focusinterview.
Meet two of our young local basketball stars - Maddi Baxter and Isaac Post. These athletic and skilled players both have big dreams for the future ...
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i Maddi. Tell us a bit about I am currently playing in the Avengers in the yourself and your family ... domestic Port Macquarie competition. I also My name is Maddi Baxter. play in the Port Macquarie Dolphins in Northern I am in Year 8 at St Joseph's Junior League and am participating in the Regional College. My State Performance Program. I have so many favourite sport is basketball. I wonderful opportunities on offer. have a brother and a sister at my mum's house What do you feel have been some of your and two brothers and a sister at my dad's. best achievements in basketball to date? I train three times a week, mornings and My best achievements include being afternoons. I play twice a week in women's selected for Jamboree in U12s, all-stars and comp and U16s. I also coach D-League in bottom age U14s and basketball academy kids every being selected to play at the Friday afternoon, and I try Australian Country Junior my best to fit some fitness Basketball Cup in Aubrey, I am very in on weekends. I am where I played for the grateful that a of very busy, but I still have NSW Waratahs, and beautiful bunch ed a good school/sport being selected for the little girls accept am balance. State Performance me into their te How long have and now we are Program late last year, s, very best friend you been playing moving into this year. and we have all basketball - and My favourite come so far!” what kick started your achievement would have interest in the sport? to be being awarded with I have been playing basketball the Players Player award three for five years now. I started playing years in a row! I am very grateful in the Friday night domestic comp with a that a beautiful bunch of little girls friend just for fun, and the coach told me accepted me into their team and now we are I was pretty good. From there, I got asked very best friends, and we have all come so far! to join the representative basketball team for What are your goals for the future? Port Macquarie by local talent scout, Graham Short-term I would like to play for NSW Jessop, famously known as “Chippy “. State. Long-term my ultimate goal would be What position/s on court do you usually to get a basketball scholarship to a university play; what do you most like about them? in America to study sports science, biology or On the court I play point guard. I love being sports journalism. the point guard, because I bring the ball up the My dream is to play for the Australian Opals court, call the plays and control what happens. at the Olympics, living up to my idols Tessa As my coach, Nick Prior, would say, “I'm the bus Lavey, Leilani Mitchell and Penny Taylor; that driver of the team!” But, I believe a great player would be a dream come true. In the future I should be well rounded and be able to play all would love to see girls more recognised for positions. their sporting achievements. What team/s do you play for? Thanks Maddi.
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i Isaac. Tell us a bit about well as playing two games a week. yourself and your family … What team/s do you play for? Well, I'm part of a family of At the moment, I play in the U/18s domestic six with two younger brothers comp with some mates from school. Also, the and an older sister. I was born local Men's A Grade and Northern Junior League and raised in Port Macquarie. with my Port Macquarie U/18s representative I've grown up playing an array of sports, team. I’m in the State Performance Program including swimming, diving, surf life saving, (SPP) with some of the top athletes in the state rugby, touch football and soccer. I currently and also my school Opens and Year 9 - 10 attend MacKillop College and am in Year 10. teams. All these opportunities in the sport have When I'm not playing basketball, I enjoy hanging helped me develop my skills, and I've made out with my friends and watching Harry Potter. some great mates across New South Wales. How long have you been playing What do you feel have been some your basketball - and what kick greatest basketball achievements started your interest in the to date? sport? Being selected in the NSW This year is my ninth SPP, which is run by the in as When I w year playing in the Port ed Australian girls U/17s in jo I 2, Year d te ar Macquarie Basketball head coach, Shannon st d an p the com e or m Association (PMBA) e Seabom. As part of this Th g. in play eI or m e th local competition, and , program, my coach, Nick ed ay pl I tI started when I was Prior, meets with me enjoyed the spor ew gr in Year 2 at the age weekly to complete my and my passion ” e. er th from of eight. There wasn't program. really anything in particular Also, captaining the that started my interest in U/16s NSW Country Waratahs basketball. When I was younger, at the Australian Country Junior I participated in the same sports Basketball Cup in Albury in 2016 as my older sister, Hannah, and when she and being selected as a reserve for NSW decided to play basketball - I then wanted to Country team for the U/16s Australian Junior as well. So, when I was in Year 2, I joined the Championships last year. comp and started playing. What are your goals for the future? The more I played, the more I enjoyed the Hopefully playing basketball either in the NBL sport - and my passion grew from there. in Australia, representing my state and country What position/s do you normally play on are huge aspirations of mine. Job-wise though, the court and what do you like the most if I'm not playing basketball, hopefully I’ll study about it? law and have a career in that area … Not quite Point guard is my preferred position. I like sure which type of law yet, but something that is being able to give direction on the court, call challenging. plays and control tempo. I train five and a half Thanks Isaac. Interviews by Jo Robinson. hours on court and two hours in the gym, as
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