TAHLIYA Sambrook is enjoying a stellar year of football and will be flying to Melbourne next month to represent Northern NSW in the National Talent Challenge (NTC).

Adding to her achievements, she was also named Female Player of the Year for 2023 during Female Football Week.

Sambrook shared her insights into the selection process for the NTC where she competed against A-League academy players.

“The first trial took place in Bathurst, followed by the second trial in Newcastle.

“NNSW Football then selected sixteen girls out of approximately 45, and most of them were part of the Jets Academy.

“The training schedule includes mid-week training in Newcastle and a two-day camp before the NTC Tournament.”

Although Tahliya felt she performed well during the trials, she had to endure a two-week wait.

“After the trials, we were informed that we would receive notifications last Friday.

“I was nervous the entire day as I hadn’t heard anything, 5pm came and went, and I still hadn’t heard.

“Finally, I received the email, my parents called me into the lounge room and broke the news to me.

“I was incredibly excited, happy, and relieved that I made it.

“I was absolutely over the moon.”

Tahliya is now gearing up to showcase her skills on the national stage in Melbourne, with the tournament set to commence on July 10.

“Over the next few weeks, we have training camps in Newcastle until we fly out to Melbourne in the second week of the school holidays,” she explained.

“The NTC is the Under 18s national tournament, where we compete against teams from all over Australia, with the hope of being selected for an A-League team or the Junior Matildas.

“I am currently following a strict fitness and training schedule to ensure I am at my peak for this tournament.

“It requires a lot of hard work, training, and sacrifices to perform my best in four weeks.”

While Tahliya dreams of a future in football, the Year 12 student is keeping her feet on the ground and ensuring her schoolwork gets done.

“At times, balancing football and schoolwork can be difficult.

“Training takes up a lot of my spare time, so it’s important for me to stay focused and effectively manage football and studies.

“I have created a plan to help me stay focused allowing me to put my best foot forward in both aspects.”

Tahliya embarked on her football journey with the Northern Storm and represented North Coast Football in the Premier Youth League Boys before joining the NCF Women’s Division One competition with Coffs United.

She has been excelling both at school and in the Combined High School’s competition, representing the region.

“This year, we have a very strong team at Coffs United, and I believe we have the potential to go far,” Tahliya said.

“In addition to club training, I am also training with the Under-16s boys’ Talented Support Program (TSP) squad to maintain a high level of football.

“This involves travelling to Port Macquarie to compete against the best in the Mid Coast region.

“Recently, I returned from Sydney after participating in the NSW Combined High School Championships and was honoured as the Most Valuable Player for the North Coast team,” concluded Tahliya.

By David WIGLEY