There are a lot of decisions to be made in sport.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
From throwing a pass or not, taking a shot at goal to choosing a club to play for, decisions play a big role in a sportsperson’s life.
12-year-old netballer Ava Kelly knows only too well how important decisions can be after she came to her own fork in the road.
It just feels more natural when I play defence than attack and I just thought I’d naturally go that way.
- Ava Kelly
Despite being so young, Ava made the call to shift from her regular position in attack to the defensive end of the court last year.
With a year in defence under her belt she will now focus her efforts entirely on the defensive side of things.
The decision wasn’t an easy one but Ava went with the position she felt more comfortable playing
“It just feels more natural when I play defence than attack and I just thought I’d naturally go that way,” Ava said.
Ava also got a little help from someone who knows a bit about netball – Australian Diamonds captain Sharni Layton.
“Sharni also plays defence – she’s a keeper – and I just like the way she plays netball, her passion and she’s very loud on the court,” Ava said.
Ava had the chance to sit down with Layton before a Collingwood training session earlier this month – after Ava’s parents won an auction for a one-on-one session the the Australian skipper – who gave the young netballer plenty of advice to bring home.
However, there was one piece of advice that stuck out in Ava’s mind from everything she was told.
“She said ‘you have the passion for netball, you just have to go for it’,” Ava recalled.
“Sometimes I do get discouraged when I miss out on teams and stuff but she said ‘you're in the game, you just have to do whatever you can to continue climbing.”
Along with the one-on-one with Layton, Ava and her mum and dad were given a tour of Collingwood’s headquarters.
What made the experience all the more memorable was how inviting Layton was to the family.
“She’s very loud and she’s just very comfortable, “ Ava said.
“She’s very easy to talk to and she’s not really staged or anything, she’s really realistic.”
“She’s an amazing, inspirational woman and so down to earth and so humble,” Ava’s mum Kellie added.
