Olinda shining star Rosie Moult wins an AIS basketball scholarship.By Tania Martin
WNBA hopeful Rosie Moult has taken one step closer to her dream of playing professional basketball.
The 183cm tall Olinda star has been chosen as one of 27 players to undertake a scholarship with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).
Moult, who has just returned home from America, was shocked when it was announced she had won a scholarship.
“I’m not even playing at the moment because I’ve been out with a knee injury – I had to have a reconstruction,” she said.
But despite taking most of this year off from playing, Moult has shown the AIS that she is worthy of the scholarship.
She says she can’t wait to get back out on the court again and start training.
Moult hopes the scholarship will help her on the road to a career in professional basketball.
The AIS basketball scholarship program was first established in 1981 and is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading development programs.
The world number one women’s player Lauren Jackson along with Australia’s first number one NBA draft pick, Andrew Bogut, both progressed from the AIS basketball program.
AIS director Professor Peter Fricker said the institute in partnership with Basketball Australia was continuing to strengthen Australian basketball through the development of talented young athletes.
“The program aims to equip our juniors with the mental, physical and tactile skills to perform at league, national and international levels,” he said.
“And we are extremely proud of our record and tradition of producing talented basketball players who have gone on to excel at the elite level of the game.”
Moult said the scholarship would be a great opportunity to train every day as well as working on her ball handling skills and shooting.
Following the scholarship Moult hopes to go to university and study something relating to business and sport.
She also hopes to play professional basketball in either America or Europe one day.
But her ultimate dream is to play for her country in either a Commonwealth or Olympic Games.
Moult said she was looking forward to spending the next 12 months refining her basketball skills.
