Wilson embraces ‘hectic’ schedule
Getting some downtime is a constant battle for young Silver Ferns shooter Maia Wilson.
The 20-year-old, who picked up Massey University’s Manawatu¯ campus sportswomen of the year at the Massey Blues Sports Awards in Palmerston North on Tuesday, has a hefty travel schedule as she juggles her netball and studying commitments
Wilson plays her ANZ Championship with the Auckland-based Northern Stars, lives in Wellington and spends plenty of time on the road with the Silver Ferns.
‘‘I do travel a lot. It can get quite hectic. It is nice being home for more than a week, I don’t get that luxury often.’’
But she has no regrets with balancing her studies with netball.
‘‘Netball is always going to be very special to me and at the moment it is my career. But I am only going to be able to do that for so long. It is such a short time in the lifespan so focussing on uni and my life post netball is quite important.’’
With her university papers finished for the year and netball season almost done as well, she was looking forward to a muchanticipated break.
‘‘We have two weeks off a year and that is coming up. Trying to make sure that I have time for myself is an important part.’’
But before her break, she is part of the Silver Ferns squad contesting the Fast5 World Series in Melbourne next week.
It is her second trip to the competition, one she described as an hilarious and fun event.
The former Tall Ferns representative
admitted she might have to revert to her basketball shot for long-range shooting.
‘‘I am not the greatest with the three-pointers, but I have been practicing with my basketball shot and it is going quite well,’’ she said.
Basketball remains a passion for Wilson, who turned down a couple of free-ride scholarships in the United States to focus on her netball dreams.
She said a return to the sport
remained a possibility in the future.
‘‘I would love to, in my ideal world, go back to that Tall Ferns environment and travel around with basketball. But I am just riding the wave with netball at the moment and I want to see how far I can go.’’
Her basketball experience has helped set her up for the increasingly physical world of international netball.
‘‘What I found is that I love the
physicality of being able to physically beat your opponent, to muscle your way to the ball. It is amazing to get one over someone.‘‘
‘‘[Netball] is officially called a non-contact sport. In my opinion it is nowhere near that. I am a person who does love the physicality. What I miss from my basketball days was that I could legally put someone on the ground and not be called for a contact.’’
The Fast5 World Series runs over October 28 and 29.