FOOTBALL, family and fandom intersected when Matildas midfielder Emily van Egmond visited students at Maryland Public, where her mother Annette is principal.
Van Egmond, striker Emily Gielnik, defender Karly Roestbakken, and midfielder Katrina Gorry were given a heroes welcome to the school, where they answered a range of questions about how they started playing, what kept them motivated, their inspirations, their favourite places to visit and their game day rituals.
Annette van Egmond said the Matildas tended to visit schools whenever they were in camp "and I figured it might as well be my school".
"I went through the appropriate channels to request a visit for the school and was lucky enough to get it," Mrs van Egmond said.
"I'm proud every time I watch her play as a Mum, but I'm also sitting here in a school of 405 kids in a community really passionate about sport and I want to encourage kids to be active and participate.
"They can have support to see their dreams can be achieved through hard work, but also the opportunities they have in their own local area."
Emily Van Egmond said it would be a thrill to represent her country on home soil on Friday night "and to give back to the next generation is a big part of the game as well".
"It's good for kids to have some players come out and speak, especially for those aspiring footballers," she said.
"My message is just to keep having fun and enjoy what you're doing. That's the main thing, you want to love what you do. That's why I'm here today."
When asked what kept them motivated, Roestbakken said the key was "hard work and determination".
"If you want to go far in something you've got to stick to it and work really hard."
Gielnik said she remembered all the many hours her parents spent taking her to training, her father's encouragement and the effort she had put in to get to the national team.
Gorry said her game day rituals included at least eight hours sleep, an acai bowl and coffee. She said she most liked playing against the United States and it would be "awesome" to play for Chelsea or Arsenal.
Year two student Kobe Zienius, 7, said it was "very fun" to meet the players and have his ball signed.
