Sports Stars - Boston Mazlin (Basketball, Athletics, Touch, Oz Tag and maybe Aussie Rules.

This weeks star is Boston. Boston can do it all, and at his age he is having trouble deciding what sport he really wants to pursue. He is outstanding at Basketball, Oz Tag, Touch and Athletics. Aussie Rules is interested because of his athleticism, yet through it all he has remained very grounded. It is an interesting balancing act that his parents go through with all the sports that he is involved in. That goes for all the parents we have interviewed so far, the balancing act of allowing the kids to pursue sporting ambition while still being active on the school front.

ls: What sports do you play?
bm: Basketball, Oz Tag, AFL, Soccer.
ls: What clubs do you play for?
bm: Whirlwinds Basketball, Black Hawkes Oz Tag and AFL Hawkes
ls: What position do you play?
bm: Point Guard. 
ls: How long have you been playing?
bm: 7 years
ls: Who is your sporting hero?
bm: Kevin Durant from the Oklahoma City Thunder
ls: What representative honours have you achieved?
bm: Oz Tag I've represented Townsville and Queensland and in Basketball, Townsville and North Queensland.
ls: How did you get involved in these sports?
bm: Both my parents played basketball.
ls: How much time is involved?
bm: Training 3 time a week and shoot everyday.
ls: What is the best part of playing sports?
Lauren: Team mates and the trips away.
ls: What is the worst part of playing sport?
bm: Long hours training.
ls: What was your favourite event?
bm: The Classics (Basketball), travel with the team and play for a week in tournaments.
ls: Why did you choose these sports?
bm: I chose basketball because my parents played it and AFL because my cousins play it
ls: What is your biggest accomplishment in your sport?
bm: Winning the under 12 basketball final and scoring 45 points.
ls: What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?
bm: Shoot everyday and listen to coaches.
ls: What would be your ultimate achievement?
bm: To play for Australia and to go to college in the United States
ls: How do you set your goals?
bm: It depends on the tournament I am getting ready for.
ls: What is the best advise you were ever given?
bm: Play hard and have fun.
ls: Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by?
bm: You have to want to succeed more than you want to breath.
ls: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
bm: My Mum & Dad, they help me so much, without them I could not do what I do.
ls: What do you do in your spare time away from the sport?
bm: Train and video games.
ls: Do you have a pre-match routine?
bm: Stretch and shoot the ball.
ls: Anything else you would like to share?
bm: Thanks to all the coaches who have put time into me.

Bostons parents are both successful in their own right. I met Justin and Megan a few years ago while doing club photos for some of the Basketball clubs in Townsville. It was obvious that Justin had a love of photography similar to mine, so we have spent a lot of time taking cameras and action photography. Every time Boston is playing a sport, there is Justin with his camera trying to capture the perfect image.

ls: Thanks for bringing Boston in for today's shoot. How much time is spent driving and attending training and game days?
jm: We live close by so not much time in travel. Boston trains about 9 hours a week.
ls: Is there a limit to the number of sports they can play?
jm: Yes, they have started to clash so a decision will have to be made to choose only a few sports soon.
ls: Are there benefits to them playing different sports?
jm: Getting to know a range of different people and dealing with those people. 
ls: Are there difficulties in getting them to play the sport and in getting them to practice and train?
jm: No, Boston enjoys training.
ls: Do you enjoy going to the games?
jm: Yes.
ls: How much impact does the cost of the sports have?
jm: It hasn't yet, but as he gets older I'm sure it will start.
ls: Thanks for your time Boston and Justin, good luck in the future with you goals and ambitions. I have seen how hard you train so I'm sure you will do very well into the future.

I know that the background on the last image is not the Oz tag grounds, but you have to admit it is a spectacular background. This will be the last sports star for a couple of weeks, we are of to get background images. Please email the office if you are interested in participating in the project. We will get back to you.

Sports Stars: Lauren (Rowing & Netball)

Our week 3 sports star in Lauren, a student at Saint Margaret Mary College in Townsville. Leiden Studios has been fortunate enough to have know Lauren since she was very young and have watched her develop into who she is today.

ls: What sports do you play?
Lauren: Netball & Rowing.
ls: What clubs do you play for?
Lauren: Phoenix Netball and Saint Margaret Mary College Rowing.
ls: What position do you play?
Lauren: WD, GD, GK (Wing Defense, Goal Keeper and Goal Defense) & I row in 3 seat.
ls: How long have you been playing?
Lauren: 6 years netball and this was my first year of rowing.
ls: What representative honours have you achieved?
Lauren: Div 1 Townsville Netball 2012-2013, Div 2 TCNAI 2013. I won the under 14 single sculls rowing at the Queensland State Titles  earlier this year.
ls: How did you get involved in these sports?
Lauren: With netball, my mother started watching and encouraged me to join. With rowing my brother, Tom, had started the year before and I was determined to give it a try 
ls: How much time is involved?
Lauren: When both sports are going it is about 18 hours a week, only including the official training sessions.
ls: What is the best part of playing sports?
Lauren: The feeling that you have achieved something you never thought was you could accomplish.
ls: What is the worst part of playing sport?
Lauren:The worst part is making a mistake that affects the whole team.
ls: What was your favourite event?
Lauren: I loved the State championships because of the friends going and because of the bus ride and competition.
ls: Why did you choose these sports?
Lauren:I chose netball because it is fun and always challenging. I chose rowing because all my closest friends are also doing it and it's an all round fitness sport.
ls: What is your biggest accomplishment in your sport?
Lauren: Winning the under 14 single skulls at the QLD State Titles.
ls: What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?
Lauren: Always pushing how hard I can go, how strong I really am.
ls: What would be your ultimate achievement?
Lauren: My ultimate achievement would be to win the under 15 single scull for Queensland and maybe to go to the nationals, eventually.
ls: How do you set your goals?
Lauren: I set my goals with small distances so that I can have something to look forward too.
ls: What is the best advise you were ever given?
Lauren: YOLO (You only live once).
ls: Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by?
Lauren: Life is not measured by how many breaths that you take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
ls: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Lauren: My Family.
ls: What do you do in your spare time away from the sport?
Lauren: watch movies.
ls: Do you have a pre-match routine?
Lauren: I talk to myself coming up and crack my right thumb.
ls: Anything else you would like to share?
Lauren: Not at this stage.

After the first couple of interviews we were getting quite a variety of responses. We also had a range of parents asking what the requirements were to be included in this project with a couple not being able to go to representative sides due to a variety of reasons. So we though we get get a bit of feed back from the parents as well.

ls: Thanks for your time deb and for bringing Lauren in for this shoot. How much time is involved  with travel to training and to compete?
Deb: The bus takes Lauren to school, but for the rest about 2 hours a week with pick ups and drop offs.
ls: Is there a limit to the number of sports they can play?
Deb: Not really as long as there is a balance with their sport and school work.
ls: Are there benefits to them playing different sports?
Deb: the diversity of friends and the different muscle groups that it works. 
ls: Are there difficulties in getting them to play the sport and in getting them to practice and train?
Deb: SMMC helps with transport but netball we have tot drop off and pick up.
ls: Do you enjoy going to the games?
Deb: Always.
ls: Thanks for your time Lauren and Deb, good luck in the future with you goals and ambitions. As a rower I know how difficult and time consuming the sport can be, so good luck defending the title next year.

Sports Stars 2 - Chloe (Netball)

Our week 2 sports star is Chloe, who currently plays for the Phoenix Netball club in Townsville. She plays in the under age team and the Premier League. She has represented Townsville at the State Championships and made North Queensland sides. She is currently going through the trials process to made the QLD state side. Chloe attends Saint Margaret Mary School. We sad down with Chloe and her grand mother to talk about what she has achieved so far in Netball.

ls: What sports do you play?
cc: Netball & Touch.
ls: What clubs do you play for?
cc: Phoenix Netball and Brothers Touch.
ls: What position do you play?
ls: GD & GK (Goal Keeper and Goal Defense)
ls: How long have you been playing?
cc: 8 years.
ls: Who is your sporting hero?
cc: Laura Geitz from the QLD Firebirds and Australia. (Laura is currently the captain of the Australian Netball side)

ls: What representative honours have you achieved?
cc: Townsville, North Queensland and QLD Netball Squad.
ls: How did you get involved in these sports?
cc: Through my mother and friends. 
ls: How much time is involved?
cc: 6 days a week
ls: What is the best part of playing sports?
cc: Going away to carnivals with my teams.
ls: What is the worst part of playing sport?
cc: Having to balance sport with school work.
ls: What was your favourite event?
CC: Going away with my North Queensland netball team.
ls: Why did you choose these sports?
cc: I chose to play netball as my older sister played netball and my mum loved the sport. I chose to play touch because I wanted to participate in a fun sport with all my friends.
ls: What is your biggest accomplishment in your sport?
cc: Winning sports women of the year and making the Queensland Under 17's State Netball team.
ls: What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?
cc: Always try my best and push myself each training session and game.
ls: What would be your ultimate achievement?
cc: To make a Queensland and then Australian team for netball.
ls: How do you set your goals?
cc: I set my goals by creating new challenges.
ls: What is the best advise you were ever given?
cc: Never give up, try your hardest, play hard but enjoy yourself.
ls: Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by?
cc: Be the best person that you can be.
ls: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
cc: Famous sports people, my coaches and my mother.
ls: What do you do in your spare time away from the sport?
cc: Spend my time with my family and friends.
ls: Do you have a pre-match routine?
cc: I eat a small snack.
ls: Anything else you would like to share?
cc: Not at this stage.
ls: Thanks for your time Chloe, good luck in the future with you goals and ambitions. Thanks also to your grand mother for bringing you to the shoot. 

Leiden Studios has been lucky enough this year to have photographed both Chloe and her older sister this year. I would like to thank the Cooper family for the privilege and offer both girls all the success in the future.