How do Team Canada athletes celebrate the holidays? Here is your chance to find out! Enjoy this exclusive peak into the Christmas adventures of several Canadian field hockey athletes.
Our favourite holiday traditions…
“Opening the stockings with my family. We always get at least one pair of underwear in our stocking and as soon as you open them you have to wear them on your head.” – Thea Culley
“Playing outdoor hockey because it’s the greatest Canadian past-time known to man.” – Brandon Barber
“Going to Australia and doing nothing but surfing and playing on the beach.” – Adam Froese
“Given that my family is from Poland, my favourite tradition is the fact that we start celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve rather than on the 25th (…yes that means I get my presents before most of you!). What I particularly love about this tradition is that it is a day of cooking, eating, and celebrating with the whole, and often extended, family.” – Antoni Kindler
The best Christmas presents ever!
“Has to be a plastic ice hockey net that I got when I was about 5 years old. I still remember being in awe of this massive box under our Christmas tree and looking at my older brother with complete anxiety wondering whether it was for him or for me. Luckily it wound up in my hands and it was definitely put to good use!” – Kindler
“Mini stick hockey net – meant we never had to stop playing hockey.” – Barber
“I have two favourite Christmas gifts. One was my first bicycle. It was a white and purple Rainbow Bright edition banana seat bike with steamers coming out of the handle bars and a white basket on the front. My dad helped me put my Ghost Busters “Slimer” bike horn on it as well.
My second was a party dress I begged my mom for when I was about 4 years old. It was a drop waist, had a green velvet bodice and the puff sleeves and puff skirt were iridescent green and purple. I wore it with a crimped side pony and clip on earrings. If I were still 3 feet tall I would wear it this New Years!” – Culley
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Our fondest Christmas memories…
“Building my Grandma’s Christmas tree.” – Barber
“Flying home to surprise my parents on Christmas Eve.” – Froese
“My favourite Christmas memories are the nights when I have been out visiting friends and I come home to a sleeping house. Outside, the snow drifts and glitters in the street lamps. The wood fire place is blazing and combined with the Christmas tree lights, the house feels really warm and cozy. It feels like home.” – Culley
Our most devastating holiday experiences…
“While attending Christmas Mass someone broke into our house and stole half of our Christmas presents. Luckily, the other half where hidden so, thankfully, we still got something under the tree.” – Froese
“After building my parents a snowman made of balloons, 2 of the 3 had popped.” – Barber
“My sister Paige and I both got remote control race cars for Christmas. We were racing them around the house and our (my) competitiveness got out of hand. I kicked her car over, causing her to become enraged and chase me into the bedroom where I hid under the covers. She aimlessly hit the lump that was my body catching me in the face and giving me a bleeding nose. She got in trouble leaving me the victor….This was lastyear…well maybe not last year but we were both old enough to know better.” – Culley
Looking ahead to 2013…
“2013 will be a very busy, but eventful year with plenty of tours and competitions. Training will be intense but excited to see improvements.” – Froese
“I’m most looking forward to getting back onto the pitch and competing. Although there are many things that I am thankful for that happened during this past year, from a hockey standpoint, 2012 certainly did not go exactly as planned. With this in mind I have a number of individual and team goals that I am eagerly ready to pursue, and I look at 2013 as a true starting point for our journey towards the Rio Olympics!” – Kindler
“I’m looking forward to a new year bringing new challenges…and perfecting the use of “the sock bun”. – Culley
“I look forward to stepping further outside of my comfort zones and raising the bar.” – Barber
