Playing hockey with heart

AT the age of 23, Anelle van Deventer has already represented South Africa in 52 hockey tournaments.

This natural born sporting talent obtained her Provincial colours in hockey in the year that she first picked up a hockey stick;

was selected to play in the SA under 21 hockey team at the age of 17;

was included in the 2012 Olympics training squad the very next year;

played in the Junior World Cup in her first year at the University of Potchefstroom in 2013;

played in the Senior World Cup and the Common Wealth Games in 2014;

played in the Africa Cup World League in 2015;

and finally in the PHL Premier League, hosted in South Africa last year.

This year, she relocated to Vryheid to take on a position, which she hopes will create a legacy that will ignite a passion for hockey in Northern KwaZulu-Natal like never before.

Anelle is the new Hockey Director at Hoërskool Pionier.

“I took on the position at the beginning of the school year. Since I started, I have been very excited about the raw talent I have seen in my pupils, which can easily be developed in the next month or two,” said Anelle.

“Vryheid reminds me a lot of Vanderbijlpark, where is grew up. The town hasn’t had a lot of exposure in terms of hockey, but Pionier now has a newly built Astroturf. We want to use the Astroturf to give people more exposure to hockey and to develop a passion for the sport in the area.”

Anelle first picked up a hockey stick at the age of 13 when she began high school at Hoërskool Driehoek.

“Because I am tall, I only ever played netball before that, but it felt good to hit something. Hockey is a more aggressive sport. It is more physical and there is more running. That is part of what I liked about the sport. I found that I had a natural talent for it, which developed very quickly.

“Making it into the Olympics training squad was shocking for me. I trained in Holland for about two months during my matric year. I trained with women, who had already represented their country 300 times and some of them were old enough for me to call ‘tannie’. I learned a lot from them, but one of the most crucial lessons I learned during that time was communication. Hockey is a team sport, and if team members don’t understand each other, both on and off the field, it can be a disaster. Playing a team sport, however, also means that you get to know the other players so well that they become like family. If you are down, there is always someone to pick you up, or give you a pat on the shoulder.”

Anelle has just completed her Bachelor of Commerce degree in Economics and International Trade and says she enjoys numbers just as much as she enjoys hockey. “Playing hockey professionally doesn’t really generate an income in South Africa so you have to ensure you have viable career options while you pursue your passion,” she explained.

Asked how her passion for hockey has shaped her personal outlook on life, Anelle responds by describing the deep disappointment she sometimes feels when she trains hard but isn’t selected to play in a match. “During those moments, you really start to doubt yourself and your ability, but my passion for hockey has taught me that if you are truly passionate about something, you will persevere through those moments of self-doubt and get back on the field, trying harder to be better than before.”

Anelle is planning to host her first public hockey clinic at Pionier on February 24.