A SILVER medal around her neck, a moon boot on her foot and the badge of honour that comes with her skills leading to opposition players being fined - it's little wonder Ellie Bestwick is smiling.
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It all came as the talented teenager made her under 18s representative debut for Bathurst at the Hockey NSW field state championships.
Unusually, it came in the Bathurst boys under 18s team, not for the under 18 girls.
The Bathurst City striker was called into the Bathurst boys squad coached by her father Kent late last week as illness depleted their numbers.
It took two waivers - one because she is an under 15s player, the other as she's a girl - but Bestwick took her spot in the Bathurst side.
The boys were happy to have her.
"The boys were really good, a lot of them knew me. They were like 'You're part of the team now, we're going to make sure we help you out and make sure you feel part of the team'," she said.
"I definitely learned a lot positional-wise and how to work as a team more."
Now being a Central West Premier League regular and having previously represented Bathurst - she was part of the under 15 girls side which won silver at state last year - Bestwick was not daunted by the challenge.
Even after she strained the ligaments in her ankle - that's why she's now in a moon boot - she strapped it up and played as many minutes as she could.
"I wasn't nervous no, not at all, it just felt like playing regular games really, but it was amazing too. Just to see the skill level, the boys have that high level skill, and it was so much faster, it definitely tested your fitness a lot," she said.
Finishing with a division two silver medal was a moment she enjoyed, but there were more honours for Bestwick.
She was Bathurst's leading goal scorer and in the pool game against Parkes, Bestwick left three of her rivals in her wake.
"They got a $5 fine the three of them - I see that as something to be proud of definitely," she smiled.
"Getting silver, that's really good for my first 18s rep, especially it being in boys and coming out second in div 2, it was really good."
Having done her job at nationals, Bestwick is now hoping she can help Bathurst City find success in the Central West Premier League Hockey competition this season too.
Heading into this weekend's general competition bye, Bathurst City sits fourth on the ladder with one win and a loss.
Bestwick, who is in her second year as a full-time member of City's squad and turns 14 on Saturday, has faith they can make a return to finals hockey.
"We have it amongst ourselves, after what happened last year with missing the finals, heading into this year we definitely do have aspirations, we want a finals spot this year," she said.
"I definitely feels much very settled now with having a couple of girls come back from having babies.
"There's always going to be a positive vibe around the girls, there's no negativity, there is talk to work a bit harder or get there to that position you need to be, but that's good."
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