Hockey Wairarapa regional development officer Jessie Workman is excited at the progress being made by the sport in the region.
Last year five of the province's six age-group teams earned national tournament seedings of nine or better and last week's effort by the Wairarapa under-18 women to place third at their
nationals in Wellington suggests 2011 will be no different.
Workman was assistant coach of the under-18s, whose only defeat in this year's campaign came after a penalty stroke to North Harbour in their national tournament semifinal.
Making that situation even more frustrating for the Wairarapa camp was that North Harbour went on to beat Auckland 2-0 in the final.
Wairarapa had already beaten Auckland 5-2 in pool play.
"It was a shame not to make the final because we were definitely one of the top two teams there," Workman said. "And we probably had the better of the semifinal during regular time too but we just couldn't get that second goal.
"Penalty strokes are always a bit of a lottery - it's always disappointing to lose that way."
Workman said Wairarapa were one of only a handful of teams who didn't have people specifically videoing and analysing their games or had the services of a fulltime physiotherapist.
They had just 18 players trialling for their tournament line-up, whereas Auckland and Canterbury had upwards of 70 players wanting to be part of their sides.
All told the Wairarapa under-18s played 13 matches this season with that semifinal result being the only one which did not go their way. They scored 52 goals and conceded only seven - no side at the nationals had a better defensive record.
Their 5-2 drubbing of Auckland was possibly the first time Wairarapa had beaten them in this age group and it was Auckland's first loss at the under-18 nationals for four years.
Workman sees up to five members of the Wairarapa squad being named in the New Zealand under-18 squad expected to be announced this week.
