TWO sisters from Morchard Bishop have been chosen to play for Devon junior football teams - and both want to be professional footballers.

Bronwyn Cousins is 14 and goes to Chulmleigh Community College. She plays both netball and football for Devon Under 15s, Ebony is 10 years old, in her last year at Morchard Bishop Church of England Primary School and plays football for Devon U11s.

Bronwyn began playing netball and football at school, played for Morchard Bishop School, played High Five, took part in Devon Games to Inspire representing Mid Devon, when she was chosen to join Exeter Netball Club.

Last year Bronwyn was invited to play at the North Devon Netball Satellite Academy, based at Barnstaple,to be given intensive netball training for a year.

What was even nicer was that Bronwyn's friend, Yasmin Hooper, also from Morchard, was chosen for Satellite Academy training.

This year, Bronwyn trialled again for the Academy and was chosen to play county netball, which meant even more intensive training.

"I was the first Chulmleigh Community College student to get through to play netball for county," said Bronwyn, proudly.

Her football began at primary school, where she played for the girls' team. She has won U15 Sportswoman of the Year award at Chulmleigh as well as girls' Football Player of the Year, among her other football awards.

For a year Bronwyn played football with Tedburn St Mary FC, having to play with the boys team because there was not then a girls' team.

She is now part of the Devon FA U 15s Girls' Centre of Excellence Squad, with training twice a week at Ivybridge Community College.

Her sister has been playing football since she was four years old, starting at Chulmleigh.

Three years later Ebony began playing with Copplestone United, training with the U 7s. She also took part in the Devon Games to Inspire and was chosen to play for Devon this season.

Ebony is proud that she was the first footballer to score for her team this season.

Fortunately, both girls train at Ivybridge on the same days. Their mum, Lizzie, usually does that trip, and most of the other week-day training sessions while their father, Mike, usually takes one or the other to Saturday games.

If the team is playing out of the county, they usually travel by coach, which means their parents stay at home.

Among other matches, the two girls have played friendly football against Aston Villa juniors and will be playing against Chelsea Girls next month.

We wish them both good kicking and running - and a bright future.

Sue Read