A VITAL pathway to representative hockey - that is how Kate Pulbrook views the Premier League Hockey competition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
While Pulbrook, in her role as Hockey New South Wales participation operations manager, is currently surveying players across the Central West about what they would like to see in the 2021 Premier League competition, she is already well aware of its importance.
She's seen how exposure to regular, quality hockey through the Premier League competition has helped players and officials develop within the Central West.
No longer is venturing to a metropolitan league needed to gain exposure. Orange talent Eva Reith-Snare, who plays Premier League for Confederates and has represented the Jillaroos, is a prime example.
"We see this as a very important competition in the region for players, coaches and umpires to be able to participate at a high level so they're not having to down travel to Sydney to get a certain standard," she said.
"So it's in our best interest to look after our region's players.
"We already see now the level that the kids can get to playing in their region, the longer we can keep them in their own region and give them an opportunity to play at a high level, it saves them the cost and worry about having to go to Sydney or Canberra.
"By having a good competition like this, it allows it to happen. That's been the aim for the last 20 years, it's sort of purposefully been created for those players, coaches and umpires."
