BUSTED knees, dislocated fingers and more than the occasional knee to the head.
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Camden Haven High School student Maddie Newman learnt it’s all part and parcel of being a futsal goalkeeper.
Especially when you represent your country at the USA National titles.
By the end of the competition, Newman’s mental and physical toughness was rewarded when she was awarded as the Australian player of the tournament.
With a bit more luck, the Australians could have finished the tournament undefeated.
Instead, they finished third with one win, one draw and one loss to show for their efforts.
In their first game they came back from 4-0 down in a 6-5 loss before they bounced back to register an 11-0 win.
They completed the tournament with a 3-all draw.
Newman said there was a variety of challenges she had to overcome individually, ranging from playing in 37-degree heat, to playing on a different-sized court to what she was used to.
“Our courts are a bit bigger and made of different material,” she said.
“We play on a basketball court, but their court is a blue, spongey field which feels harder than ours and it moves a bit.
“I felt when you landed on the court as a goalkeeper it was a bit more damaging to your body and I ended up with a dislocated finger and bruises all over my knees.”
That’s not to mention the different style of play the US teams implemented.
We play on a basketball court, but their court is a blue, spongey field which feels harder than ours and it moves a bit.
- Camden Haven High School student Maddie Newman
“They’re a bit faster than us in the way they play and they’re more direct whereas we play wide and take it a bit slower,” she said.
“We struggled to defend a bit against it.”
Newman said it was a surprise to be named the player of the tournament for the Australian side because they were all of a similar level.
“They announced it on the last day based on your attitude and how you’ve been playing,” she said.
“I thought it could have been me, but we had a lot of talented girls so I was excited about it because it was something I worked hard towards all tournament.”
The teenager said she saw fellow local futsal stars Shannon Day and Britt Hargreaves as role models.
“They represented Australia in the World Cup and I guess playing for the under-17s is basically a younger version of them,” she said.
“They’re definitely my role models and we train together sometimes.
“Seeing what they have done makes you want to work harder to be able to play in a World Cup one day.”
I felt when you landed on the court as a goalkeeper it was a bit more damaging to your body.
- Maddie Newman
