A lot can change in a year, or two. I’m sure the last 18 months have made that all very clear to us.
In 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic was merely a discarded movie idea and the thought of living our lives in lockdown was unfathomable. The world has changed since then, and so has its people. Our calendars have been littered by lockdowns and isolation since, thus halting our progress, development and advancement in many aspects of life.
Yet for Abbey Endres (16) of Redeemer College, Queensland, the last 2 years have been quite the opposite. In 2019, Abbey played her first ever Futsal match. Fast-forward 2 years and she has been selected to represent her nation twice, represented her state and has taken over as U12 Regional Coach and U14 State Coach with the AFA. She also achieved the casual feat of playing the lead role in her school’s musical production of Little Women as well as releasing a debut single that soared to number 3 on the iTunes Singer Songwriter charts in Australia.
So who is Abbey Endres? What is her story? And how did she get here?
Having previously dabbled in Soccer, Netball and Tennis, Abbey enjoyed a broad sporting education. Yet, with a ball at her feet is where she always excelled. Abbey has been part of Redeemer Lutheran College’s Soccer select sports program since Year 4 but didn’t get the opportunity to take her skills to the Futsal court until 2019.
From here she has gone from strength to strength both on and off the court. After competing in her first school’s competition in 2019, Abbey was subsequently selected to represent Queensland City before going onto compete for her club at national level. Her meteoric rise in Futsal led to selection to represent Australia in 2020 and in 2021, however the squad have not yet competed internationally as the world continues to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abbey is due to get her first taste of international action in New Zealand later this year before a trip to Taiwan in 2022 with the AFA’s Youth Women’s Australian team.
Abbey’s excellence does not stop there, her talents extend beyond sport. Her debut single ‘Sneaking Biscuits’, written in dedication to her late grandfather, climbed to number 3 on the iTunes Singer Songwriter charts in Australia and to number 65 in the iTunes Top 100. In addition, she played the lead role in her school’s musical production of Little Women earlier this year to add yet another accolade to her name.
At school, Abbey has received a leadership award for being appointed ‘College Captain’ for 2022 and it is evident that her leadership qualities from school are transferable to the Futsal court. She uses these qualities in a coaching capacity as under-12 regional coach and under-14 state coach with the AFA.
Whether it be through playing or coaching, Abbey has achieved a lot in a short space of time. However, when asked what the highlight of her Futsal career has been, Abbey responded with:
“Definitely the friends that I’ve made, I’ve made some great friends from Futsal, and I see them all the time outside of school. It’s been really great that whole friendship and meeting people who have the same interests as you.”
Perhaps an unexpected answer given the heights Abbey has achieved in the game, but it highlights the fuel for her success. Abbey plays sport for the same reason we all do; to enjoy it. Her success is built on the foundations of her friendships, of whom she joked would have ‘the spirit’ to take on a previous interviewee’s dream 5-aside team that included Harry Kewell, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.
There is no secret to success according to Abbey, all it takes is a positive attitude and mindset with a willingness to learn and listen.