Melanie Riley
PRUDENCE Johnson recently represented the region in the Under 12 girls basketball statewide school’s competition in the Gold Coast.
The 11-year-old Millicent basketballer has been playing the sport for about three years.
“I started when I was young – there was a magic hoop session where all the little kids would come and prepare for basketball and train every Tuesday,” Prudence said.
Prudence’s mum, Trinity Fauchelle, put her forward for the competition, seeing the opportunity as a chance for her daughter to experience something different within her sport.
“I just wanted to open Prudence up to more opportunities,” Fauchelle said.
“She is very competitive, so I wanted her to go up and see all of the other talent that is in South Australia.
“Everyone in her team were District players – they live and breathe basketball.”
Prudence made the trip to Adelaide for trials with 102 other girls from around the state and was chosen for the team for her defensive skills and her physical, strong play on the court.
“On the first day I thought they were really good and I probably wouldn’t make it,” Prudence said.
“Then I got to the second day and I thought I still might not make it.
“And then on the last day, I knew I wanted to make it in and thought I’d try my hardest and then I got in.
“I was very happy, but I was really nervous.”
Upon selection, Prudence spent three months travelling to Adelaide every Saturday to train with her team and then spent a week in the Gold Coast for the competition.
The team played every day in a hard competition and placed fourth out of the six competing states, with Prudence playing the small forward or shooting guard positions for the majority of her games.
“I am usually nervous in the first half of the game but then once I got the hang of it, I played better,” Prudence said.
Fauchelle said she was proud to see Prudence represent the region, especially being from a smaller town like Millicent.
“The competition up there was phenomenal,” Fauchelle said.
“The other states, especially Queensland and Victoria, were really finely tuned at the sport.”
Prudence thanked her mum for her support, driving the five hours to Adelaide every Saturday and covering all costs involved and her coaches for the opportunity and feedback.
She said her overall experience in Adelaide and the Gold Coast was a great opportunity and she learned a lot of new skills.
“I learnt about plays and learnt about screens and how to go to the basket better,” she said.
Prudence hoped to work with Mount Gambier Pioneer Jackson Bowden for one-on-one training to continue to improve her skills on the court.
“I will need to train in my own time and get some personal training,” she said.
Prudence said she hoped to be able to find a permanent position on the court and aspired to make the Australia women’s national basketball team, the Opals.
