Brother, sister acts captaincies
Whanganui age group hockey captains (from left) Charlotte and Rebecca Baker and Blake and Connor Hoskin are on national duties over the next two weeks.
Brother and sister act captaincies will be a major motivating force for four upcoming Whanganui age group representative hockey team assignments.
Two brothers and two sisters are captains and role models for under-13 and under-15 girls and boys' sides about to embark on national duties.
Whanganui High School Year 10 student Connor Hoskin (14) will captain the Wanganui U15 boys team at the national U15 Boy's Championships in Invercargill from Monday to Saturday next week, while Year 11 school mate Rebecca Baker (15) will lead the U15 girls at the National U15 Girls' Championship in Timaru during the week.
The following week, younger brother Blake Hoskin (Year 8 Whanganui Intermediate) will captain the U13 boys at the Hatch Cup U13 Boys National Tournament in Auckland and Baker's younger sister Charlotte (Year 8 Kaitoke School) will lead the U13 girls at the Rawleighs Girls U13 Tournament in Hawkes Bay.
All four captains have been involved with hockey from a young age having all played at under-11 rep level which Hockey New Zealand no longer offers.
All have also have been in the U13 reps for three years - this is Blake's and Charoltte's third year, but this will never happen again as new rules stipulate that only Year 7/8 players can trial for the U13 teams.
Both Connor and Rebecca have also been in the U15 team for three years - this being their third year. Both play in the first X1 teams at WHS and have been in this team since Year 9. Rebecca also made the Central U18 team this year.
All four players umpire too. Connor and Rebecca received their NZ Community Umpires badge this year, giving up every Monday night to referee the Intermediate League. They are both also involved with the U13 teams and are used at mini tournaments to referee their games.
Blake (12) and Charlotte (13) referee at Gonville on Wednesday afternoon in the Junior League, while Blake received the 6-aside Most Improved Umpire and Charlotte the Junior Female Umpire of the Year award.
They will all be attending Central Hockey camps in the new year and are worthy role models for the sport who give back to the Whanganui community.
As for their chances for upcoming assignments all four captains are confident of solid performances at national level.
Connor Hoskin's U15 boys side is unbeaten this season, while Rebecca Baker's girls side has only lost once. Of the younger set Hoskin's U13 lads have also only lost once, while Charlotte Baker's girls have lost three of eight matches.
All four agree their upcoming assignments are a major step up in class, although each team has improved with each year at this level.
By Iain Hyndman
Wanganui Chronicle 28/9/17