Nine Feet Tall are proud to be partners of City of Bath Hockey Club. As we celebrate International Women’s Day we wanted to shine a light on the Women’s 1 Team, who are having a fantastic season and currently sitting at the top of the West Women’s Whitehorse Division 1. We caught up with one of their stars, Kelly Read.
What inspired you to take up hockey?
I was craving connection with a friendship group outside of my day-to-day circles. For me, I wanted to play something different to the usual sports for women, like netball which is less stigmatised than hockey. I didn’t feel like I fitted into the netball crowd but I felt more connected to the girls in hockey and I built a special group of friends there. I’m inspired and motivated by being a part of a group of women who share a similar passion and drive to do a sport, exercise and connect with others in their free time as much as I do.
How is the season going?
Incredible. We’re on a roll, winning almost every game and where we may win the league … (no jinxing though). I’m exceptionally proud of my team, regardless.
Who are your role models in hockey and how have they influenced your journey?
Kate Richardson-Walsh, who is an Olympic Gold and Bronze medal winning English hockey player. In 2012 she was hit by a stick in the opening match of the summer Olympics which broke her jaw and she kept going. Her strength and resilience has always inspired me and often think to myself, if she could keep going when she broke her jaw, I can find the strength and resilience to keep going in hockey and so many others areas of my life. We’re stronger than we know.
Any advice you would give to young girls who aspire to play hockey?
Don’t be put off because you have to buy the equipment, which can be expensive. It doesn’t need to be, and from experience there will always be someone who will lend you a stick or have an old one around. When you start to love it, investing in the equipment will be so worth it. For me, I love hockey because of the amount of skill involved, the agility, strategy and fitness required to perform, which is really motivating and gives me so much satisfaction mastering it. It is a multifaceted sport, where you aren’t assigned to one position, you can play any role during the game, you can score when you need to score, and I think that’s a really powerful message to young girls that they really can be and do whatever they want to. Just because you started of in one position doesn’t mean you can’t excel in another. I don’t want young women to miss out on that because of stigma or financial barriers.
Can you describe the team dynamics at City of Bath and any support system among women players in your hockey team?
It is such a diverse group of women. Some have just started hockey and are doing GCSEs, while another runs a successful company and has been playing for 15 years. We are all so different, but it works brilliantly well. It’s good to have a catch-up when we’re warming up to keep our bond tight. Everyone cheers for every goal, and we all light up.
Our captain, Heather, is a doctor and if anything happens, she will be right over and the first to check on you. So, we’re in safe hands. The whole team is your support system though. I have five girls in the group who I would call my best friends and will always be having a laugh with. It’s lovely because you bond with people you may not necessarily have connected with outside of hockey.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you, and how do you celebrate it?
For me it’s not about trying to lift us higher than any other gender. For me it’s a reminder to say that we’re doing good, I am enough and a day for us to put our statements out there, to say look at us go. But I actually don’t treat it any different to another day, because every day is International Women’s Day.
Can you think of any changes you would like to see implemented to further promote gender equality in sport?
There needs to be more support and advocacy within men’s sports teams and also from commentators. You can often hear judgement from male commentators towards female commentators, as if they don’t know what they’re talking about. For some, it feels like they see women’s sports as a bit of a joke. Having the advocacy and public support from influential and well-respected individuals is really needed and I think it will everyone to see female sports with equal importance and raise the bar.
Click here to find out more about City of Bath Hockey and support their journey.
