Hockey league success for Umhlali Impis defender Chris Stewart
He's been enjoying some extremely competitive hockey since moving to the North Coast.
Chris Stewart (23) has grown up in a golfing family. His dad Ian is a good golfer, his mom Debi (arguably) an even better one. And while Chris enjoys getting out there and thrashing it a country mile, it’s in the more robust sport of hockey that he has found his niche.
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He grew up in Umtentweni and is now working at Ashton International College in Ballito. In terms of schooling, he attended Creston College before heading off to Maritzburg College.
His team, the Umhlali Impis, won its division in the Durban Indoor Hockey League this year. The indoor season serves as a curtain-raiser of sorts to the main outdoor season, which unfortunately has been put on hold due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
Chris’s hockey career got going a little late, with much of his success only coming after school. In 2016, he was selected for the KZN Country Districts side that took part in the SA County Districts tournament held in Cape Town. The following year, on a tour to Rustenburg, the captain was ruled out of the tournament due to injury and Chris was called up to a leadership position.
This was perfect preparation for the following year, when he captained the KZN Country Districts side to victory in the B division at the SACD tournament, held on ‘home turf’ at Kearsney College. At the same tournament, he was selected as a non-travelling reserve for the SA Country District side.
Looking back, he said there were many different reasons he became involved in the sport. One of these was – back in primary school days – that two of his friends, Bayley du Plessis and Josh Brauteseth were playing for Sports Kidz, a hockey academy run by Lindy Horlock. “I joined up to spend more times with my mates and never looked back,” he said. “Another influence was my father, Ian. According to him, he was quite the player back in the day!”
Over the years he has enjoyed meeting all the many different characters who play the game. “There are always stereotypes of hockey players, and I find it fascinating, especially considering some of the people that I have played with and against over the years. Hockey is also an incredibly competitive sport,” he said.
Chris has enjoyed playing in various positions in the team. “An old hockey saying that my first coach often repeated has stuck with me for years: ‘A good hockey player can play every position’. So true to that, I have played all over the pitch. However, I am a defender/midfielder at heart.”
He’s earned a reputation as an attack-minded, determined defender, one who plays for the team and loves nothing more than to find a teammate with a deceptive pass. One season he battled through despite injury. “My knee kept popping out of its socket for some reason. In true Stewart stubbornness, I never got it checked.”
He also padded up and stood in goal one Sunday morning when the goalkeeper didn’t show up. “I then volunteered my services as a shot-stopper and proceeded to concede four goals in the first half. We were halfway through the season and unbeaten. At half time, I suggested taking the kit off and becoming a kicking back, to which the coach agreed. We ended up winning the game 5-4. There were a lot of laughs that day.”
Looking ahead, he can’t wait to get back onto the pitch. He’s hoping to play regularly in the Premier League in Durban and possibly making a KZN side one day.
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