Story written by Josh Rey
Victoria’s Shelley Winter Andrews was the first Canadian player to reach 100 international matches. She was a captain of the winningest national team in Canadian history. And now she is being inducted into the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame.
“It’s an honour to have your name put forward in the first place,” said Andrews. “And then to be picked is — everybody uses the word humbling — but it is humbling. It means that your peers or somebody has thought highly of you that they would want to nominate you so it was a lovely honour.”
Andrews played for the Women’s National Team from 1975 to 1986. She co-captained the team through four World Cups and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, the UBC Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Andrews recalls those special years in the late 70s and 80s when Team Canada was surging onto the world stage.
“Well in the 1980s, I mean, coming second in the world, that’s obviously one of my biggest highlights,” said Andrews. “Even for me, ahead of the Olympics. The experience was amazing. The results [at the Olympics] were a little disappointing for our team. The World Championships in ‘83; I’d say it was a highlight.”
Andrews still plays the game even after her retirement. She plays for Oak Bay in the women’s league in Victoria. She is also involved in the community as an executive and coach and has been passing down her love of the game to the next generation.
“It’s lots of fun,” said Andrews. “And the game has certainly changed some since I first started playing and it’s way more exciting now, I think lots of different rule changes that have made it faster and sort of keep the spectators interested, that kind of thing. But it’s good to see and watch young kids learn certain skills and be able to pick up really cool skills.”
The 1983 National Team is also being inducted as a part of the 2019 class. For Andrews, being inducted alongside that group makes this moment extra-special.
“To me that is the nicest thing about this whole thing because field hockey is a team sport,” she said. “ So it always kind of amazes me that you have individuals who are, you know, honoured and selected and that kind of thing, when really without that team or those people around you.”
Andrews’ induction into the Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame is a celebration of her leadership and legendary career with Field Hockey Canada.
The Field Hockey Canada Hall of Fame is supported by Gryphon Hockey