Wagga hockey ace Dylan Martin recalls hearing from countless sporting stars during years of Wagga High School assemblies.
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But the roles were reversed on Wednesday.
Just one year removed from school, it was Martin taking to the stage to address the masses.
The young gun took the time to discuss his experiences playing at the highest level, his talk coinciding with the presentation of Wagga High’s annual sports awards.
Martin said that despite initial nerves commonly associated with public speaking, he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
“I never thought I’d be up there but it was actually really good, giving some advice to the kids,” he said.
“It was definitely very different, going from being in the audience to speaking on stage.”
Fresh off of winning the Sultan of Johor Cup with the Australian under 21 team, Martin said he had savoured the rare opportunity to rest upon returning home three weeks ago.
But he didn’t put his feet up for long.
“I’m still keeping fit, running and working in the gym,” he said.
“I’ve stayed off the sticks for a bit though, just for a bit of mental recovery.”
Martin will return to Sydney on Friday, before resuming national team duties when he attends Australian camp in December.