Siena Senatore has been selected as a member of the inaugral Australian Under 13 Girls team.
Siena plays for Woden Valley SC, has been a HPP squad member, Coerver Academy graduate (several times), she toured New Zealand as a 10 year old in an Under 11 Boys team from NSW, was a member of the ACT Under 13 Girls team, has represented ACT Shools at age in Football, is an ACT Futsal representative player, plays Futsal for the Boomerangs FS in the Futsal NSW Super League and is presently at ACTAS. Yes that's a lot of football and futsal - but that's what it takes in anything if you want to be as good as you can be. There are no shortcuts.
The pictures are of Siena in action at the recent Under 13 Girls National Junior Championships (courtesy of Mum), where her consistently sound performances brought her to the notice of the selectors. Siena played the Nationals in the pivotal position(s) of central defender. Siena was initially selected as a member of the Austrlian train on squad which went into camp recently at the AIS. The Australian selectors then ran the microscope over the players and selected the final Australian Under 13 Girls squad to tour overseas to Vietnam later in 2010.
Its hard enough getting selected to play for the ACT, harder again to play well enough to get noticed among the dazzling array of talent on display at the National Junior Championships, then the pressure is really turned on as the Australian train on squad players go into camp and compete for final selection to make the Australian Team. You have to be talented and you have to be willing to persevere.
Job well done Sienna.
The media release from the FFA is as follows and includes the full squad list.
Westfield Australian Under 13 Girls AFC squad namedWednesday, 26 May 2010
Westfield Australian Under 13 Girls National Team Head Coach Nicola Williams has named her squad that will participate in the AFC – Festival of Football in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from 20th June to 3rd July 2010.
The squad was selected from a squad of thirty (30) players that were initially identified at the 2010 FFA National Junior Championships for Girls to attend a training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport.
“What we looked for in the selection camp was how well the players were adapting to playing in and understanding what the FFA curriculum is implementing,” said Head Coach Nicola Williams.
“With players able to spend more time with the ball it gave us the chance to see how they play individually and as part of a team which made it easier to identify a squad that can progress well both within the framework of the curriculum and as footballers.
“There were some standouts in the midfield and attack to choose from and I believe we have selected a group of players that will develop well with the style of play we are looking to employ and be highly competitive at next month’s AFC Festival of Football.
“The girls have been following the Westfield Matildas progress at the (AFC) Asian Cup and I think you’ll see a few future Westfield Matildas come from this group of players.”
The AFC Under 13 – Festival of Football will be held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from the 20h June to 3rd July 2010.
Squad list:
Anja CHERRY
Hayley EVANS
Beatrice GOAD
Brooke GOODRICH
Emily HENDERSON
Nadine KNIGHT
Emily KOS
Lucy MACGREGOR
Stephanie MAIOLO
Ambrosia MALONE
Raecene MCGREGOR
Teagan MICAH
Courtney MILONE
Ayesha NORRIE
Tulia PALOZZI
Jessica PITTS
Rhianna POLLICINA
Matilda-Lee POTTER
Siena SENATORE
Lauren STEIN
Jessica WATERHOUSE
Claire URQUHART-WATSON