Women’s National Team training camp set to identify athletes for 2015 squads

With a busy and important 2015 competition season just around the corner, the Canadian Senior Women’s National Field Hockey Team will be holding a training camp in Vancouver from November 18-20^th in order to identify athletes who will compete for squads moving into the new year.

The primary purpose of the camp is to monitor the fitness and progress of the current Women’s National Team while at the same time using the opportunity to provide those athletes who have impressed throughout 2014 an additional opportunity to push their claims. As such, thirteen additional athletes will attend Camp, joining the Senior Team in the three-day camp.

“Over the past 18 months, we have been continually narrowing our selection focus in order to prepare for the Pan American Cup, the Commonwealth Games and World League 1,” says Women’s National Team Head Coach Ian Rutledge. “We now have a little breathing space to make sure that we have the best squad possible for the important 2015 season.”

“We are refining our final group and this camp will provide the opportunity for us to broaden the selection process. Working with our Junior Development Squad and watching the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Finals, the Ontario University Athletics conference, as well as the CanWest CIS Series, I have been very impressed with the talent across the country and those athletes that currently exist outside our current group. It is therefore critical that we keep searching and keep providing encouragement for a larger group of athletes who do have the potential and the ability to play for Canada.”

“While we have a core group of players who continually perform on the World Stage, we need to make sure that we continue to build depth and a high degree of internal competition. The players are learning to push themselves and each other to areas that are uncomfortable but critical for growth and success.”

Commenting on the opportunity that awaits, Rutledge stated “given the timing in the Quadrennial, this is a real opportunity for players to push for selection and prior to us finalizing the 2015 Women’s National Team.”

“We need to select players who have a high degree of internal commitment – that is, that they want to be the best they can be on their own, that they do the work and that they demonstrate a high degree of character and professionalism. We define character as what you do when others are not watching.”

The next year of competition is a busy one for the Women’s National Team, which has qualified for Round 2 of World League, which will take place early in 2015 and serves as a path to 2016 Olympic qualification. Canada is also set to host the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto next summer. The first trip of the year is to New Zealand for a two-week training camp, culminating in a 3-Test Series against the World Number 4, Blacksticks.

“It is very easy in a small pond to cruise and be apathetic. But I do not see that we have a small player population. I see the top 30 athletes in the country being very equal and the only deciding factors being the opportunity provided to impress, develop and progress.”

Attending the camp will be the majority of the current Women’s National Team in addition to select additional athletes who have been identified throughout the previous year of competitions and camps.

“Throughout 2014 the Women’s National Team has taken the opportunity to invite other potential squad members into their training environment. We will continue to do so at various stages during 2015 and 2016, in order to give our program the best opportunity for success.”

With an eye towards the 2016 Junior World Cup, a number of players who have impressed through the Junior Development Squad program over the past two years have also been invited to the Camp. Following this Camp, along with the 2015 Women’s National Team, a Junior Squad for the upcoming February USA Tour and Series will also be named.

The Pan-Ams also serve as a route to Olympic qualification, with the winner of both the men’s and women’s field hockey tournament earning a berth in the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, Brazil.

The upcoming three-day training camp which including aerobic and speed testing, strength and skills training, and scrimmages and is an opportunity for athletes to be recognized at the senior level and advance their chances of earning a spot on upcoming 2015 squad selections.

2014 Women’s National Team Training Camp Roster – Invited Athletes: