It's about a four hour drive from Blayney to Wagga Wagga and this week Blayney High School Student Layla Fearnley will be heading south to take part in the 2022 Your Local Club Academy Games.
Running from Friday April 8th to Sunday April 10th, the Southern Sports Academy (SSA) will host the event for the first time coinciding with the organisation celebrating their 30th year.
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Fearnley is taking part in the Greater Bank netball squad at the games which will bring together athletes, staff, families, and supporters from all 11 Regional Academies of Sport (RAS) from across New South Wales.
The competing Academies include Central Coast, Far West, Illawarra, Hunter, North Coast, Northern Inland, South East, South West Sydney, Southern, Western Region and Western Sydney Academies of Sport.
The Games will also highlight guest Academies, including teams from Sydney and the ACT.
The event will see over 1300 junior regional athletes come together for strong competition across seven sports including Basketball, Cycling, Golf, Hockey, Netball, Triathlon, and Indoor Volleyball.
The weekend will also act as an important identification and development opportunity for many sports.
This year 117 Western Region athletes and coaches will compete across Basketball, Cycling, Golf, Hockey, Netball and Triathlon.
Sports Program Manager for the Western Region Academy of Sport, Caitlin Knox, says the Your Local Club Academy Games is a highlight for most of the sporting programs.
"Our athletes and coaches are really looking forward to the weekend in Wagga Wagga as the Games are a great way for the Regional Academies to connect and celebrate the talent across the state,"
"All athletes are excited by the challenge to showcase their abilities and test themselves against the strongest athletes from across NSW."
