Natalie Burton – Player Profile

 Age: 23  Nickname: Dingo (when I was in the US for college) Years playing: 12

School/Work: Graduated with a Finance and Economics degree in May 2012 from West Virginia University. Now work full time with a Financial Planning company

Why basketball? Well my height is definitely an advantage! When I was younger Mum thought basketball would be good for me considering how tall I already was, so she put me into a team and I loved it so ever since then it has been pretty much my life!

College and Waves Experiences: I went to West Virginia University for four years on a basketball scholarship, so I left home when I was 19. We were a division 1 school in a top conference, so it was extremely intense and we played against some top teams like Connecticut and Baylor. We would train everyday for 3 hours, lift weights 3 times a week, and travel across America for games (whilst studying for my finance degree). We would get thousands of fans to our games. We had cheerleaders and a band too, so the games were an awesome experience. Basketball gave me this opportunity to go and live in another country and meet so many new and amazing people, so I am incredibly lucky for that experience. It wasn't until I came home that I considered playing for the Waves, so I ended up suiting up for my rookie season. The level of basketball was very different to college, but I welcomed the slightly more relaxed style of coaching and training after the intensity of college. I felt like I had more freedom to develop my game, and I was with a great group of girls so it was a fun experience.

How has returning to Team Hawks been? I grew up playing juniors for Hawks, but only got a few seasons of SBL in before I left for college. So I’m glad to be back. Some of the girls are still around from when I left, so its awesome playing with them again. I remember telling them when I left for college that I would be back in 4 years and they better still be there! Now there’s plenty of fresh faces too and it’s exciting to see the young players I used to see around WABL now playing at the SBL level (although it does make me feel kind of old!). While we didn’t get a win last week, it’s still early days and I think we’re still getting used to playing with each other and the coaches. We showed some promising signs and with a bit more practice and a few more games, we’ll put it together and have a successful season.

Favourite moment or moments playing: 2007 Grand Final Hawks SBL Women. College - my senior night which was my final game on our home court which my family was there to see

Name 8 of your favourite things you couldn't live without: My family, my close friends from college and home, good music, roast lamb, chocolate, coffee, basketball, the beach.

Favourite quote: "What could we accomplish if we knew we could not fail?" - Eleanor Roosevelt

 

 

Article: Lani Munnee 

Photo: Sebastian Komatsu