Amelie Staib took some time to reflect on the experience of playing for Wide Bay in the Schoolgirls Representative competition.
What was the most valuable experience you gained from representing the Wide Bay region (on and off the field)?
The most valuable experience I gained from representing Wide Bay was playing against harder sides. I realised how important the simple things are and how much of an impact they make, such as simply just lying on the players just a few seconds longer.
How did the standard of competition compare to what you’re used to? What did you learn about your game?
The level of competition was so much harder that what I am used to, as I was playing against and with some girls that were a couple of years older than me. Playing against the girls and watching them play taught me many new techniques and skills that I can use in life and to improve my footy.
What challenges did you face during the carnival (physical, mental, or emotional)? How did you handle them?
There were many challenges I faced playing at this level of footy. It was very physically challenging having to play a highly intense footy game for four straight days, doing the best that I could each day. It was very different to club and school footy; the girls I had to play against were much bigger and stronger than me. I could put in as much effort as I could but sometimes that just was never going to be enough, which was very hard to accept.
However, I have taken away many new tackle techniques, from tackling many different girls that all run the ball differently and are much bigger in size. It was challenging playing on a team with girls that I didn’t even know the names of, because we only had one proper training session together before we went away.
How has this experience influenced your goals or motivation for rugby league moving forward?
This experience has really improved my confidence when I’m playing club and school footy. Playing at this level showed me how much I need to improve in certain areas, which has inspired me to do extra training for those things. It genuinely showed me how much I enjoy and love playing footy and how much I want to keep pursuing it.
What advice would you give to other girls in our program who aspire to represent at a regional level?
Advice I would give other girls is to put in the extra work and to try not to get in your head so much. Don’t be scared of making mistakes when playing – it will hold you back so much.
Not everyone gets picked to play at this level, so when you do, it is for a good reason. You need to embrace that and give it your all and just enjoy the experience that you were fortunate enough to get. Doing the extra, putting in extra trainings, going to the gym – it will all help you a lot and get you so much further.