England: Women In Sport: #TimeTogether

For the Women in Sport #TimeTogether campaign, England Hockey chatted to mother and daughter Moira 54, and Zoey 15

Since the age of seven, Zoey has played hockey which is a sport she loves. Alongside her brothers, she got into the sport through taster sessions at school. Despite Moira being there throughout her daughter’s hockey journey, it was not until four years ago that she finally got into playing the sport.

For Moira as a school kid, hockey was a sport played on grass with no protection – it wasn’t for her. Fast forward to 2018, Moira became fully involved in Ipswich East Suffolk Hockey Club in the admin and operations side, where today she holds the position of Club Admin. From being so involved in the club her daughter played at, Moira took the opportunity to try hockey with the Back2Hockey session held locally.

At the time, the club didn’t have a development team, but Zoey was playing for the seniors at 13, which led to the two playing together during Moira’s second season.

An experience that Zoey fondly talks about is the summer league in which she captains a team alongside her mum. From formations and positions to tactical discussions, Zoey and Moira have built a strong relationship through hockey and enjoy every training session and match together. Something the pair love is the teamwork on the pitch, Zoey plays outfield and Moira is a goalkeeper.

Given Zoeys experience in the sport compared to her mum, Moira explains how special it is to have a relationship on and off the field: “On the pitch, Zoey will be the first to celebrate a save I make or pick me up when I’m frustrated letting a goal in.” The teamwork element of hockey and having that comforting feeling of someone familiar on the pitch has been important for the mother and daughter relationship.

Moira said: “It has been great to see Zoeys growth and maturity through her hockey journey that I have joined. I see her having conversations with many people from all over the club.”.

Whilst off the pitch, the classic teenage daughter and mother relationship exists, at home mum is mum and is in charge – on the pitch, they are seen as equals.

Since Moira joined the sport playing and training regularly for the past four years, their separate lives due to school and work have been brought closer together thanks to hockey. The pair spoke of how they now are able to spend more time together; Moira has been brought out of her comfort zone and challenged herself whilst continuing to support Zoey from the sidelines.

Moira notes how much of a life lesson it has been for herself – she says that people should take those opportunities to try something new no matter their age.

“Even if you haven’t considered playing hockey before, there’s a chance to get involved, no matter the ability – it should be normal to get involved in something your kids are playing. We see parents playing because kids are. Theres always a level to play at. Something to be proud of.”

Moira went on to say: “Being involved in admin was fine but putting yourself on the pitch is hard. It makes you appreciate what you’re asking your kids to do. You realise you have so much to learn yourself. A life lesson as parents.”

“Showing your kids that anyone can do it, create that encouraging environment, just because you had a bad match or training session doesn’t mean you can’t take positives or have those discussions with your family members and teammates.”

Zoey said: “Even if you’re not playing, it’s important to show up, show you care.” Her family doing this motivates each other and builds stronger relationships. “It’s not just for you,” Zoey said. “It’s the desire to do stuff for other people, feeling involved and making your family or friends proud.”

As a woman in her 50s, Moira wanted to point out the importance of being involved in sport as well as a community around it. “A great break from regular life and an important aspect in both mental and physical health,” Moira added. “You don’t have to be young to start, just starting is enough. There’s no harm in trying it, if you do not enjoy it at least you gave it chance.”

A key takeaway from our conversation with Moira was: “It’s really important that girls do play sport, wish I played sport when younger. Team sport is important for mental health and building relationships. Playing sport together, gives you something extra in family life, there’s something of a fun aspect in common, even when you lose.”.

And from Zoey, a mature outlook: “As a teenage girl, you may doubt yourself or have a bad training/performance, other people the same age likely feel the same, and there’s no shame in talking to others about it!”