TAMWORTH Water Polo Association’s (TWPA) junior stars – as well as a couple of officials – are preparing for massive national and international tours in Australia and New Zealand.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Next week the TWPA sends three girls – Mikayla Gross, Billie Mitchell and Harriett Lyden – to the East Coast Challenge in Melbourne where Gross and Mitchell play for the NSW Under 14 Blues and Lyden plays for the NSW U14 Waratahs.
TWPA president Ross White will be with them as an assistant coach of the NSW Waratahs Under 14 boys’ side.
While they are headed south, another contingent leaves the continent to fly to Auckland for the Pan Pacific Games.
Lachlan Wheeler, Kane Clinch, James Newberry and Jake Mitchell will play for the NSW Under 16 Waratahs while Giaan White and Lucy Hofman are part of the NSW CHS Under 15 side playing in the Under 16 Pan Pacs.
Katie Salter also plays for the NSW Junior Waratah girls’ side in the same international competition with Emily Grellman in the NSW Blues and Georgia Irwin a member of the NSW Under 14 Platypus girls’ side.
Katie’s mum, Gail Salter, will also officiate as a referee in NZ, her first international appointment.
“It’s going to be a bit scary,” Gail Salter said on Wednesday afternoon before a 360 Gym training session.
“We fly out Monday for two weeks with Katie flying back on the 13th (July) and the rest of us on the 14th.”
While the NZ-bound players fly out of Tamworth on Monday, they have a two-day camp in Sydney before crossing the ditch to the land of the long white cloud.
The Melbourne-bound juniors also have a camp to prepare for their competition later next week, White said.
“As president, I am stoked with the representations,” he said.
“It’s a great effort from our small association.”