Cricket
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LEETON physiotherapist Jess Stoll is about to take what she hopes is the first step towards her dream of working with the Australian cricket team.
Stoll has been appointed physiotherapist for the NSW under 15s development squad that will be playing at the national championships next week.
The development squad is one of three NSW teams - alongside metro and Country/ACT - that will be competing at the competition, to be held in Sydney from next Wednesday, November 26 to December 2.
It was her role as a Riverina Girls Academy coach that put Stoll in a position to secure the physio role with the state team.
"When I came back to Leeton I was looking to get involved and Riverina Academy head coach Steven Weckert put me onto (coaching)," Stoll said.
"I was one of the development coaches for the Riverina Girls Academy.
"I went away with the under 18s and under 15s teams to the country championships.
"I went previously as a player and had a few connections. I heard they were on the hunt for a physio to cover a couple of teams and I put my hand up."
An accomplished representative cricketer and coach, Stoll has always had a love of the game.
"I have played since I was seven," she said.
"I have grown up with cricket and absolutely love it.
"I played with NSW Country and ACT when I was at school. Then I studied physiotherapy and it was my dream to get up the ranks in cricket.
"I'm only a new graduate physio and I didn't expect to get an opportunity like this so early in my career."
Stoll's role will be to take the lead on injury management.
She acknowledged the full-on nature of the championships meant managing a team of teenagers playing away from home would keep her on her toes.
"I'm hoping to do a bit of general on-field assessment and diagnosis," Stoll said.
"It is eight games in four days ... it is going to be fairly intense. I've just got to maintain optimum performance."