Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week
KURT Walters is used to being the youngest player in representative hockey teams.
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He was just three when he started playing with Taree West in the Manning juniors and at five he was named in the association’s under 11 team. Kurt’s been in the Hunter school rep side for the past three years. He’s in year five at Taree West, so will be eligible for Hunter selection again in 2017.
Now Kurt’s been named in the NSW primary schools side to play in the Australian championships in Cairns from July 29 to August 5. He is the Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week, earning a $50 open order at Iguana.
Kurt will play attacking midfield for NSW, a position he usually plays at club level. He scored five goals for Hunter in the State championships played recently in Wollongong, with the side finishing joint winners with Polding.
However, he admits to being ‘a bit surprised’ to make the State team, thinking selectors might go for older players, although he said he was ‘pretty happy’ with the way he played in the championships.
The State squad will meet in Cairns the weekend before the championships for a training camp, where players will have to come out of winter and adjust to temperatures around the 30 degree mark.
Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria are expected to be formidable opponents for NSW, with the Blues finishing in fourth place last year.
Kurt will also have further taste of rep hockey next weekend when he heads to Grafton with th e Manning under 13s for the State titles.
He plays for Sharks in the Manning under 11 and 14 competitions and can’t wait until he’s eligible to play in the senior grades.
Kurt also plays cricket with Taree West, where he’s a batsman, touch footy in the Taree junior competition and soccer for the school although he says hockey is his number one sport. Away from that he’s a committed supporter of the Cronulla Sharks in the NRL.
“Hopefully,’’ he replied when asked if the Sharks will win their maiden premiership this year.