Two Glen Innes sportsman, Liam Muckenschnabel and Konnor Ferris, have tried out in the Northern Inland Academy of Sport in Armidale on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Liam was chosen to represent in NIAS’ male football [soccer] squad last year and is hoping for the same outcome this time around.
Glen Innes Highlander striker Liam Muckenshnabel
Liam was the first Glen Innes player to make it through in 2015.
“This is my second time doing them,” Liam said.
“They’re mostly about scouting kids to go train with NIAS.
“You pretty much train to see if you can make it to Sydney and then after we do a couple of training sessions and play some matches around Tamworth and Gunnedah we normally go up to Sydney.”
You pretty much train to see if you can make it to Sydney.
- Liam Muckenschnabel
Last year Liam was lucky enough to play at Newington College against others soccer stars in a similar age group.
“We play Newington College in Sydney,” he said.
“We’ll probably verse their 16 and 17 squad.”
The Glen Innes striker is not new to the sport, having started playing when he was only 5-years-old.
“I started when I was five and then I played for a couple of years,” he said.
“I stopped and played football for about two years and then I went back to soccer and I’ve been playing again for about two years I think.”
“Konner plays on the same team as me in the [Glen Innes] Highlanders.
“He plays right back or right wing and is normally defense.”
The program, which was established in November 1992, is designed to deliver a range of key strategies to participants including advice on public speaking and media presentation workshops and sports medicine and nutrition.
Support throughout the program helps the athletes overcome major disadvantages compared to their city counterparts by ensuring they have access to quality coaching, high quality competition and exposure to state sporting bodies.
The academy also currently coordinates nine programs including golf, hockey, junior bull riding, mountain biking, netball, tennis, touch football and water polo and the Individual Scholarship Lone Star program and a Regional Athlete and Coach Education.
The program is designed to identify and support around 160 athletes and 25 coaches playing sport within the North West and New England region.
The two Glen Innes boys now play the waiting game before finding out whether they made the squad, hopefully before the end of the year.
