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Vincent
Schoolgirls Captaincy Latest Feather In Grace's Cap
by Jeremy Ruane
 Ten Favourite Things Of Grace Vincent
 courtesy Graham Hughes/www.proshotz.com
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Being named captain of the New Zealand Secondary Schoolgirls squad heading to Sydney this week is the latest feather in the cap of one of the rising stars of the women's game in this country, Grace Vincent.
It's a trip which this gifted young schemer is very much looking forward to. “It's one of the most talented secondary schoolgirls teams selected”, declares the captain of the eighteen-strong squad she will lead into battle against Australian representative sides in the first week of February.
“It's a shame we're not playing our Australian Secondary Schoolgirl counterparts, of course, but I've no doubt the Institute of Sport teams we face will be challenging. It will certainly be a good experience for all involved, particularly for those taking part in the NZ Under-20s camp in the days leading up to the tour.
“It allows them the chance to pass on things they have learnt to those members of the Schoolgirls squad not involved in the camp, which will assist those players in their development, something which ultimately benefits everybody”.
Such well-chosen words suggest a maturity beyond Vincent's tender seventeen years, and her achievements to date, though few, tend to add weight to that theory. An Auckland Under-16 representative in 2003 and 2004, she captained the latter squad to win that year's National Tournament with the perfect six wins from six games record.
Even before that competition, she had made a goalscoring debut for Auckland at Soccersouth in the 2004 National Women's League, and come the conclusion of the 2005 season, she has made nine appearances for the “A Team”, the bulk of which were in the pivotal central midfield playmaking role in that title-winning campaign.
“That is the biggest highlight of my career to date”, declares the bubbly brunette, who also squeezed in an Uncle Toby's Women's Knockout Cup Final appearance for Eastern Suburbs in 2005, a match won 2-0 by Lynn-Avon United.
She has moved on from that minor setback, one which has been more than offset by her becoming involved in the Under-20s squad's preparations for the forthcoming Women's World Cup qualifying series in Samoa.
Vincent's impressive displays for Auckland in the National Women's League did much to earn her a call-up as NZ Under-20s coach John Herdman looks to select the strongest possible squad to represent this country in the April competition, for which the reward for winning has many a potential squad member buzzing in anticipation.
Grace is no different. “I would love to make the Under-20s squad to play in Samoa and, hopefully, the finals in Russia”, says the young lady who considers France to be the best country she has visited so far, the sights, sounds and sheer romance of Paris capturing her imagination during a family holiday to Europe last July.
Playing for the senior New Zealand squad is also high on the agenda of a classy young footballer whose attributes include great vision and an ability to change the course of a game with her range of passing.
Grace began her career at Papatoetoe aged five, and has also played for Papatoetoe United and Three Kings United, for whom she scored five of the goals in their competition record 20-0 win over Onehunga-Mangere United in a 2003 Uncle Toby's Cup tie, the best goalscoring return of her career so far.
“My family - dad Peter, mum Prue and non-soccer-playing sisters Kate and Tessa - have been a big influence on my career so far, along with a few of my coaches, most notably Paul Temple, John Herdman and Sue Taylor.
“I also really enjoyed working with Sean Douglas, coach of the National Women's League squad. He gave me lots of opportunities which I doubt I would have enjoyed with other coaches”.
The outgoing Deputy Head Girl of Diocesan School for Girls - “I always liked playing for Dio, and now I've left school, I'll miss that, especially as I've been in the school's first eleven for the last six years” - has a number of new opportunities opening up for her in 2006.
Studying in the field of sciences interests the Greenlane resident once the university year is under way, as does the potential offered by a US scholarship - a `wait and see' approach is how she's approaching these issues at present.
Grace Vincent is very determined about one thing. “Making sure 2006 is a successful year, both personally and for New Zealand women's soccer, starting with the NZ Secondary Schoolgirls tour”.
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Upon her return home from Sydney, Grace commented upon the tour:
It's a trip which this gifted young schemer was greatly enthused by. “It was a great experience for us. We held our own against some really high quality opposition, who boasted some really good players, including a few Australian internationals. While they had the edge in experience, we countered that with our greater fitness and sharpness.
“Our coaches, Paul Temple and Rowena Fulham, were really good - they got the team gelling well. We improved quite a lot over the course of the week, particularly in terms of how we play when not in possession”.
Maia Jackman and Dwight Yorke also played key roles during the schoolgirls' soccer-filled week. “Maia was tremendous. As well as her coaching role, she was our physio for the week, even though she wasn't meant to be. And we learnt a lot from her in terms of preparing for matches and her international experiences.
“Meeting Dwight Yorke was one of the highlights of the week, too. Another was our last game, a 4-0 win over Penrith. That was our best game - a brilliant, classy performance”.
And what of the additional duties with which Grace was charged? “Captaining a team representing your country was really special. It was challenging, yet fun, and quite a responsibility - a really good one”.
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