Future hockey champion
Wesley’s Girls’ Firsts Hockey captain, Bethany Russ, has been invited to join the Australian 2015/2016 National Futures Hockey squad. The squad provides 60 of Australia’s most talented young hockey players the opportunity to become the next generation of elite athletes, with a highly-focused 12 month development program. Bethany was thrilled to be chosen after a stand-out performance at the 2015 Under 18 Australian Hockey Championship earlier this year. The Year 12 student is excited to be “training amongst the best in the country, and learning under the best coaches”.
After picking up her first hockey stick at seven years of age, Bethany has become a talented athlete who is passionate about the game, and enjoys playing striker or midfielder for the Wesley Firsts and the Footscray Hockey Club Premier League Team.
Bethany says she loves playing hockey because of the team environment and the friends she has made along the way. She has relished her role as the captain of the Wesley Girls’ Firsts this year.
In what has been an exciting year for the talented teenager, Bethany has also been invited to train with the Victorian Institute of Sport. This is an opportunity afforded to the most talented up and coming athletes in the state. Bethany is looking forward to experiencing the facilities and training under guidance from Australia’s top coaches. She says she also hopes to learn from senior Australian team members who have achieved what she ultimately aims to do, representing Australia.
The 17-year-old has a big year ahead of her, managing her latest achievements on top of a busy Victorian Certificate of Education schedule. A support system of family, friends and the Wesley College community are integral to this. Her mother Katrina is quick to praise the teaching and coaching staff that have been behind Bethany every step of the way, “We can’t speak highly enough of the support that Bethany has received from Wesley. We are grateful every day that she goes here, I honestly don’t believe that she would have received the same opportunities at another school.”
As a member of the National Futures Squad, Bethany and her team mates will be training to complement and support the national Under 21 teams leading into the 2016 Junior World Cup, and ultimately, selection for the 2020 Olympics. Bethany says she hopes that she can continue to have fun playing the sport she loves, and that one day her involvement in the sport will lead her overseas to represent Australia.
Wesley congratulates Bethany on an outstanding achievement.
