Introducing soccer star Srey Nit!

It was a long shot.

On Monday, November 7, eleven year old Srey Nit left her family in Poipet to try out for the Girls National Under 13s football team. I picked her up from the one-bedroom house that she shares with her parents and her six brothers and sisters. Srey Nit set out for the five-day training camp carrying on small bag containing two T-shirts and two pairs of shorts.

She was the youngest, shortest and least-experienced person at the try outs!

I visited Srey Nit after the camp to hear more about her experience. The short answer: she loved it! She saw the beach for the first time and enjoyed swimming in the ocean every day. She met other girls who are passionate about football and who train regularly. She noticed that the National Under 13s Girls are several grades ahead of her at school and that they also study English and Computers outside of their public school studies. When I asked Srey Nit about her favourite part of the training, she said, "Playing football!"

The group practiced twice daily with their Swiss-born, Khmer-speaking coach, Sam Schweingruber. Sam praised Srey Nit for her positive attitude and her enthusiasm. "She was courageous," he said. "From the first day she was chatting and laughing with the other girls. She wasn't intimidated by them at all. In every session she participated well, even though she was obviously less skilled compared with the other players.

Srey Nit came back to Poipet with two new uniforms, two pair of shoes, socks and a sports bag. More importantly, she now has a glimpse of what is possible for her as an emerging athlete and as a student. She will being training with a local Under 13s boys team and get involved in the girls' development programs we have in Poipet. She will continue her education and keep studying English. I hope that next year Srey Nit can try out for another representative team.

It will still be a long short, but now we have a better idea of what she's aiming for!