Hockey: Turfdom's teaching vital life lessons

Hockey fans Andrew Norris (left), Sophia Roydhouse-Ross, Jess Norris and Amber Roydhouse-Ross led the entourage of supporters at the Hawke's Bay Airport in Napier to greet the Bay Under-15 Invitational side.

Every Kiwi who ever played sport knows that to receive a compliment from Aussies is like receiving an unexpected bonus payment from an electricity provider.

What Hawke's Bay Invitational U15 girls' co-coach, Jonathan Heaphy, received in the two-week tour of Queensland and Sydney was a "wow" cursory glance from a Brisbane counterpart that required no interpretation.

"In the after-match speeches they didn't even say we were good," says a laughing Heaphy, accepting that it couldn't have been easy with host parents and supporters around.

However, the ease with which the Bay girls found the cohesiveness to take the ball from a free hit to plant it in the opposition's net was a sight to behold.

"When we're holding possession and keeping it off the opposition, even if we're not scoring, I'm very proud of the girls," he says.

Defender Jasmine Roydhouse-Ross attests to a philosophy of coaching that empowers them to dictate terms with confidence.

The 14-year-old says teammates came away comfortable in the knowledge it provided a template to counter the many different variations out there.

"Our team were more skilful than the Aussies and passed the ball more and got around quickest to get the ball into the goal."

Roydhouse-Ross says they had an advantage over the Aussies, having played together from the time they were Year 5 pupils.

"A couple of those teams, any other day, could have beaten us," she says.

One-match captain/defender Georgia Lane salutes the rotational policy that also passes the captain's armband around.

"It's a privilege to be a captain but we still help each other out and it's not about bossing around everyone," says the 15-year-old.

Like Roydhouse-Ross, Lane harbours ambitions to be a Black Stick someday.

"We'd like to see where hockey takes us," she says.

The players broadened their horizon between hockey matches with trips to Australia Zoo, Movie World, Wet 'n' Wild theme parks, Bondi Beach, Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, an aboriginal centre, the Art Gallery of NSW, the Fred Hollows Centre and shopping.

The pair say the girls learned a lot from the trip, both on and off the turf.

Australian tour details:

The undefeated HB U15 Girls' Invitational Australian Tour hockey team results against Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sydney representative counterparts from April 16-28:

* Ipswich Hockey Association 9-1.
* Brisbane Women's HA 5-3.
* Tweed Border HA 10-1.
* Gold Coast HA 3-2.
* Northern Sydney and Beaches HA 9-5.
* Sydney South HA 10-1.
* Sydney East HA 9-1.
* North Western Sydney HA/Northern Sydney Beaches HA Selection 13-1.

Bay team:

Bella Greig, Olivia Shannon, Lexie Heaphy, Zara Harnett (Iona College); Jasmine Roydhouse-Ross, Georgia Lane (Havelock North High); Sophie James, Rileigh Knapp, Caitlin Cotter, Jess Moffett, Molly Frame, Summer Gray, Mikeely Jones, Hannah Jones (Napier Girls' High); Jamie Wilson (Taradale High); Sasha Norris (Woodford House); Hannah Cotter (Taradale Intermediate).
Co-coaches: Jonathan Heaphy/Dominique Cresswell.
Managers: Rob Jones/Conrad Knapp.