Stars of the present and future descend on Clyde Park for carnival of hockey

Elite local and statewide talent across the U11s, U13s, U15s and opens will be on show at Clyde Park this weekend.

Mai Connor. Picture: Nev Madsen

HOCKEY: Clyde Park is gearing up for a huge festival of junior and senior hockey this weekend.

With a previously scheduled U11s carnival in Brisbane cancelled earlier this year due to Covid, Toowoomba will ensure the kids get their chance to play.

Six local teams, including three Toowoomba boys and girls sides, will face off against rival regions in the next carnival on Sunday.

In between fixtures, two spectacles will shine a light on Toowoomba’s progressive talent both in the junior and senior ranks.

A hybrid game between the Queensland U13s and U15s will take centre stage, featuring a number of local representatives.

“Toowoomba will have six teams in the U11s,” Toowoomba Hockey regional hockey and coaching manager Matt Cook said.

“There’s a very healthy number of local players in the exhibition game as well. There’s 31 athletes between Toowoomba and Ipswich that have been identified, and it’s a great opportunity for them to showcase their skills.”

Then one of the real highlights of the weekend will pit the Toowoomba Opens against Queensland Country in an exhibition feature.

Queensland Country unfortunately had its trip to Cairns cancelled due to Covid, but will use this as an opportunity to represent the maroon.

For Toowoomba a young roster has been named to showcase the future women’s talent in the region.

“The Toowoomba Opens against Queensland Country will be a really good, high level game,” Cook said.

“With NSW and Victoria unable to travel, it’s a great opportunity for those that were selected to still have a game and wear the maroon.

“We’ve got seven players that played rep U18s hockey for Toowoomba this year.

“It’s more of a development team to blood some young players that haven’t represented Toowoomba Opens, and give them the chance to play with some experienced players against high level opposition.”

Toowoomba Opens: Sarah Steinhardt, Bobby Hamlet, Heidi Phillips, Emma Bradbury, Aleisha Neumann, Erin McCurley-Ault, Aimee Doveton, Mai Connor, Jessica Wallace, Lily Ricket, Rachel Macready, Tess Henare, Tannah Hood, Rene Bici, Monique Thomas, Susie Fox

Toowoomba players in Queensland Country: Sarah Bradbury, Georgina Greig, Amber Suey, Katie Wollstein, Amanda Ross, Brooke Thompson, Maddie Staff

Tatum Stewart and Ella White. Photo: Kevin Farmer/Nev Madsen

Elite hockey duo headed to Tasmania

HOCKEY: Two of Toowoomba’s brightest young prospects get their chance to showcase their skills in a new setting.

Tatum Stewart and Ella White will travel to Tasmania as part of Queensland’s high performance group.

The duo will train as part of the wider group, before taking on the host state, South Australia and Western Australia.

For Stewart the chance to travel and play high level hockey is a big incentive.

“Because of Covid we haven’t really had that opportunity over the last 12 months,’ she said.

“I was selected for three different teams to travel away.

“One was in Sydney just as their lockdown was announced in July.

“It’s a great opportunity because we haven’t been able to in so long. It’s a nice initiative.”

It marks a big week for Stewart, who was also named in the Brisbane Blaze squad for the upcoming Hockey One season.

She’s one of four locals to earn squad honours, with Rangeville teammate Aleisha Neumann also representing the women’s team.

Max Harding and Matt Finn will fly the flag for Toowoomba in the men’s squad of 30.

“Hopefully this tour away can help me to continue to develop my skills going into that part of the season,” Stewart said.

“It will be a good chance to play with a few other girls in the squad and work towards making that final team.

“At 19 I’m very fortunate to be in a good environment at the QIS (Queensland Institute of Sport). At my age I’m grateful to have access to those facilities and resources.”

Stewart and White, along with Briana Suey and Sarah Steinhardt, were chosen in the Queensland U21s team to compete at the nationals in February.

At a Toowoomba Hockey clinic at Clyde Park are (From left) Savannah Fitzpatrick, Lachlan Belanyi, Charles Suey and Tim Howard. Photo: Sean Teuma

Tokyo Olympians inspire local youngsters

HOCKEY: Aspiring Toowoomba talents were given an incredible thrill right in their own backyard.

Tokyo Olympians Tim Howard and Savannah Fitzpatrick conducted a coaching clinic at Clyde Park on Tuesday, giving young players the chance to learn from some of Australia’s elite talent.

Howard brought along his silver medal from a successful Olympic campaign, which proved a hit with the kids.

“There’s been a pretty big line at every clinic to get a photo,” Howard said.

Kids were taken through their paces with a number of drills similar to what the national teams do, with Howard saying it helps to keep them focused.

“All the stuff we do has been things we’ve worked on in Perth,” he said.

“It’s good to show (the kids) that it’s not impossible to do things that we do. It just takes training.

“If you stick at it for long enough and train hard enough you can do it. I didn’t really think I was that close and then all of a sudden you’re making your debut for Australia.”

Fitzpatrick has fond memories of playing in town as a junior, and said it was good to give back to the next generation.

“As soon as most of our hockey got cancelled at the end of this year we were both able to head back to Queensland,” she said.

“This turf, growing up Tim and I both played many junior tournaments here, so it’s great to be back here and hosting a clinic and meeting the junior locals in Toowoomba.

“When I was a junior the Toowoomba girls sides were always strong with lots of Queensland reps.

“We were all once this age so we know how memorable these sorts of times can be, so we’re really grateful to be able to come back and try to inspire the future kids that want to follow our footsteps.”

Fitzpatrick offered the advice for players to test themselves as best they could.

“Growing up when you’re among the better kids from your region, it’s just trying to train with those kids that are better again,” she said.

“We end up just playing club and regional stuff, but it’s trying to test yourself against the older kids or the quicker kids.”

Lachlan Belanyi was one of the attendees and was inspired during the morning.

“It was fun because we practised a lot of skills and we got a lot better,” Belanyi said.

“It felt like I was the silver medallist.

“When I’m older I want to go to the Olympics and become a gold medal winner.”