Until this week Mikalya Gross thought the first time she pulled on the green and gold would be for the Australian Schoolgirls.
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But that hasn't turned out to be the case, with the Tamworth High Year 11 student being named in the Australian Born 2002 squad to work with head coach Phillip Bower ahead of next year's FINA World Women's Youth Water Polo Championships
The 32 strong squad has been selected on past performances and in consultation with the respective state institute coaches, and will start their world championships preparations with a tour to Tokyo in November.
"I was stoked, it was such a good feeling," Gross said when asked how she felt learning she had made the squad.
"Just to be able to pull on the green and gold will be so good."
There is still a long way to go before the 13 to compete in Netanya, Israel in September is finalised but making the squad reinforces that Gross is in the frame, and is that bit of extra motivation to keep working hard.
The 12-day tour, which departs on November 7, will be a mix of training and games and will, Gross expects, be tough.
"I think the coaches will put us under the pump," she said.
"They'll want to see where we are at and see us push ourselves to our limits."
That being said, she is looking forward to it.
It will be a busy few months for the rising star.
A week after she returns from Japan, Gross will play her sixth and final state carnival with North West.
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Then in December, the Australian Schoolgirls side, which she was named in back in May, play New Zealand in a test series.
Following that she has the under-18 national championships in Brisbane in January, then a national training camp in March and the state titles in April.
Not that Gross has really had an off-season - she hasn't for the last couple of years as she chases her water polo dreams.
Conscious of keeping her fitness and strength up, she swims two-three times a week, and also incorporates in some gym sessions and water polo sessions.
The season is just around the corner and after the hard slog of winter, she is looking forward to getting back in the pool and picking up a ball.
Gross will again play in the local Newcastle competition and for the Hunter Hurricanes in the Sydney premier league. She is also in the wider Hurricanes squad for the National League.
- The local Tamworth competition is set to get underway the week starting October 21 with the pool scheduled to open on October 14. There have been some changes to the competitions this year to accommodate for only having one pool available. Under-15 and under-17s junior girls will be played on Monday night, under-15 and under-17s junior boys on Tuesday night, and flippaball, under-12s and the men's and women's on Sunday morning.
