Like many who grew up in West Vancouver, Katarina Angus was given a field hockey stick at a very young age. At about the time she began grade school, Angus began what would become a lifelong dedication to field hockey.
“It kind of become one of the few sports that I actually wanted to continue playing and pursue at a higher level,” says the nineteen year-old, who attends Brown University and has taken time off this spring to train with the Women’s National Team.
“I’ve dreamed of being able to play for Canada for so long – as long as I can remember,” she adds. “My goal is to get better every day and contribute in every way I can, so I’ll be showing up with that in mind everyday in training.”
Her attitude coupled with her physical ability and untapped potential resulted in Angus’s recent selection to the 2015 Canadian Women’s National Team Senior Development Squad.
She is currently on her first Senior tour with the Women’s National Team in New Zealand as they prepare for a big year ahead, with the ultimate goal of Olympic qualification.
But Angus has been on the path to becoming a part of the Senior National Team for year now. Her involvement in and commitment to the Under-16 development program has allowed her to flourish under the guidance of the National program coaches.
“Katarina’s selection symbolizes an opportunity to work with a young athlete who has a lot of positive attributes,” says Women’s National Team head coach Ian Rutledge. “I think if she continues to work hard and finds a real desire to be an international player, she could be a dominant force for us at the back.”
With desire come sacrifices, as evidenced by the many tough decisions National athletes have to make in order to commit themselves to a career serving one’s country through sport.
The coaching staff views those tough decisions as an investment.
With more commitment and more desire, the better the chance one will achieve sustained success on the international level.
“It starts to be come a viable option for athletes,” adds Rutledge. “You get a return for your investment.”
In Angus’ case, the investment is in her future playing for Canada. The decision to take time off from Brown is what came along with it making that tough call. In her mind, though, the potential of where it could lead is well worth any of the challenges that come along the way.
“I get the exposure early on to high-level field hockey,” she explains. “My goal is to learn as much as I can from the players and coaching staff and continue to develop.
“Long-term, I want to continue to become an important contributor to the Women’s National Program on the junior and senior level.”
