PLAYING in state hockey teams has paid dividends for Lismore teenagers Caitlyn Halliday and Max Venables.
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They represented NSW and Queensland at the Australian under-16 championships in Tasmania this month.
Max played goal keeper for NSW in the boys' final and has his sights set on making the Blues under-18 squad next year.
Caitlyn won a gold medal with the undefeated Queensland team.
Both earned selection in the Australian under-16 team with games against the national teams of Holland, Belgium, Germany and Spain in Europe next year.
"Wearing the green and gold for Australia has always been the main goal," Caitlyn said.
"It would be great to play at the Olympics one day, too."
Caitlyn plays senior hockey at Tweed and juniors in Brisbane.
She has also represented NSW at school level in Adelaide last year where she played in the final.
Her main focus on developing her game as a midfielder has been through the Queensland system.
"It's easier with the travel and there are some really good pathways with hockey in Queensland," she said.
"It's always a lot of fun anytime I get to represent at that level and my parents are really supportive."
She will play in the Queensland under-18 titles on the Gold Coast in hopes of making the state team.
For Max, the state titles were about testing himself at the top level.
"It was my first national championship and I was really happy to come away with a silver medal," he said.
"It was a bit stressful with a shootout in the final, I definitely have some things to work on, but really happy to be at that level."
He fell into goal keeping a few years ago and quickly found he had a passion for it.
"There was a group of kids in the age above me who needed a goal keeper and I put my hand up to do it.
"I really got into after that and I've taken it pretty seriously.
"Australian representation (men's team) is the final dream, but I'm just taking it one step at a time."
Max does specialised training for agility with a personal trainer with his own extras seven days a week.
He plays on the Far North Coast and Tweed as well as Queensland at club level.
He also travels to Sydney for state training.
"I've been there about four times in the last few months, I'm lucky my parents will travel around with me," he said.
"I couldn't do it without them."
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