Bryanston Parallel Medium School first girl’s hockey team are on a high after a successful season.
The team’s season cumulated with their qualifying for the national championships in Potchefstroom recently, apparently the first Bryanston primary school ever to do so.
The season has been a successful one for the team, as they won their league, and thus the D9 District Championships, beating Crawford Lonehill 5–1. As a result of this victory, the team qualified for and competed in the Best of the Best tournament on 16 September, becoming the Southern-Gauteng champions. They are now on to the national leg of the competition.
“We won the Best of the Best tournament and this puts us through to the National Champ of Champs tournament, which will be held at Potchefstroom Girls High from 28 of September to 29 of September,” said Sandra Zaayman, who co-coaches the team together with Marisa Fourie.
“Here we will represent Southern Gauteng in the ultimate hockey tournament. The girls are very excited but also very nervous and very hopeful for the best. We have been practising hard and we are ready for the challenge that lies ahead of us. We will give it our all and have fun at the same time.”
The 13-player team includes girls in grades 6 and 7, aged between 12 and 13 years old, and has been unbeaten for the past two years. The team includes four players who have been named part of the D9 District team, one player selected for Southern Gauteng and another who plays for the Crusaders.
Zaayman believes that the team’s discipline, teamwork and a willingness to learn and develop are what has made them so successful.
“We are going there with one goal, and that is to come home as the national champions. If you believe it and you want it bad enough, you can accomplish it.”
Zaayman also took the time to thank the parents who support the team and said that it meant a lot to the coaches throughout the season.
Details: Bryanston Parallel Medium School www.bpms.co.za