Written by Amelia Barnes
She may be just 17 years old, but Mia Lavis is already an internationally experienced netballer with a Commonwealth Youth Games gold medal to her name.
The 181cm goal attack, who attends high school in a small town near the NSW border, will represent Victoria in the 19/U team at the upcoming National Netball Championships (NNC) from 9-14 April.
This tournament marks Lavis’ second appearance at NNC after playing in Victoria’s 17/U team in 2023, which kickstarted an incredible few months for the athlete.
Based on her performance, Lavis was selected in the 17/U national pathway squad for 2023-24, and in the Australian FAST5 team that won gold at the Trinbago 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.
“2023 was a bit of a whirlwind year for me where I was simply over the moon to make the Victorian team, let alone the Aussie squad,” said Lavis.
“Everything happened within such a short time and I'm so grateful that I was given those opportunities to learn from the very best coaches.”
Lavis impressed with her court craft and composure at the Commonwealth Youth Games, where she slotted a four-point shot in the final minute to solidify Australia’s gold medal win.
“Having the chance to represent my country at the Commonwealth Youth Games was a once in a lifetime experience that I'll never forget. It has always been a childhood dream of mine to wear the green and gold, so to have the chance to represent Australia was a surreal experience.”
Lavis also attended a camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 2023 and was rewarded with a Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) scholarship.
“Being a VIS scholarship holder is a massive honour, as it means that we get to not only develop our netball on the court, but also learn and improve our high performance behaviours off the court,” said Lavis.
“The VIS aims to help athletes strive and succeed in all areas of life, giving us access to strength and conditioning programs, nutritional sessions, and sports psychology along with performance lifestyle management.”
The VIS program has already seen Lavis play in Fiji in 2023 against various representative Fijian teams and South Australian Sports Institute athletes.
Lavis has achieved all this before even finishing high school or leaving her hometown. She is based in Howlong – a town on the border of NSW and Victoria with a population of around 3000.
Time spent in the car will quickly add up for Lavis this season after joining the Victorian Netball League (VNL). Lavis has officially signed with North East Blaze’s 23&Under team, but is expected to be elevated to the Championship division for multiple games throughout the season.
“It's a three-hour car trip to Melbourne, then three hours back. Even though it's a long trip just for a training session, the sacrifice is totally worth it as I absolutely love it and I want to take any opportunities I can to go further in my game,” said Lavis.
“The Blaze environment is like one big family as everyone is so welcoming and friendly, so I'm loving my time there so far.”
The impressive rise of Lavis speaks to her talent and dedication, and is a credit to her coaches at Howlong Football Netball Club, Wodonga Raiders, and Albury Netball Association who exposed her to early pathway programs.
“At the age of 10, I trialled for my first representative team at Albury Netball Association – a regional netball association affiliated with Netball Victoria, despite Albury being in NSW, due to Melbourne being closer to Albury than Sydney,” said Lavis.
“For many of my junior netball years, most winter Sundays were spent at rep carnivals all around north-east Victoria, where I was invited to trial for the Bendigo Academy of Sport – a netball program based in Shepparton that provided young netballers with high level coaching. This academy was my first exposure to some form of high level netball and definitely inspired me to become the best netballer I could be at the age of 13.
“I continued with the Bendigo Academy of Sport netball program for a couple of years, until I was talent identified at the North East Association Championships playing for Albury Rep, meaning that I was able to trial for the North East Talent Academy – a major stepping stone in the Victorian pathway.”
Lavis is inspired by the influx of regional talent into Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) in recent years that speaks to the depth of talent across the state. Colac-born Zara Walters has signed with the Melbourne Vixens for 2024, and Sophie Fawns (NSW Swifts) and Ali Miller (Queensland Firebirds) are both originally from Wagga Wagga, located not far from Lavis’ hometown.
“I think it's so exciting to see country players being given an opportunity in SSN as it provides inspiration and hope to other country girls that they can do it as well,” Lavis said.
“There are more pathways opportunities available to regional athletes through Academy programs, which is really great.
“Not everyone's pathway will be the same, so it's important to embrace your unique journey and put in the hard work to see where netball can take you, because there's so many amazing opportunities out there.”
Lavis still plays locally for Wodonga Raiders in the Ovens & Murray Football Netball League alongside fellow Victorian state team member Eliza Mooney.
“Eliza Mooney and I have played together since under 11s at Albury Rep [and have] both come through the pathways together.
“It's so amazing that we have the chance to play for Victoria together, it's crazy to think that two country girls who grew up playing together now get the opportunity to compete at Nationals.”
Book your tickets now for the National Netball Championships at Jubilee Park Stadium, Frankston from 9-14 April 2024
