Young Wolves star ready for trip of lifetime
Seventeen-year-old Wollongong Wolves Football Club, rising star Jake Trew is preparing for a trip of a lifetime, selected as part of the Australian All Schools representative team to tour England from the 10th January 2017.
Having already completed a tough pre-season campaign with the Wolves, Jake is back on the paddock preparing for the upcoming PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s season where he hopes to cement his place as a regular in the Wolves first grade squad.
The tour will see Australia’s best young talent, selected from all schools right across Australia take on school teams from England, Ireland and Scotland in a ten match campaign.
“It’s going to be one of the best experiences imaginable and I am really looking forward to getting over there.
“Representing Australia at any level is a huge privilege and honor and this is right up there as one of the major highlights of my football career to date.”
The Vincentia High School student impressed selectors at the All Schools Australian Football Titles held in September in Western Australia and Jake’s strong performances across the tournament, finishing as the leading goal scorer, helped NSW emerge as champions.
“That was a great tournament. Being crowned champions was a fantastic result for all the hard work we put in. While obviously I was very pleased to score quite a few goals I was just as excited about being able to set up opportunities for my teammates to score as well. I’m one of only two strikers to have made the touring Australian squad and it’s definitely going to be an experience of a lifetime.”
Wolves First Grade Coach, Jacob Timpano, gave Jake a taste of first grade last season, coming off the bench for a few matches, most memorably against Sydney FC in the Westfield FFA Cup match at WIN Stadium.
“For a 16-year-old to play any level of first grade, let alone PS4 NPL NSW Men’s standard is a massive achievement. The maturity and poise he showed coming on against Sydney FC in front of over 8,000 fans was very impressive and simply reinforced the belief and expectation we have in Jake, as a player and as a person. Nothing seems to faze him and he maintains his cool and composure at all times. He is a great team player and I have absolutely no doubt 2017 is going to be a big year for him.”
2017 is shaping up as a very, very big year for Jake.
After concluding his overseas commitments with the Australian All Schools football team he returns to full time training with the Wolves and heads into Year 12 having to balance the requirements of sitting for his HSC later in the year.
“Time management is certainly going to be an interesting juggling act for me this year. My passion is of course football and I’m hoping to have a long and very successful career however education is crucial so I have to make sure I manage my commitments to achieve the best possible results with my HSC. Having a strong education as the foundation for whatever I choose to do in the future simply means I have a significant number of additional options.”
Wollongong Wolves Director of Football, Dean Merola, echoed Jake’s views on the importance of his education.
“As a club we need to very mindful that we provide Jake with the environment where he can continue to grow, develop and impress as a footballer. This is not at the expense of his education but in conjunction with his schooling. There is no doubt with his attitude and commitment Jake is going to go a long, long way with football. For such a young man he is remarkably mature and dedicated. Jake is a great example of the talent that abounds across the Illawarra and South Coast and why our junior nursery is the envy of pretty much everywhere else across the country.”
Jake first represented the Wolves at under 13s level and then spent a season at Sutherland representing at under 14s. He returned to the Wolves for under 15s but badly broke his leg which saw him miss the majority of the season.
He returned the following season for under 16s, fitter, hungrier and more determined than ever and quickly put the disappointments and injuries behind him.
The final words are left to the young man himself.
“I’m hoping to have a big year, scoring as many goals as I possibly can and putting my hand up to be selected in first grade on a much more consistent basis. As long as I keep putting them in the back of the net I know my time will come and then it’s up to me to make the most of it. If I can manage that and then also get a good HSC mark at the end of the year, then 2017 will be a major success.”
-Wollongong Wolves Press Release