By Sophie Taylor
Goal shooter Sophia Martinussen has big aspirations ahead of her third National Netball Championships appearance this week.
The Canberra local has been a key cog within the ACT talent pool, with newfound versatility boosting her confidence and motivation to continue following the pathway.
A former defender, Martinussen moved to the goal shooter position and, in her words: “never came back”.
“I'm really tall, so when I outgrew the gymnastics and the dance phase, my parents decided to put me into netball,” Martinussen explained.
“From my first game, I loved it. It's weird but it was kind of love at first sight.
“As I got a bit older I understood how much I love the high performance environment and having a team to be around. Pursuing that professionally has probably been my biggest motivation.”
That motivation has driven Martinussen to be named the ACT's 17 and under captain for the first time.
A valuable leadership quality the goal shooter possesses is the ability to see herself in her peers.
“The other players know that I've been in their shoes before, and I'm there for a chat. I'm not just the captain, I'm a friend as well,” Martinussen said.
“It's good to have a balance with a team where while it's my third time, but there's also girls where it's their first time.
“There's moments where you need to push your teammates and there's also moments where you need to get around them and just be there for them.”
Beyond her leadership skills, Martinussen is looking forward to showcasing the growth of her own game at her third National Netball Championships appearance in the 17 and under category.
“This year my biggest focus is just having a variety (in my game),” Martinussen said.
“Other years I haven't had the agility or really had the strength to back up my height, but this year we've really been focusing on, OK, you're tall, but you're not just going to be a one-trick pony.”
Variety in her game will be key to winning the one-on-one battles on court, with the goal shooter explaining in past years she may have become easy to read.
“Really working on agility and conditioning work might be a surprise to a lot of defenders who might just think that [holding] is all I do, that's all I have,” Martinussen explained.
“I want it so that, when they go to half time, the coaches don't just have one thing to tell them how to how to play against me.”
It’s not just Martinussen’s new moves that will keep players guessing, but also her experience and quickfire development following her selection to the 17 and under Australian squad in both 2022 and 2023.
“When you go away for a week in a camp environment with Australia's best 17 and under netballers and the best coaches put forward for that, you can't really put into words the type of experience that you walk away with after that and the resources that you have,” Martinussen explained.
“I was lucky to go as a 15-year-old to Aussie camp, and then obviously last year I went again. The first year I was kind of uncoordinated, and the height was kind of the only thing that I had.
“When I first got that taste of being in that environment where everyone is so good and everyone has that competitive nature, I wanted to go again, to be picked again because I don't think there's anything like it.”
While Martinussen has been lucky to experience camp opportunities and is a recipient of the ACT Academy of Sport (ACTAS) scholarship for 2023, there are still challenges.
“As a shooter, your mindset is probably your biggest tool,” Martinussen said.
“Something I've really had to work on is my confidence. I started out with shocking confidence, I just kind of fell apart.”
Fortunately, Martinussen has developed tools to help adjust her mindset and, most importantly, found people to lean on.
“I’m really lucky to have coaches and ex-Diamonds like Sue Hawkins and people that I can talk to if I need a bit of a pick me up,” Martinussen said.
“Changing my mindset is something I'm really proud to look back on.”
