Hockey Wairarapa's regional development officer Jesse Workman has a spring in his step.
Workman has long advocated that with the right coaching and encouragement Wairarapa players can make it to the top despite learning their trade outside the main centres. The recent naming of the Junior Black Sticks and Capital under-21squads has demonstrated the credibility of his message.
In the Junior Black Sticks squads are Dane Lett, who plays club hockey for Dalefield in the Wellington premier men's competition, and Amanda Pottinger, Tara Hall and Holly Gaskin, all of whom now play for Wellington-based clubs but were previously with the Dalefield club when their top women's side contested the Wellington premier grade.
Having as many as four past or present Wairarapa players in Junior Black Sticks squads at the one time is unprecedented for the sport in this province.
Workman says the willingness of the quartet concerned to train "incredibly hard" under expert coaches such as Wellington's coaching director, Sean Dancer, has been a huge factor in their success.
"That's what sets them apart from other aspiring players," he said. "Their work ethic is amazing."
Workman said it was "especially exciting" to see Lett recognised as he still lived and played his hockey in Wairarapa and was also happy to assist in the coaching of the region's younger players at the various holiday programmes and coaching clinics held here, as indeed were Pottinger and Hall when they came home for the holidays.
Lett and Pottinger, of course, have a huge sporting pedigree with Lett being the son of former Wairarapa-Bush rugby halfback Bernard Lett and Wairarapa senior netball rep Karen Lett, and Pottinger being the daughter of Olympic eventing bronze medallist Tinks Pottinger.
The Wairarapa connection in the Capital under-21 men's and women's teams who recently competed in their national tourneys, both placing fifth, also reached unprecedented heights with 12 past or current players from here wearing their colours.
Joining Lett in the men's side were his brother, Trent, and Nicholas Finlayson, Thomas Annear and Benedict van Woerkom. Alongside Pottinger, Hall and Gaskin in the women's line-up were Jenna Anderson, Felicity Reidy, Emma Warren and Katherine van Woerkom.
