HANNAH Chicken will have to make a tough call at year’s end.
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Costs and time will mean the 12-year-old will have to scale down her sporting pursuits. Hannah’s a representative basketballer and netballer.
She heads to Darwin in July with the NSW primary schools team for the Australian championships. Soon after arriving home Hannah will head to Homebush with the Polding netball team to play in trials for the State team. She’s also a member of the Polding touch football team and will be playing at State-level with them as well.
Hannah is the Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week, earning a $50 open order at Iguana. She was nominated by Taree Basketball Association.
Hannah’s tight-lipped as to whether netball or basketball will be her preferred choice.
“I don’t know – it’s going to be hard,’’ she said.
Hannah’s Polding side dominated the State championships held at Broken Hill, winning all eight games. This included a 67-29 shellacking of Sydney South in the grand final – the team’s closest result. A defensive player, Hannah said she was ‘really happy’ with her form.
She occasionally plays as a centre, but Hannah said she prefers the defensive role.
The team will now have a training camp in Newcastle during the school holidays before heading to Darwin.
Hannah only got serious about basketball last year. She was playing with St Joseph’s in Taree Basketball’s schools competition. The Taree Tornadoes under 12s were a bit light-on for players and Miranda Bourke from St Joeys suggested that Hannah try out.
Taree eventually won the Northern Junior League and finished second at State. Hannah is now in the 14s, with the team qualifying for State last weekend.
She’s in for a busy few weeks. Hannah’s a member of the Taree under 12s netball side to play in the State All Age Championships in Sydney next month. Then it will be off to Darwin, returning in time to meet commitments with Polding teams at netball and touch footy. She'll be off to Cronulla for the State touch trials.
Either playing or training with her various basketball and netball teams occupies most of Hannah’s week. That doesn’t include commitments on weekends with the Tornadoes in the Northern Junior League.
However, she’s looking forward to going to Darwin for the national basketball championships.
“It's going to be good,’’ she said.
Hannah admits making a State team in basketball is possibly a reason to stick with the sport next year and beyond.
“But I really don’t know yet,’’ she smiled.