Oh Chivers!
LAURA Chivers has said that the biggest influence on her game isn’t her coaches, or her parents, or the usual famous faces that everyone looks up to and admires. It is her other team mates which have kept her legs ticking on the Touch Football field and has provided her with what could be a very bright future.
Chivers, who currently lives in Oyster Bay, was recently selected into the Australian Under 18’s National Touch Football Squad for the Youth World Cup in 2009.
However, Chivers was surprised to get a spot in the squad.
“I was really surprised because most of the others who were selected received their letters of selection before me and when I came home from the touch trip, the letter was waiting for me, so I was pretty excited,” Chivers said.
She will attend the National Training Camp on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland at the end of June, where 22 girls will compete over three days for a position in the final team of 14.
Chivers impressed the National Selectors to gain a spot in the squad with her energetic performances at numerous tournaments, especially at the National Secondary Schools Championships during 2006.
In 2005 she won a National Championship with the Open NSWCHS side in which she has played in for the past four years. She has also been a member of the Sydney Regional Rebels Team and Cronulla Representative sides for four years.
Australia's most successful World Cup Touch Coach and TFA Hall of Fame member Peter Bell will make a return to the representative stage and take charge of coaching the girls at the World Cup.
Chivers is looking forward to the challenge of performing under a new coach but admits it might be a little daunting because of Bell’s highly-ranked coaching status.
“Yeah I’m a little nervous. Mr. Bell is from Queensland so I have never had him as a coach before. From what I have heard he is a very experienced coach so it will be an interesting learning curve for me and I’ll hopefully learn something new from him.”
Chivers, who is currently in her final year at Port Hacking High School in Miranda, only started playing the sport when she was asked by her friends to join them in Year 7.
“A few of my girlfriends played in the Junior State Cup for Cronulla and asked me to come along and join them, so I thought I may as well give it a go.”
The small but big-hearted 17 year old now has her chance to start following the path of her dream to make the Australian Open Women’s Touch Side in the future.
However, Chivers dream isn’t just to keep on improving and make the Open National Team.
“Yeah I want to one day make it to the top level, but if there is any chance of possibly being the captain of it, I would definitely take it.”
Olivia Moore, who plays with Chivers in her local representative side for Cronulla says Chivers was born a leader.
“Everyone that knows her will say the same thing. She knows her stuff and we all look up to her when we are on the field,” Moore said.
“When we are down she will lift that extra notch and tell us to concentrate. She definitely keeps our team together and never stops her positive talking.”
At school, Chivers captains the touch side, is part of the Student Representative Council and is a popular prefect amongst other students - definitely no stranger to being a leader.
“You have to talk in touch footy,” she said.
“The best teams have the best talk on the field but I guess in a way it also comes naturally because I’m fairly loud so I enjoy taking on the role of being the talker and leader in the team.”
Besides touch football, Chivers works with special needs kids for Sylvanvale on Bates Drive during the holidays and some Saturdays which she really likes.
She plans to go to University next year to study primary school teaching eventually hoping to work in the special needs area.
As for her touch football though, Chivers says that the main thing is to have fun but also to continue to train hard and keep fit if she wants to side-step her way through into the top level.
“I really love playing competitively and if I didn’t, I wouldn’t play as much of it, but I also play because it keeps me fit and healthy all year round and I have made an amazing family of friends that I’ll admire forever from it.”
Story by Reece Carter Sharks win local derby against Saints in Premier Youth League
Following the Round 16 washout on Saturday 9 June, the Sharks played the local derby against St George Saints on the Queens Birthday holiday on June 11. Just like the National Rugby League clash at Shark Park that night, this Premier Youth league round was also closely won by the Sharks.
The Sharks bettered the Saints in the 13s, 14s and 16s but lost in the 15s and 18s. The full round 17 results were:
Sharks Under 13: won 2 nil
Sharks Under 14: won 1 nil
Sharks Under 15: lost 5 nil
Sharks Under 16: won 2 – 1
Sharks Under 18: lost 3 nil Sharks take on Sea Eagles in WABL after break
The high flying Sharks men go on the road next weekend to take on Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the Waratah Australian Basketball League. After the long weekend break the team aims to continue its winning ways and retain its top of the table status.
The Women’s team is also up against the Eagles and is eager to continue its recent good performances. More Stories?
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