SPENDING time with a grandparent - it something that happens all across Bathurst every weekend but in the case of Larks Hockey Club it's more unique.
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Come Saturdays at the Cooke Hockey Complex when Ruth Clements spends time with her granddaughter Abigail, they do so as Larks team-mates.
Larks is a club known for its family connections which span across generations. Last season when they won the fourth grade grand final to end a 15-year premiership drought, they had grandmother plus her daughter and granddaughter involved.
This season, as was the case in 2020, Larks has the oldest player in the competition in 78-year-old Liz Smith as well as a 14-year-old amongst their playing roster.
Bathurst Women's Hockey Association president Melissa Bestwick knows how special it is to have a grandmother and granddaughter able to play alongside each other.
"It's fantastic and it's obviously something we'd hope to see more, of but unfortunately given the retention rate of young players who we lose to a lot of other sports and life in general, it doesn't happen often," she said.
"So it's wonderful to see and I don't think there would have been many others.
"For Bathurst hockey it's great to think that we can keep people engaged like Ruth, and she's so active in the association.
"Last weekend she was in the canteen ... it's just really heart-warming."
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