Dilemma for all-rounder

Sporting all-rounder Zoe Cadzow excels at netball, basketball and water polo. Photo by Jane Dawber.
Sporting all-rounder Zoe Cadzow excels at netball, basketball and water polo. Photo by Jane Dawber.
There is barely room on Zoe Cadzow's school blazer for any more badges or embroidered patches listing her sporting achievements.

But that is the least of the all-rounder's problems. Her big dilemma is which one of the sporting codes she excels at to pursue.

The 16-year-old year-12 Columba College pupil cannot face a winter without netball. Nor does the idea of giving up basketball appeal. Thankfully, water polo is played in summer but athletics has been put on the back burner for now.

One thing she knows is she is not ready to make any decision just yet.

"It is going to be very difficult to make a choice," she said.

"I'm going to see how far I can go in each sport and if it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out."

There is a lot of overlap between netball and basketball and Zoe is finding it increasingly difficult to balance her commitments.

Even when pressed, Zoe could not choose between the two. But, if she had to, Zoe said she would play basketball for Otago and keep playing netball for her school.

Last year, Zoe was selected for the New Zealand under-18 Koro basketball tour to Australia in January and went again this year.

The 1.84m forward helped the John Paul-coached Otago under-17 team win the nationals and the South Island premiership in 2008, and was a reserve for the Australian Youth Olympic Festival team.

Her achievements in netball also stack up. A promising goal keep she played for the Otago under-17 A team and was a member of the Columba senior side which won the Dunedin Netball Centre A1 section and the South Island secondary schools B grade.

In the same year, she was named in the South Island school girls water polo team and was a triallist for the New Zealand school girls team and picked in an extended New Zealand squad.

She was also the Otago secondary school's under-16 high jump champion in 2008 and finished 2nd in the long jump.

Plenty to boast about, but Zoe has modest aims. She enjoys playing sport and hanging out with the friends she has made in the different codes.

Not that there is a lot of time for socialising between school work and the endless sporting commitments.

It does not come as much of a surprise to hear Zoe mention Suzie Bates as one of the basketball players she looks up to.

Bates, a dual cricket and basketball international, also excelled at several sports at school and was forced to make choices.

Zoe's younger sister, Holly (14), is following in her footsteps and plays basketball, netball and water polo.

 

 

Add a Comment