Brendan Hallab : Soccer Star of the Future

Brendan Hallab is a Registered Player of Australian Football Players and a student at Westfields Sports High School. We would like to let you know what a typical week consists of for this talented 14 year old defender and his family. 

Brendan started his high school years at Westfields Sports High School in year 7 (2007). 

Westfields Sports High has a reputation for producing some great sports stars, in particular; Harry Kewell, Brett Emerton, Danny Vukovic & Mark Bridge to name a few.  

So what's it really like to go to school with such a reputation? Let's have a look at a typical week in Brendan's schooling and football life.  

Brendan starts school at 8.48am and finishes at 3.10pm (normal school hours)  

There are 2 intense testing sessions per year, one at the beginning of the year and the other towards the end of year. This testing includes such things as sprints, beep test etc and the boysreceive a soccer evaluation result as per their training and testing results to indicate areas that need attention.

 Monday: Brendan does his normal school work and during the day also trains for 1.45 hours. He also plays his Premier Youth League football at Blacktown City Demons under coach Leo Carle. Monday nights he also trains for over 2 hours with his team.

 Tuesday: Brendan trains 1.45 hours before school with Westfields Sport High.

 Wednesday: Brendan trains 1 hour before school and does extra work on the bars and after school he trains with his Premier Youth team for over 2 hours.

 Thursday: Brendan trains 1.45 hours before school and has the night off.

 Friday: Brendan trains for 1 hour in the swimming pool as part of his own regime after school at Homebush Aquatic Center and has the night off.

 Saturdays is game day for the Blacktown City Demon's defender.

 That's a committed 14 year old! Now you know his schedule. We asked Brendan and his parents some questions to get into the minds of a future professional football player and his parents.

 How important is education to you Brendan? As I am getting older I now know that education is very important. It would be great to play football at the highest level and get paid lots of money but now I understand that I have to try to balance my school work with my soccer commitments.

 Mum & Dad? As far as my wife Karen and I are concerned education must presides over sport. I can tell you it was atough call when Brendan was accepted to Westfield' Sports under the soccer program. Brendan's schooling has always been with the Catholic education system. Karen and I supported Brendan's decision to attend on the proviso that his school results wouldn't suffer (so he smashed that theory achieving dux last year) allowing him to continue his secondary education at Westfield's Sports to follow his dreamand passionthroughthe correct pathway of becoming an elite soccer player. Having played Rugby League myself at an elitehigh level I could empathise with Brendan'sgoals and seeing him go from being a sheep follower in the under 5's (laughs), to developing throughthe ranks with a lot of hard work and being selectedin most ofall the development pathways available, I for one could see the passion in his eyes. He may notbe as flamboyant as most buthis commitment, application, dedication,work ethics, and brains on the paddock is second to none.

 Best part of going to the school Harry Kewell and many socceroos attended?It feels really good to know that people like Kewell, Emmerton and many others in a variety of different sportshavebeen to the school that I am at and fulfilled their dreams witha lot of hard work.I hope to do the same.

 Brendan's father Fred is a Retired Police Officer and his mother Karen must be the busiest, most organized super mum. Brendan has a brother Luke aged 11 and a sister Emma aged 7, all of them sports mad!

 As parents, obviously you drive him to all the above, how much time/effort is required?Without doubt it is extremely difficult and without Karenit would definitely - nearly be impossible. Karen and I must communicate on a daily basis to logistically coordinate who is taking who and what time does he/she have to be somewhere! We as parents are totally committed to our kids activities whetherit's at the highest level or not. Combining education with sport develops intelligent athletes.

 What is Brendan's ultimate ambition(s)?I hope to make it overseas as a professional football player and play with some of the best players around. I would also like to achieve good academic results just in case I don't make it and I will have something to fall back on. I want to keep training hard and work on my weaknesses and somedaymaybeI mightachieve my dream.

 Favourite player? Favourite team? Favourite food? Favourite TV show?My favourite football playerthat I like to watch because of my position would have to be John Terry or Rio Ferdinand. But Ialso enjoy watching Cristiano Ronaldo's explosiveness and using his fast feet to beat opponents. My favourite team is Manchester United.My favourite food is chicken schnitzel. My favourite TV show is Simpson's.

 Brendan is also off to China with Westfields Sports High School as part of his education of other cultures and of course to play football.

 Below are some impressive playing stats:

 2008 Re commences Year 8 Elite Soccer Program for 2008 - Westfield's Sports High School.

 2007 Letter of retained for 2008 Blacktown City Demons U/14's Premier Youth League.

 2007 Selected to represent boys U/13's NSW Futsal Thunder Team. Football NSW Futsal State National Championships. Canberra 7-11 January 2008.

 2007 Selected to represent Sydney City Eagles - Football NSW State Futsal Championships - Condell Park Indoor Centre.

 2007 Selected to represent Metropolitan West U/13's - NSW State Titles, Soccer NSW Albury - Wadonga.

 2007 Selected to represent Blacktown City Demons U/13's Premier Youth League. Minor Premiers - Grand champions.

 2006 Selected to Enter Year 7 Elite Soccer Program for 2007 - Westfield's Sports High School.

 2006 Selected to represent Inner West ‘All Stars FC'- Football NSW Futsal Premier League.

 2006 Selected to represent Metropolitan West U/12's - NSW State Titles, Soccer NSW. Bathurst.

 2006 Selected to represent NSW CPS Mackillop Boys' Football Team at the State NSW PSSA Boys' Championships. Nelsons Bay 6 - 8 June 2006.

 2006 Selected to represent Parramatta Catholic Diocese.

 2006 Selected to represent Bankstown U/12's Metropolitan Attack Competition. (Team Captain).

 2005 Selected to represent Metropolitan West U/11's - NSW State Titles, Soccer NSW. Parkes.

 2005 Selected to participant Regional Excellence Program (R.E.P) - Soccer NSW.

 2005 Selected to represent Parramatta Catholic Diocese.

 2005 Selected to represent Bankstown U/11's Metropolitan Attack Competition.

 Coerver Sydney Elite Squad.

 We would like to thank Brendan and his parents Fred and Karen for their honesty and allowing us to document a small piece of their lives to show others just what it takes to be a great sports person at a young age. We wish Brendan every success academically and in his football.