Nicole Cusack facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 1966 Sydney |
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| Netball career | |||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position(s): GA,GS | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | National team(s) | Caps | |||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1998 | Australian Diamonds | 52 | |||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Nicole Cusack, born in 1966, is a famous former Australian netball player. She made history as the second Indigenous Australian to play for the Australian Diamonds, which is Australia's national netball team. This happened in 1989. After she stopped playing, Nicole became a very successful netball coach.
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About Nicole
Nicole Cusack was born in 1966. She grew up in the Liverpool area of Sydney, Australia.
Nicole's Sports Journey
Before she became a netball star, Nicole was a talented swimmer. She competed in the Australian Age Group Swimming Championships in 1979 and 1980. She swam in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke races. Nicole also played basketball for the Bankstown Bruins in Sydney during 1987 and 1988.
Starting Netball
Nicole began playing netball in the Randwick Netball Association. Her talent was quickly noticed. In 1982, she was chosen for the New South Wales Under 17 team. The next year, in 1983, she played as a goal attack for the New South Wales Under 19 team at the Australian Netball Championships.
Training at AIS
From 1984 to 1985, Nicole received a special netball scholarship. This allowed her to train at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). While at the AIS, she was selected for the Australian Under 21 team. This was a big step towards playing for the national team.
Playing for the Australian Diamonds
Nicole Cusack made her debut for the Australian Diamonds on April 26, 1989. Her first game was against the Silver Ferns in Auckland, New Zealand. She was part of the Australian Diamonds team that played at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. Netball was a demonstration sport at those Games.
Nicole played a total of 52 games for the Australian Diamonds. She helped her team win gold medals at two major events. The first was the 1995 Netball World Championship. The second was the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
Club Netball and Retirement
Nicole also played for club teams in Australia. She played for the Sydney Sandpipers in 1997. In 1998, she played for the Melbourne Kestrels. Both teams competed in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, which was a top netball league. After the 1998 Commonwealth Games, Nicole decided to retire from playing netball.
Coaching Career
Even after retiring as a player, Nicole Cusack stayed involved in netball. She became a highly respected netball coach. She held many important coaching roles, helping to train new generations of players.
Her coaching positions included:
- Assistant Coach for the NSW Swifts (2001)
- Netball Scholarship Coach at the AIS (2008–2009)
- Assistant Coach for the Australian Under 21 World Champion team (2010)
- Specialist Coach for the Australian Diamonds (2008–2012)
- Specialist Coach for the Queensland Firebirds (2010–2014)
- Assistant Coach for the South Africa Proteas (2015–2019)
Awards and Recognition
Nicole Cusack has received several honors for her contributions to netball:
- She is recognized in the New South Wales Hall of Champions.
- She was inducted into the Netball New South Wales Hall of Fame in 2007.
- She is also part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sports Hall of Fame.
