Northern Tasmania will be well represented at touch football's National Youth Championships in September.
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Touch Football Tasmania unveiled their under-12, 14, 16 and 18 boys' and girls' sides, with 112 of the 150 players and coaches from the Northern region to play on the Sunshine Coast in September.
Launceston Touch Association general manager Angela Shipp described the selections as "a testament to our junior program".
![Grasscutters' William Hill is one of many Northern Tasmanians selected in the state's touch football teams. Picture by Phillip Biggs Grasscutters' William Hill is one of many Northern Tasmanians selected in the state's touch football teams. Picture by Phillip Biggs](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/8mt7fPj3AeZSAF4grZ2EUc/77a17ee7-a05a-4d4b-982b-f870a11bb0f8.jpg/r850_85_4193_2483_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"The fact that our juniors can play on a junior night but can be supplemented by playing in a dedicated senior competition with senior coaches, that obviously helps for selection to happen," she said.
"We've got some amazing kids in that bunch and it's brilliant."
The initial squads were selected at this year's Junior State Cup, with trials and training sessions eventually forming the state sides.
Shipp, who is also managing the under-18 boys' side, said several of the players involved are multi-sport talents.
"In the way that we have run touch over the past few years, we have been very mindful that Tassie is a small place and kids are talented in more than one sport," she said.
"Just being able to juggle [other commitments] and making sure we give them the best opportunity to come and play.
"I think everyone looks at touch as your secondary sport but it really does keep a lot of these kids in these other sports because of the fitness level you get from playing touch."
Alongside the players, the state will also send a contingent of referees for grading purposes - with the majority of these also coming from Northern Tasmania.
"We have a dedicated referee program at LTA, where we have coaches who can give one-on-one advice at the time of the referees being out there," Shipp said.
"I think that's a bonus for us too, out of the 10 referees going to the national championships, we have seven and one of those is 14, so the fact that he can go and referee at a national event - our coaches have a fair bit to do with that."
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