August: Muller placed eighth while Flegerbein placed seventh. The close placement has more to do with how well the players gel, more than competitiveness.
“We’re great friends and we always encourage and support each other,” Muller said.
Both 15-years-old, the tennis players were born on the same month of the same year. And they have each been playing the sport for longer than a decade.
“I’ve been playing [tennis] since I was in kindergarten,” Flegerbein said.
“I like that I can hit the ball hard.”
Muller chimed in: “The best part about tennis is meeting new people and other tennis players.”
“That’s good too,” Flegerbein laughed.
In the lead up to the game day, Muller has been hitting the courts twice a week. Flegerbein takes on extra help from tennis coach Margie Buckley and trains five days a week. The two friends say that it’s important to refine more than technique.
“Sportsmanship is a big one,” Flegerbein said.
“We want to have good manners and behave well on the court.”
“We are representing Moree Secondary College so we have to be mindful of that and keep the school’s good reputation,” Muller said.
The pair thanked their parents for driving them to matches as well as their shared coach Smith for her support.
Smith said she was confident in the abilities of the girls as they prepared to head off to the competition.
“Players in Tamworth or Armidale would get a lot more exposure to tennis, because of the facilities. When you come from a small town like Moree, it can be difficult to draw a crowd and find other people to play against. Chloe and Brooke have done really well.”
