Just two months ago Emma Manwaring was representing Riverina at the state touch carnival.
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Clearly a talented young athlete, she will trade the football for one of a more traditional shape next month as she travels to the Football Federation Australia National Youth Championships (NYC) in Coffs Harbour.
Emma has been selected for the NSW Country under 15s girls side, a squad she was shadow for last year.
She will not be the only local talent at the NYC either- Cootamundra’s Alyssa Armstrong will join her in the under 15s and Clementine Flanery will be in the under 13s.
Emma also represented NSW Country at the NYC two years ago in the under 13s squad.
She remembers the competition well, especially the feeling of stepping out onto the pitch in Coffs Harbour.
“The stadium is quite huge, so just walking out is so nerve-wracking,” Emma said.
“I’m used to it now but I know I will get nervous when I walk out in that stadium.”
The nerves clearly didn’t affect the attacking-minded player too much though as she scored the winning goal in one of her team’s games.
“It was a great experience. I didn’t think it was real. It hit me as we went back to the halfway line to kick off again, ‘I just scored, wow’.”
Emma is hoping to recreate that feeling as she aims to score again in this tournament.
Her team have big boots to fill following the success of last year’s under 15s squad, who were declared national champions afters defeating NSW Metro in the Pool A final.
They have had plenty of opportunity to train together this year so far.
The selection process started in January with the first of three training camps, and last month the chosen squad attended a Talented Athletes Program camp in Sydney.
“It was pretty intense, we had to work hard with three training sessions a day and games every second night,” Emma said.
The recovery was a challenge for Emma, who has to strap up both knees as she deals with Osgood-Schlatter syndrome.
“The recovery is painful but I know it’s nothing really compared to some injuries so I think nothing of it.”
Other than the recovery, travel is also a major factor.
Emma has been training in Wagga almost every Friday night since she was nine years old, and is currently in her second season with Canberra FC.
The travel clearly hasn’t deterred her family yet.
Cheering on Emma in Coffs Harbour will be mum and dad Allison and Robert, brother Will and his girlfriend Sarah.