Congratulations to Isabella, Will, and Archie, who have been selected for the Canberra Goulburn touch football sides! With only 12 students chosen per team, it's an impressive achievement. It's fantastic to see two of our St Pat's students making the boys' team, and Isabella’s well-earned try helped secure her selection.

The process for individual sports differs from school-based sports. Individual sports include AFL, rugby league, touch football, soccer, basketball, netball, hockey, tennis, and rugby union.

There are no school or regional selection rounds for these sports. Instead, the trial dates are advertised through our newsletter and on the Catholic Schools NSW (MacKillop) website.

These trials are typically open to Year 5 and 6 students, with most final team selections consisting of 12-year-olds. All sports are open age groups, except rugby league, which is divided into under-11 and under-12 categories. Currently, the girls' pathway for rugby league involves competing alongside and against the boys.

To be eligible to register, students must be of a very high standard, preferably having been selected for a local representative team. If no local representative teams exist, a good indicator is whether your child is among the top two players in their team.

Having served as a team manager at the MacKillop selection level for hockey and rugby league, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible ability and size of these 12-year-old athletes—some even have personal coaches at age 11!

If you believe your child has the potential to be competitive at these trials, the process starts with contacting the school to confirm eligibility. Registration is completed online through the Catholic Schools NSW website.

Once again if you have any questions about sport, please don't hesitate to reach out—I’m happy to help clarify any concerns!

Jannene Harnett