Asda Athletes

I must say I really enjoyed my time at Hawks this season, the girls were so welcoming and I really felt at home. I fitted right in and the team said is was like I had never not been there. We finished our first season in National League with a solid 4th place in National League East.

Our last match of the season involved taking on St Alban’s who were ahead of us in the table. It was, like all the matches we played near the end, tough and physical. St Alban’s were a good side but we played some superb hockey and both teams were very even.

The scoreline also reflects that quite nicely in that we drew 1-1. It was a glorious sunny day in Oxford that day and we had two reasons to celebrate, the first, that we had successfully held onto our 4th place which had been ours for the majority of the year and secondly it was our End of Season Dinner Dance that night in New College in Oxford. It was a great night as our men’s team had been promoted with two matches in hand so everyone was very relaxed and had a great evening in an amazing setting which the masters of proceedings made the point of telling us that the hall had been used to film Harry Potter in, well you learn something new everyday!

Unfortunately I didn’t win anything at the Dinner, probably because I only joined in January but I did pick up the Fair Play Award at our pre-dance get-to-together, apparently for my lack of cards (personally I feel it’s very hard to card a keeper but let’s keep that quiet).

For now,

J

This year was a year of massive competition for the play off Olympic berths which can only be gained by winning an Olympic Qualifying Tournament if the country had failed to qualify through their respective continental tournaments.

Ireland geographically have drawn the short straw with Europe being such a strong continent for hockey and being the base for several professional leagues in countries like Holland, Belgium and Spain who all boast very successful international sides.

Ireland didn’t qualify through Europeans so had to rely on winning their Olympic qualifier (OQ). Their OQ was initially due to be played in Belgium but when Belgium qualified through Euros the hosting spot was up for grabs, so the Ireland Hockey Association (IHA) jumped at the chance to bring the competition to Dublin.
The men had ideal conditions to qualify, they had gained enough ranking points to be placed in a tournament where they were one of the strongest teams and had the added bonus of playing in front of a home crowd.

They seemed to be breezing through the group stages dispatching weaker countries like Russia and it wasn’t until Malaysia that they were pushed but the 1-1 draw was enough to seal the deal and a place in the final against the suspected toughest opposition, Korea.

The action started in the 13th minute with the Irish drawing first blood. It was a very even game after that going 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2. Ireland had led every time.
The match looked set for extra time and golden goal. With 8 seconds left on the clock, the Koreans had gained a free outside the 25 yard line so hit it straight in a it got the faintest of touched from a Korean stick and broke Irish hearts as it crossed the goal line.

The men did their country proud and I truly really love the men’s senior team and look forward to watching them progress in the coming years.

J

As the season has finished I’ve been looking for another sport to fill my time until hockey summer league begins in mid-May. So I’ve decided to try my hand at a sport that is generally quite ridiculed and I’ll admit I do it to, and I’m only really playing it for the fitness and shuttles that you run, I’ve been playing Ultimate Frisbee.

One of the guys who is on the Christians in Sport Academy with me is a keen player and I played it once before and really enjoyed it so thought I would give it a go again.

Turns out anyone with any sporting background can play frisbee well, so for me that’s fine, all I do is run where I’m told!

I’ll be playing in a tournament called Mixed Tour in Cheltenham in a couple of weeks time for a team called Bear’s Cavalry, yes frisbee is very American I’ll admit, again I’ll emphasise, it’s for FITNESS!! Cavalry is a mixed team their first team is the best in the country, I’m playing on the highly ranked second team who are the best second team in the country. Their coach is looking to develop players and one of the interns in the office put my name to him. I’m quite excited!

For now,

J

Well happy New Year all, slightly delayed but I got it in there. Quite a few changes have happened between the last time I wrote here and where I am today but I’m really glad to say that I have been selected as an Asda athlete again this year! A big thank you is needed again!

Well this season as you can gather from my title I have joined a new club but not until after Christmas so I played the first half with Ballymoney, playing not to badly in our league defence. After Christmas however, I have moved club, moved house and moved country! I am currently living in Bicester just outside of Oxford and yes that means England not Northern Ireland, and I am currently now playing for Oxford Hawks Hockey Club on the Ladies 1sts.

The reason I find myself living in England is because I am currently a student on the Christians in Sport Academy gap year program from January to July. We do daily bible training in the offices of Christians in Sport and play for a club and I am placed in The Source church in Brackley. We have been on school mission to Doncaster last week and we are going to Bath University at 5am (:() morning to take part in uni mission.

I am really enjoying it here and Hawks are finding form at a crucial part in the season so I am hoping we can finish strongly.

For now…

J

I have to say a massive thank you to ASDA for choosing me as Northern Ireland’s ASDA Athlete of the Year! With the calibre of the other athletes in Northern Ireland I really wasn’t expecting it so it was a lovely surprise on Tuesday evening to come home to!

This year has been so big with Europeans and A levels on top so to have the backing of such a major organisation like ASDA was a dream come true!

The £300 will go to good use I assure you!