Byford resident Evie Marchetti ditched dancing for soccer and last week was commended as one of the state’s best players following a successful Pacific school games in Adelaide.
The 18-year-old competed in the school sports WA team, which came third, and was selected for the national team.
“The team finished with a bronze medal so I was really happy with that and I ended up being picked for the Australia team so that was something extra, a bit special,” she said.
“We had been training about three or four months before that but we’d only ever been playing scratch matches against the guys so it was kind of the first time we had ever played together against other girls in our age and ability range.”
Ms Marchetti said the final outcome was a good reward after a tough week, which saw them play seven games in six days.
“By the end of it everyone was so sore and grumpy and we’re all catching up on sleep now because it was just game after game,” she said.
“It was pretty tough but you wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She took up soccer at a club in Armadale about eight or nine years ago after attending her younger brother’s training session.
“I used to be a dancer like a lot of girls and I went to this training session one day and told my mum that was it, I wanted to do this,” she said.
“I had done all kinds of dancing and gymnastics, which is good for developing a strong core and body and shapes your body and muscles from when you’re young so I reckon that did help my soccer later on.”
She kept playing soccer after falling in love with everything about the game.
“It sounds so cliché but it’s that feeling you get when you’re out there and there’s nothing else you worry about except what’s on the pitch, who’s on the pitch and what you’re there for,” she said.
“It’s something I always think about and something I always want to be doing.”
Ms Marchetti also plays for the Melville premier women’s team, which was heading into its preseason.
The school sports Australia Pacific school games were held from November 20 to 29.
School sport WA sent about 400 students and officials to the games to compete in nine different sports.
The 2016 games would be hosted in Rockingham.
