A LOCAL soccer player has been selected from the Whitsunday region to represent North Queensland in school soccer.
Kai Draper is forging the way for other soccer lovers in the region, after being selected to travel to Brisbane, in July, for the State Championships, where he will play for the North Queensland side.
Proserpine born and bred, Kai, 12, has been playing football (soccer) since he could walk.
After trying out for the Proserpine District Team and getting selected, Kai, who attends St. Catherine’s Catholic College, Proserpine, went on to the Whitsunday trials and was selected for the Whitsunday team.
A total of five games were played in Ayr, on May 22 and 23, where the Whitsunday team played against two solid Townsville teams and also played against Burdekin, Charters Towers and Herbert River teams.
There was a lot of skill and talent on show. At the end of Monday, a possible versus probable side was selected.
Kai was then selected from this to play for Northern Queensland. There were approximately 90 boys at the trials.
“I am ecstatic to get selected to represent North Queensland and all my hard work, training and playing over the years has paid off,” Kai said.
“I can’t wait to play in Brisbane and to try out there to represent Queensland, that would be a dream come true.
“I couldn’t have done any of this if it wasn’t for my Mum taking me everywhere and supporting and encouraging me.”
For now, it is training and playing for his local club Whitsunday United and also travelling to Mackay twice a week to train with the Magpies Crusaders United Academy Under 12 team.
Kai also plays Futsal and represented the Northern Queensland schools’ side in Brisbane, last year.
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