https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/sport/local-sport/return-to-club-hockey-to-be-steph-kershaws-toughest-challenge/news-story/ea07953bd9b6708aaa2ac757f3719485 INTERNATIONAL hockey may be off the agenda for the foreseeable future, but a return to club roots could be on the cards for Townsville ace Stephanie Kershaw. The Hockeyroo, now based in Perth with the national set up, had endured a tumultuous run with ACL injuries — a period which finally ended when she donned the green and gold in the FIH League this year. She had built momentum, trusted the knee that had previously plagued her, and appeared on course for a maiden Olympic Games. But with the Tokyo showcase postponed until 2021, and the Australian Hockey One competition following suit, competitive outlets are scarce for the time being. However there is still hope for regional sport to return as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to dwindle. While she felt the delay of the Hockey One may have been a little premature, the return of grassroots hockey could bring Kershaw back into the club fold for the first time since 2018. It is an environment where her rising calibre as a national star makes her a target on the turf. “I feel like I definitely get a few harder tackles but it’s all in good spirit,” Kershaw said.
“I actually love club, we still get to play every now and then when we’re with the Aussie stuff. It’s so much fun, the girls I play with are really good and everyone loves it. “It reminds everyone people play hockey for fun, it’s not always so intense and competitive.” Come December the Hockeyroos are set to have a training camp to determine the 2021 makeup of the national squad. While she may have solidified herself in the Australian colours after some impressive performance prior to the season’s coronavirus-enforced end, it will mean Kershaw must start the process of regaining her position all over again. The 25-year-old is no stranger to facing adversity with Olympic campaigns imminent, having suffered her first ACL in the lead up to the 2016 showcase in Rio de Janeiro. This is just another challenge she is embracing, one that has kept her working on skills in her backyard and her fitness to ensure she hits the ground running when the time comes. “I guess it was a bit frustrating for me because I only played a couple of games back from injury, but there’s not much we can do about it,” Kershaw said. “I’m just using the time in a constructive way and not get hung up on what could’ve been, (but) it is weird not to have something in the immediate future to work towards. “But with the Olympics still postponed to next year that’s still the main goal, and it’s comforting in some way to have more time.”
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AuthorI covered a vast range of sports and issues in my time with the Bulletin. Archives
June 2020
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