She may be just shy of 16, but Maddi Weller has enjoyed some incredible moments in her baseball career thus far. The versatile athlete who specialises as a catcher capped off a decade of baseball by representing Victoria at the 2019 Australian Youth Women’s Championships in Canberra.
Maddi and her teammates took home bronze medals, having turned things around after an 0-3 start to the tournament. She says they broke free of their sluggish start thanks to the constant support and guidance from their coaches, including Head Coach Ursula Howard and Assistant Coaches Siobhan Stephenson and Kellie Manzie. “The development from the start to the finish of the tournament was amazing, and it was great that we were able to come away with bronze in the end,” Maddi said.
Coming away with their hard-fought first win of their AWC2019 campaign was a great feeling for the girls. “We made the coaches continue the team’s tradition with a victory lap on the way back to the motel,” Maddi added. As the starting catcher for 8 of Victoria’s 9 games, Maddi had a big role to play, and she was proud to contribute to her team, especially as they came together to bounce back from their challenging start. “It was amazing to see that we were able to pull it off and end the tournament on a high. Having to overcome these obstacles made the bronze medal feel like it was so much more meaningful.”
After hitting .632 across 9 games in 6 days for the 2nd best batting average in the tournament, as well as securing the highest putouts with 40, Maddi won’t forget about this year’s National Championships anytime soon. She also has fond memories of her first time representing Victoria last year, when the Youth Women’s team went undefeated and won gold for the first time ever at the National Championships. Selected as a development player, Maddi played the minimum number of games but she was so thankful for the experience. “It was amazing and I developed so much from being in the state program.”
Maddi has made it clear to her coaches that she’s responsible and reliable, and she served as one of the leaders for the younger girls on this year’s state squad. Plus, she put herself through her own personal fitness program, completing 3-4 half-hour sessions per week leading up to the tournament on top of state and club training. “I wanted to be physically ready for the coaches to be able to use me wherever and whenever they needed.”
Since beginning her career with T-Ball at age six before moving on to baseball at age 8, Maddi has participated in 10 winter seasons. She has no intentions of slowing down her baseball dreams, which currently see her suit up for Doncaster Dragons Baseball Club in the Victorian Summer Baseball League and Forest Hill Baseball Club in Melbourne Winter Baseball League. “I have had many opportunities and many coaches who have believed in me and made me fall in love with the game. I never want to stop playing,” Maddi said.
The standout athlete is appreciative of the avenues for female development in Victoria, including the 2016 and 2018 All-Girls Charter State Championships and the 2016/17 Winter Girls Academy. Her success in these programs led to her trying out for the State Youth Teams. “We are very lucky in Victoria to have such great female coaches, and I’m personally very lucky to have been coached by Ursula Howard, Sam Hamilton, Amy McCann, Bronwyn Gell, Vic Brown, Belinda Cannington, Siobhan Stephenson, Kellie Manzie, Shae Lillywhite and Abbey McLellan,” Maddi said. “All of these great coaches have had a big influence on me personally and I could never thank them enough for what they have done not only for me but also for women’s baseball.”
Maddi has experienced many highlights over the years, from training alongside her role models to making back-to-back state teams. She says she’s always loved training just as much of training, and this allows her to continue developing her skills to become the best baseball player she can be. “I hope to continue to improve and enjoy my baseball whilst playing club ball, and if anything else comes from that it’s a bonus.”
Seeking inspiration from the likes of Ursula Howard, Abbey McLellan, Bronwyn Gell and Belinda Cannington, Maddi plans to continue dedicating her life to her beloved baseball. Her parents stand by her dreams 100 percent, even serving as Executive Officers for the 2019 Youth Team. “We were very proud of Maddi’s tournament, not only with her playing but also how she led the younger players,” Mom Melissa Weller said. “As her parents we have only ever wanted for Maddi to enjoy what she does. To see her doing what she loves, and doing well at it, this was a time in our lives that we will always remember. She’s self-motived and dedicated to everything she does, and our future hopes for Maddi are for her to continue to keep doing what she loves and enjoy doing it.”