On Thursday 14 January Director of Sport Mr Sam Hewick interviewed England and GB Hockey player Holly Hunt as part of the school’s lockdown ‘Win January’ Sports webinar series. She would be coaching players this term at school if it were not for Lockdown 3. 

To date, she has played at GB and England level, is currently in the GB Elite Development programme (just below Senior level), and has received two Senior caps in her professional Hockey career. Her aim now is to get back into the Senior squad, go to the Olympics and play in a World Cup.

As a child, Holly played all ball sports, including football, lacrosse, hockey and tennis. If she could, she would play up to three in a day! Realising this was not sustainable in terms of ambition, developing technical knowledge and experience, physical demands, and sport/life balance, she gradually narrowed her choice of sport down to hockey and played at national level from when she was in the Under 16s squad onwards. While at university at Birmingham, where she studied a Sports Exercise and Science degree, she was given a part-time hockey contract. 

Holly was asked how she balanced her sport with academic work when she was studying for her GCSEs, A Levels and degree. She stressed that her ‘academics’ were very important to her and explained that all students can perform highly in both, if they are careful with time management. For Holly, organisation was the underpinning factor that enabled her to achieve both successfully. She spoke fondly of how she and her family planned their calendar together with a visual spreadsheet to ensure that she did not fall behind in specific areas.

Two personal highlights of her hockey career thus far have been the National Finals in her final year of school (when she was playing with friends as well as her younger sister) and they were the ‘underdogs’, and they won; and her first day playing in the Senior squad in China. While at university she made her best hockey friends. Many of these were those with whom she had already played in earlier years having competed against them while at school.

When asked about how to handle team selection setbacks and disappointments, Holly said that it was OK and understandable to feel sad about not being selected, especially if one cares so much about the sport and doing well. But she also recommended seeking feedback from coaches on both what one can work on to improve, as well as being reminded of what one is good at. Both are important in maintaining a healthy perspective, she said, whilst also committing to significant hard work to achieve both of these.

As part of the webinar, Deputy Head Pastoral Mrs Caroline Bond joined the interview and asked Holly what ‘top tips’ she would give as an elite sports player to pupils to help them maintain good mental health during lockdown? She recommended three things: to share struggles with teachers and those whom one can trust; to make sure one was enjoying one’s chosen sport; and to have other things other than one’s sport to help one to relax/switch off from the pressures, for example walking the dog or spending time with friends and family via zoom or facetime. Ultimately, she made it clear that balance is important. 

Bringing the webinar to a close, Mr Hewick asked Holly the same question he is asking each of his guest speakers: ‘What is your one non-negotiable aspect of your performance?’ Holly responded: ‘To leave every match and training session with no “what ifs”.’ She explained that she would always give 100% effort and commitment in all she did and that this way she would feel that whatever the outcome of any match or tournament she had given her best.

Thank you, Holly Hunt, for sharing your knowledge and experience with us, there were some real gems throughout!