Smacking hockey sticks and plastic battle armour

Goalie Wars!

For the winter term and for the activity side of CAS, I was a goal keeper for the 3rds/4ths hockey teams, training for an hour every Monday, Tuesday and having a match every Saturday. I was under the guidance of Mrs Nicol, Gypo, (goalie coaches) Mr Lambert and Dr. Walters (hockey coaches), improving my defence in the goal. My week was divided thus: Mondays was goalie training, Tuesday and Thursdays were team training and Saturday was dedicated to matches. 

Footwork!

This training, although fun, was certainly challenging. My main aim was to improve my confidence within the D and my aggression. I'm not a naturally loud or that aggressive, but you have to be to be a good goalie. You have to order your own defence, tell them where to go or who to mark or maybe to just get out of the way as you barrel your way forwards. We also worked on footwork and diving, footwork involving dribbling balls between cones, the diving was done with Gypo shooting balls at you at a million miles an hour!

It was great fun though. I got to know my fellow goalies better, girls who you wrestled and also laughed with on the astro. I gained more confidence in myself and it was good to let out some of the pent up stress on the pitch, because really, kicking a ball so hard that non padded girls squeal and jump out of the way does feel really good. There is also the satisfaction in a game when you have expelled that ball from your D and watching the opposition retreat defeated. You almost feel like shouting: "This is my territory. Come in at your own risk!" Even before the match has started, you feel like a warrior when you pull on the scuffed (and very smelly) pads.

Goalie training

There is another good thing about being a goalie in a game of hockey: you will always be needed. I was an important part of the team and always looked forward to our matches. It felt good to fight for my school, even if I was only in a minor team. It felt good to be part of something that made my school and classmates proud. 

My team was a group of girls who, like me, just loved to play hockey and were always keen to warm me up with a few practise shots before the beginning of a session. We battled the Edinburgh winter weather to train altogether and I grew to know my defence pretty well. We talked about how to do short and long corners and developed a strategy together that worked to drive the opposition out. We formed the base of the team, trying our hardest to keep that ball out. Indeed the defence was so good there were whole matches where I didn't need to move at all!

All in all, I've really enjoyed my time training as a goalie. It is something that challenges me and gives me great joy just to get out onto that pitch and feel like a part of a team, albeit a minor one. I hope to continue next season and maybe move up through the ranks of the teams. 

Comment question: what's your favourite sport and why?