Audrey Little, daughter of Wallabies gun Jason Little, gets big break with Swifts Academy
She is the daughter of a Wallaby great now making a mark in her own sport - with a few words of advice from her father.
Manly
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He might know a thing or two about rugby but when Jason Little gives his daughter Audrey netball advice things go a little pear-shaped in her opinion.
While Little, a 75 cap veteran tore it up for the Wallabies in the 1990s, it is now his daughter claiming the sporting limelight.
“He gives me advice sometimes but it’s funny because he doesn’t know the game as well (as rugby),’’ said Audrey, who was included in the inaugural NSW Swifts Netball Academy at just 15.
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But when it comes to dealing with the pressure of the game, her training and time management, she turns to both her parents.
“Dad and mum (Bridget) both really help me. They are relaxed and really balanced,’’ Audrey said.
“Dad gives me good advice about sport in general, about attitude being important and putting in the extras. That you have to work for things and have the right attitude.’
Backed by Netball NSW and QBE Insurance, the major purpose of the Swifts Academy is to produce a top-notch assembly line of young talent to the club which won the Super Netball crown in 2019 and is waiting for the lifting of coronavirus restrictions to begin the 2020 competition.
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The Academy provides a training environment for homegrown NSW athletes who have the potential to play for the club in the future.
It also includes the Swifts training partners - the backup players for the 10-strong Super Netball team - members of the NSW Waratahs who play in the Australian Netball League and young talent identified by selectors.
Coach Lenore Blades oversees the program where athletes will benefit from up to three high-performance court sessions per week, three strength and conditioning sessions and programs involving performance analysis, skill and movement mentoring, sports psychology and recovery.
Audrey, a student from Pymble Ladies College, plays for the Manly Warringah Sapphires and was a member of the NSW under 17s team which finished second at the Australian championships. She is also involved with the NSW Institute of Sport.
“It’s all just about netball for me. I stopped all my sports this year to concentrate on netball,’’ Audrey said.
“Netball was always my favourite so I stopped touch (football).
“I’ve been playing since I was eight and I just love it. I used to do individual sports but I hated that. I like to be part of a team.’’
She is also a long-time Swifts fan.
“I’m 100 per cent Swifts,’’ she said. “I’ve been following them since I was really little so this is a real dream for me.’’