HOCKEY - Jade aims for Olympics - just like her dad did

Whangarei schoolgirl Jade McLeod wants to follow in her father's footsteps by representing New Zealand in Olympics hockey.
In fact the 16-year-old is already turning hockey scouts' heads.
Jade been asked by the National Hockey League to join the New Zealand Under-16 women's team.
Hockey is in her blood.
Her father, Grant, played on the national men's hockey team for 12 years and represented New Zealand at the 1992 Olympics.
But it has taken more than genes to get where she is.
Jade began playing the sport when she was only 5, for both club and school squads.
She has represented Northland on the under-14 team and played for the under-16 team for the past three years.
It seems as though everything is falling neatly into place for the Whangarei Girls' High School student, who wants to carve out a career in the sport.
But it is not all fun and games; Jade knows she has to train hard if she wants to play professionally.
And work hard she does. Monday to Thursday, she has practice before or after school, and at the weekend plays matches.
Even her day off, Friday, is spent around hockey. She works part-time in the canteen at Rosvall ITM Hockey Stadium.
The fact that her father doubles as her coach doesn't mean she gets let off easily. Grant McLeod said, if anything, he was tougher on his daughter.
"I tend to be harder on my kids than the other players. She knows that if I say something its to make her a better player," he said.
Jade agreed, saying her father often gave her a "rark up".
"He always pushes me that little bit further. I do get annoyed but I know that its only to help me get as good as I can," she said.
Jade still finds time to keep up with her school work.
She is taking three physical education classes - outdoor recreation, sports education and PE - and hopes to one day take a Sports and Recreation course at NorthTec.
Her father said he would like to see Jade play hockey professionally, but no matter what she ended up doing, he would be happy as long as she was.
"I am proud of her and her accomplishments and if that's as far as she goes, that's cool. I'm not trying to live my life through her," he said.
However, Jade was less reserved about her ambitions: "I want to go to the Olympics - that's my goal. I want to be like my dad."