Captain of Ashton International College, defending champions of the Durban North Regional, Tayla Gibbons is looking forward to a feast of hockey this Saturday.

Gibbons will lead her team in the next tourney of SPAR KZN School Girls’ Hockey Challenge which takes place at Crawford La Lucia tomorrow March 25.

The feisty all rounder player, whose role model is celebrated SA Hockey player Pietie Coetzee, usually plays forward or link but is happy in other positions and “will play where I am needed.”

The 18-year old, who enjoys scuba diving in her spare time, also manages to play indoor and outdoor netball and soccer for the school.

Based in Ballito on the KZN coast, Tayla started playing hockey when she was 6 in Grade 1 and says that what she most enjoys about the game is “the family atmosphere that is created by the wonderful team and coaches and the obvious bonus of making such great friendships along the way.”

“The best bit of advice we got from our coaches, who are so passionate about the game, was to simply accept what happens on the field and play through no matter what.

“It’s definitely got me through so many tough games and situations,” she says.

The grade 12 pupil, cites biology as her favourite subject, and wants to study advanced life support or occupational therapy either at UCT, Stellenbosch or in the UK, but not before travelling a little bit beforehand.

Ashton has won this regional three times and have made it through to the finals which are played at St Mary’s DSG in Kloof in July.

Gibbons recalls how, despite the freezing cold and wet weather, playing in the finals last year  “really brought brought the team so close together. It was fantastic.”

And words she lives by? “Never give up” its a phrase my dad’s been telling me since I was as a little girl.

“It helps when things get tough and you have to push through.”

Ashton joins host school Crawford College La Lucia together with Crawford College North Coast, Danville Park Girls’ High School, Our Lady Fatima DCS and Reddam House Umhlanga at Crawford La Lucia in the Durban North Regional.

The regional begins at 7am and is in a round robin format with games lasting 18 minutes each.

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