Pitch Perfect

Two softballers from Glen Waverley campus, Nicky Martin and Maddie Yung, will travel to Sydney in January to represent Victoria in the Australian Under 17s Softball Championships. Nicky Martin began playing softball when she was in Year 1 because “…it sounded like fun to hit a ball around the park.” Now in Year 10, she is consistently working her way up through the ranks, being selected in numerous Victorian state teams.

During the softball season, Nicky undertakes up to six or seven training sessions a week (around 12 hours), plus games and outside organised training times. On Saturdays, Nicky spends almost all day on the field, playing up to four games in a day.

Nicky is a pitcher but also plays at first and third bases. Her current teams include Wesley’s First team, School Sport Victoria 17 and Under Girls’ team, which will be playing in Adelaide in November, as well as the Softball Victoria Under 17 team, which will be playing in Sydney in January.  She will also travel to Queensland in late January to play in the Softball Victoria Under 19 State Women’s Team.

With so much softball, it is little wonder that outside of school, Nicky simply likes to do as a normal teenager does - relax and watch movies. At school, she enjoys maths and science studies the most.

When asked of her biggest sporting achievement thus far, Nicky recalls a School Sport Victoria game last year against New South Wales – Victoria won the game by just one run. Nicky pitched in what she describes as the most intense and exciting game she has ever played, and humbly adds, “I didn’t do it all myself though, I had a lot of support from my team and catcher of the game.”

Nicky would love to represent Australia one day, idolises American softball player Jennie Finch, saying she has “an amazing style to the way she pitches.”

Maddie Yung of Year 11 began playing baseball at the age of seven, and four years later branched into softball. Currently Maddie plays in four teams – in the Under 17 Victoria State team and the Wesley College Firsts team (both with Nicky), as well as the Syndal Softball Club (Waverley Association), and the Waverley Under 17 representative team.

On average, she will play two games on a Saturday, and train for up to six hours during the week. Her favourite position is catcher, but she also plays first base and short stop. Maddie considers her biggest achievement thus far being selected into the state team. She also played in an international series in Sydney, where she was very excited to meet many American college players.

Maddie regards her elder brother as her sporting idol, who currently plays college baseball in Canada – she hopes she can follow in his footsteps with playing college softball and studying in Canada; Maddie also hopes to represent Australia one day.

We wish both Nicky and Maddie all the best on and off the field!