Hockey a Williams family affair as three sisters picked for National Hockey Championships
Three North Coast sisters, two of them twins, have been picked to compete in the U18 Australian Championships on the Gold Coast, among other skilful regional players.
Grafton
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A Clarence Valley hockey club has had three sisters, two of them twins, picked to compete in the U18 Australian Championships on the Gold Coast.
Twins Shaniqua and Shelera, as well as sister Martina Williams, will join fellow Grafton player Eliza Berrick, Hollie Matthews and Emily Hosking from the Far North Coast squad, and Coffs Coast’s Evie Laverty and Maia Adamson, in the State and Blues teams.
They will head north to Queensland to compete in early July
The trio’s mother, Leanne Williams, attributes her daughters’ success to having hockey in their blood.
“I started playing hockey at age 10 and have been playing for over 45 years,” she said.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes within those hockey fields.”
All five of her daughters have followed in her footsteps and taken part in representative and state level competitions.
“My eldest still plays with me in Baileys Diamonds club – that’s Trista and Pamela. We play in the second grade and the three young ones are in A-grade,” Ms Williams said.
It’s perhaps no surprise then the three members of the family will soon be donning state colours.
Martina made the State team, while the twins will play for the Blues team.
The Williams engaged with NSW Futures Academy to take part in a hockey pathways program, which offers talented players advanced training and skills development.
“They train in Grafton and have to go away for certain camps. Then they have selection camps,” Ms Williams explained.
The sisters learned of their selection in early May after competing for their local grassroots Grafton club, the Baileys Diamonds, in another under-18s tournament.
“The girl’s have had their first training run last week, so it was a quick turnaround,” Ms Williams said.
Ms Williams said the girls were all “very excited”.
“I had my fingers crossed the whole three would get in because it’s hard explaining to one she didn’t get in … but they’re ecstatic … they’re jumping around the house,” she said.
The Williams sisters spend most of their time out on the field during school holidays, their mum said.
“Over Christmas break I hardly saw them at all because they’d go around and practice at the hockey field to get better … it’s really paid off,” Ms Williams said.
Martina and Shaniqua play as forwards or strikers, while Shelera plays in the midfield.
“It’s the three of them going away, so that’s extra special,” Ms Williams said.
The best players in the nation, including the young sisters, will be on the Gold Coast from July 3 to 11
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