Imagine having the power to change the course of a match through just one action. For Morgan de Jager the idea of such a power is what had her naturally gravitate towards being a field hockey goalkeeper.
This sport has given her the privilege of travelling to various places such as Chile, Santiago where she participated in the 2023 Junior World Cup with the U21 team; the Afcon tournament held in Egypt, for a qualifying event for the World Cup; she has been to Switzerland for the inaugural 5-a-side tournament and so far has also competed in two University Sports South Africa, as well as many inter-provincial tournaments.
A competition this Wits student will hold close to her heart is the summer series event that saw her play against India and the Netherlands and obtain her first senior international caps for the country. “I will never forget singing the national anthem for the first time before the games and playing against players I’ve idolised over the years. It was an amalgamation of years worth of hard work and dedication to the sport that led me to that moment.”
With hockey she has been able to travel the world, meet some of her closest friends and develop a strong sense of identity on and off the field. It has taught her many life lessons such as how to conduct herself and how to work with people of various backgrounds and personalities. Some of these life lessons are also challenges – and a big challenge for her is that hockey is not considered a professional sport in South Africa which means that all her tours have to be self-funded. To this, an ultimate dream for her would be to see more funding given to the sport so that athletes’ dreams can come true as well as there is being more support given to developing and upcoming players.
Through the many years of her playing the sport she has faced her fair share of disappointments, which she said, plays a big part in both personal and team development. “However, it is important to have a solid support structure to get you through those moments. I’m fortunate enough to have amazing coaches, teammates and family who have made it all worthwhile.”
De Jager, whose current focus is on preparing for University Sport South Africa 2024 to take place in July, hopes she inspires others not by how she plays the sport but rather the passions she shows for the love of the game, coupled with how she treats her teammates on and off the field. For her, being a good person will always come first.
To younger athletes her message is to never let your desire for success overshadow your love for the game as it is only when you play with a heart full of gratitude and joy, that you will be satisfied with your performance. She also said always to remember that though people will forget how you played the game, they will never forget how you made them feel.
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