On Sunday 18th December it was all about the ladies, with our first ever ladies selection day taking place at Bisham Abbey, home of GB Hockey. Over 45 ladies from across the UK arrived at Bisham to play for one of thirty places up for grabs in our ladies squad.
We’ve wanted to create a ladies team for a long time so Sunday was a significant milestone for Hockey for Heroes.
Following registration the ladies were welcomed by an introduction from the management team about what it means to be part of hockey for heroes, followed by some words of encouragement by Kate Richardson-Walsh, Danny Kerry & Sam Ward.
Once the introductions were over the ladies were put through their paces with four experienced coaches assessing them during various hockey exercises on the Bisham pitch in the morning, followed by a military fitness test before lunch.
In the afternoon the ladies were back out on the pitch being assessed again by the coaches. As the afternoon went on the ladies mental and physical fitness was being tested to the limits, however they all battled through the various hockey exercises and games determined to gain a place in the squad.
““To be part of Hockey for Heroes requires more than just good hockey skills - We look at general fitness and mental toughness, but most importantly the players desire and commitment to be part of something very special””
The day was a huge success with so many great players demonstrating so many of the attributes we look for in our squad members. Everyone enjoyed the day with players sharing how much they loved being part of the selection process via personal messages and social media.
