Cate McAuliffe’s skills with a round ball on either a hard or soft surface are certainly nothing to be laughed at.
The year six John Wollaston Anglican Community School student has played soccer for Armadale Soccer Club for eight seasons and has also excelled at futsal, a similar game played on a hard court, having played for Cambio Cumbre at the Pro Futsal state centre in Bibra Lake for the past three seasons.
Cate’s recent successes on the field and on the court include representing the state in the under-12s school girls soccer squad, as well as representing Australia in futsal in March this year in Barcelona.
Her most recent achievement is having the honour of being named in the Western Australian under-13s futsal squad, which will see her and her teammates take on teams from Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
“I was very happy when I found out I had been selected along with a few of my friends that I play futsal with,” she said.
“I’m hoping to bring home a win and more importantly showcase my talents and the talents of the team to all the coaches there.
“I would love to be scouted for another team or tournament that will help me in the future with soccer.”
Cate said she was first attracted to futsal as it is a sport that requires a lot of skill.
“You need to be quick with futsal but it’s also about teamwork because you need to rely on your teammates to score goals,” she said.
Similarly with soccer, she has learnt to be determinedand confident in the way she plays.
“You need to make sure you are strong on the ball and to never give up,” she said.
Cate will travel to Canberra with her team from January 13 to 17 next year.
