Hot on the heels of seven hard matches in three and a half days at Bathurst in the NSW State Titles, two local girls who are players with the Wollongong Wolves Under 16 Girls State League Team fronted up to form part of an invitation Illawarra Junior Soccer Association Girls Squad who have just returned home following a week long goodwill cultural tour of soccer academies/schools in Beijing and hosted by the Beijing International Sports Exchange.
12 of the 16 Illawarra girls were from the Wollongong Wolves Under 16 Team who finished runners up to McArthur Rams (who achieved the 'Fairytale Trifecta') in the Under 16 Girls State League Competition.
Beijing has a population of approx 38 million people and soccer generally is very strong in the whole of China. Over recent years there has obviously been large amounts of time, and money, put into the training and development of the junior and youth league levels as well as numerous training and playing facilities around the city.
Accommodation provided, whilst of a high standard, was in an area of Beijing which is not renowned for its ‘western style' and the girls experienced first hand the local culture and cuisine which made some longing for a trip to The Golden Arches (or The Colonel's) even in the early stages of the stay.
In addition to the various tourist attractions like The Palace of Heaven, The Forbidden City, The Summer Palace, The Great Wall, Tian'anmen Square, shopping and more shopping, they played four gruelling matches against three Beijing Academies and the China Youth Squad.
One of the complexes played at comprised a large administration building, separate change room facilities, 11 top class fields and one international standard field with twin grandstands. Fields are still totally man made and fully maintained by hand with very little machinery utilised.
Most of the Chinese players actually attend ‘soccer school' which sees them training or playing for up to sevenhours per day and spending around 3 hours per day in the traditional classroom which is usually attached to their training facilities.
As could be expected the standard of play from the Chinese Squads was extremely high and with the first three games scheduled for the first three days (including the day we arrived and settled into accomodation at 4 am), the girls played very well but sufferred defeats in all these games (6-1, 4-1 & 2-1), and at times playing with only 10 players due to injuries in what proved to be very physical matches by our standard.
Coach Bill and Manager John actually re-nicknamed them from the ‘walking wounded' to the ‘crawling wounded' after the third game, but they all played with their heart and to the best of their abilities and fitness.
Following one and a half days rest (and more retail therapy) they fronted the China Youth Squad and turned in what can only be described as an excellent display of the standard of girls soccer in this state and after a full 70 minutes of gruelling play, and several scoring opportunities by both sides, the game ended at a 0-0 draw.
The girls' eyes lit up when they were asked what the most memorable part of the trip was.
"The most memorable moment was everything and the experience to play overseas in a sport you love," Pollard said.
"We were such a close side and it is a memory that will last a life time."
Bryant was likewise excited when reflecting on the tour.
"Climbing to the very top of the Great Wall and getting a ‘Heroes Card' was great, not to mention beating the boys up there," she said.
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