Ben Madgen on Family, Resilience and Finding the Game

Ben Madgen on Family, Resilience and Finding the Game

Every athlete has a moment they can point to: the first time a ball lands in their hands and something clicks. For former Australian representative and Sydney Kings captain Ben Madgen, that story began in a basketball-loving family in Williamstown, South Australia, long before professional sport was on the horizon.

Basketball was a big part of life in the Madgen household. Ben grew up alongside siblings who would also go on to achieve success in elite sport, including his sister Tess Madgen, who represented Australia with the Opals. Surrounded by competition, encouragement and a love of sport, Ben developed an appreciation for hard work from an early age.

His pathway was built through community sport. He played basketball at Faith Lutheran College, was part of a South Australian state championship-winning school team as a teenager, and spent countless hours developing his game through local programs and competitions. Like many young athletes, his journey was shaped by coaches, teammates, family support and the opportunity to keep showing up and improving.

Every sporting journey has challenges, and Ben's arrived early. In his first NBL season with the Sydney Kings, he found himself fighting for opportunities and working to prove he belonged at the professional level. It was a difficult period, but rather than walking away, he committed himself to getting better every day.

Ben has spoken openly about how setbacks can become turning points. He approached training with renewed determination, focused on controlling what he could, and gradually earned greater opportunities within the team. By the end of the 2010-11 season, he had been named the NBL Rookie of the Year.

What followed was an impressive professional career. Ben captained the Sydney Kings between 2012 and 2015, represented the Australian Boomers program, and played professionally in Belgium, Lithuania and Germany. Along the way he earned recognition including NBL Most Improved Player honours, selection in the All-NBL First Team and the NBL scoring title.

For Ben, however, sport was never only about individual achievement. Throughout his playing career he was committed to giving back to the community that had supported him. Through Madgen's Message of Hope, he helped create meaningful experiences for children facing serious illness and their families, using the game he loved to bring moments of connection and joy.

That commitment to community continues beyond retirement. Ben has remained involved in helping athletes think about the impact they can have away from competition, reinforcing the idea that sport can be a powerful vehicle for positive change.

Ben Madgen's story highlights something important: success is rarely a straight line. Behind every achievement are years of learning, persistence, setbacks and support from a community that believes in you. Those experiences help build confidence, resilience and a sense of belonging that extend far beyond the scoreboard.

Not every child who tries a sport will become a professional athlete, and that is not the goal. The real value lies in taking part, making friends, learning new skills and discovering what is possible through effort and teamwork. Every sporting story starts somewhere, usually at a local court, field, pool or community centre.

At the Y NSW, our Learn to Play programs help children take those important first steps. Whether they are trying a sport for the first time or building confidence to keep going, we aim to create welcoming environments where every young person has the opportunity to learn, grow and belong.

Ready to help a young person start their story? Explore Y NSW Learn to Play programs today.