By JARROD POTTER
ST PETER’S College Year 12 student Jaide Collins, 17, from Cranbourne South, has aced her way back into the School Sport Victoria (SSV) 18-and-under tennis team to compete for the Australia Cup.
Heading off to Perth early next month for the School Sport Australia championships – Collins goals for the tournament are simple.
She wants to improve her game and become one of the more prominent and reliable players on the Victorian team.
“The more senior players aren’t there this time so I get the chance to be one of those more experienced players on the team,” Collins said.
“Leadership role – there’s three players in Year 12 and I’m one of them.
“Showing the people the ropes and helping pick the teams.”
Getting through qualifying, despite a back strain keeping her off the court on the final day of selection, Collins hopes she can become the number one ranked player for Victoria’s SSV team and help guide them to victory.
“Hopefully I can get number one (seed) in the team and become captain and win the Aus Cup this year,” Collins said. “It’s hard to say, but we have a pretty strong team so we have a good chance.”
Playing in the Asia-Pacific Tennis League in the Victorian division, Collins played for the Waverley Warriors and kept busy throughout the summer by heading to a collection of regional top-tier tournaments.
As all VCE students this time of year tend to do, Collins has started thinking about her academic future – with a move to America to play college tennis on the cards.
“College tennis – that’s something I’ve been looking at a lot – at the moment I’m hoping to go to Middle Tennesee State, so that’s my hope for the future,” Collins said.
There’s no rest for Collins this school holidays as she heads to tournaments over the school holidays – going to Bendigo and Rosebud.
