MOST people would tremble when thinking about the pressure involved with being the last line of defence for a state sporting team at a national championship.
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That's not the case for Holly Black.
The 13-year-old goalkeeper is the only Dubbo girl in the NSW Country side which is set to take part in the upcoming National Youth Football Championship at Coffs Harbour.
After making the team last year the year 8 student at St John's will be one of the key players this time around but that doesn't seem to phase her at all.
"It feels really nice to represent NSW at such a young age," she said.
"Being a goalie there is a lot of pressure on you but you get used to it after a while and it feels nice to save the whole team by yourself."
Black said it was a great team to be a part of and had become close friends with her teammates during a number of recent training sessions together.
The side goes into camp today at Sydney before heading to Coffs Harbour for the tournament kick off on Monday.
They take on Queensland, the ACT and Victoria Country as they shoot for their fifth straight Championship win.
The team is coached by Orange's Glenn Stedman while one of the assistants is former Matilda Heather Garriock.
Garriock is sure to have a big influence on the team, especially for someone like Black, who dreams of taking her love for the game as far as she can and possibly emulate another Dubbo soccer star, Ashleigh Sykes.
Black, who has also represented Western NSW at indoor soccer, and her NSW Country teammates played two warm-up matches against the ACT in the lead up to next week's tournaments.
An unexpected and comprehensive 4-0 loss was rectified in the second match as Black and her teammates bounced back and recorded a 2-0 victory.
Those games, combined with the regular training camps, has the Country side well prepared but Black is always ready to step on the field as she plays roughly 35 weekends a year.
The versatile rising star plays for the Western Mariners under-13s side in the NSW State League as a right wing but also plays in the under-17s age group, where she takes the gloves and plays as the side's keeper.
With so much soccer there is plenty of travel involved and Black said she wished to thank her parents, and all those who have supported her, for helping her realise her dream.
Joining Black in the NSW Country side are fellow central west products Kimberley Trappett and Kiara Sullivan from Wellington, Jacinta Windsor, Madison Pearce, Cushla Rue and Laura Risch from Bathurst and Cowra's Ginger Oliver.
