Hockey rising star Sam Wagg is preparing to compete for Victoria for the second time in October. 34701 Picture: Donna OatesBy Marc McGowan
NARRE Warren South hockey prodigy Sam Wagg will continue a proud family tradition when she represents her state for the second time in October.
Both of the 13-year-old’s parents, Phil and Sandi, played the sport at State League One standard and her father also suited up for Tasmania at under-16 and under-21 level.
Phil even represented his adopted state in indoor hockey at senior level after crossing Bass Strait.
Sam made her Victorian debut at last year’s Pacific School Games, where she and her team-mates settled for a runner-up finish to New South Wales after a nail-biting penalty strokes climax.
But hockey hasn’t always been so successful for the Year 7 ICA Casey College student.
Sam failed to make local representative side the Southern Sharks several times until finally making the team this year.
“I just kept trying and trying again and finally got in. It was a good feeling,” she said.
Sam’s performances for the Sharks, who finished runner-up in the Junior State Championships in June, earned her a spot in the 30-strong squad trialling for state selection.
The teenage defender battled her way through the trials to survive the final cut and described her latest state nod as ‘amazing’.
Sam’s mother, Sandi, is delighted to see her daughter following in her and her husband’s footsteps.
“We’re extremely proud of her. Her hard work and dedication to the game and persistence is certainly paying off,” Sandi said.
Sam’s younger sisters, Madeline, 10, and Rebecca, 8, have also dabbled in hockey, but the former is now forging a promising gymnastics career.
Madeline spends up to 31 hours a week training at the Gymnastics High Performance Centre in Prahran – the same venue as Berwick Olympian Ashleigh Brennan.
Sam, who also competes for Casey in athletics over summer, will spend the coming months playing juniors for Casey and seniors for Toorak-East Malvern, while working hard on her fitness.
And she left no doubt about what a national title for Victoria would mean to her.
“It would be like a dream come true,” Sam said.
