Sophie Paulyshyn started playing in the Marcellin Eagles U9 MC2 girls’ team in Winter Season 2008 before progressing through the various age groupings U8, U10, U12, U14, U16 and U18 in the ensuing Summer seasons and U9, U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19 in the Winter seasons. Sophie has always been viewed as an incredibly valuable team player, prepared to put her body on the line for her fellow teammates and more than happy to share in the enjoyment of simply playing the game and being part of the wider team. Sophie has embodied the Club’s mission which is to become a strong and competitive player whilst having fun and making friends along the way.

As a junior Club member, Sophie was committed to attending all her training sessions, often spending many hours separately practising her shooting on the Marcellin Stadium courts whilst waiting for training to start or filling in time before heading off to train with her VJBL team at Warrandyte. Sophie has demonstrated high levels of sportsmanship and fair play in her time as a MEBC/YEBC player and always respecting her coaches, her teammates, her opponents, and games officials.

Away from playing, Sophie assisted in training sessions which the Club ran at several primary schools under the guidance of Kylie Coen, a previous MEBC President. Since then, Sophie has also enthusiastically volunteered her time, energy, and expertise to coach several MEBC and subsequently YEBC junior basketball teams. Sophie is viewed as wonderful role model for the Club’s younger players in the way she has channelled her enthusiasm for the sport and her patience when working with the much younger age groups, both boys’ and girls’ teams, and in Summer 22/23 with the U18 MC1 girls’ team.

After finishing as a player and to continue her connection with the Club, Sophie joined the
Committee as a junior Committee Member, before working alongside Chelsea Edgar as they stepped up to jointly take on the Girls’ Coordinators role. Her presence has often been low profile and behind the scenes but nevertheless has been essential to the successful outcome of coordinating our girls’ teams. Sophie has not shirked from any task or hard conversation in coordinating the players, teams, coaches, and parents.

Sophie has demonstrated significant, sustained, and high-quality service enhancing the reputation and future of basketball within the YEBC and for this reason Sophie Paulyshyn is very deserving of the award of Life Membership.