It was almost written in the stars that Jessica Lee and Kayla Brathwaite would become international hockey players wearing the red, white and black of Trinidad and Tobago.
“I was basically born into this sport; I come from a hockey family,” says Jessica. “My father, mother, sister, uncles and aunts all play hockey. My mother even continued playing hockey right up until she was five months pregnant with me. My father coaches a developmental team, he coached the last U21 national women’s team, also he played national hockey for many years and still plays at club level. He has a great influence on me. I was always surrounded by hockey people, hockey sticks, hockey balls and all of my father’s hockey kit.”
And it is the same story for Kayla: “My family has always been involved in hockey, especially my father. He encouraged me to participate and he's been my inspiration to continue in his footsteps ever since.”
Both women started playing hockey when they were just toddlers and made the national side 10 years later: Kayla at 15, Jessica at 16.
At the other end of the experience spectrum sits Kayla-Marie Escayg. She took up hockey at the age of 16 – just two years ago – and has been training as a goalkeeper for the past six months. The forthcoming Pan American Junior Championship will be the first time Kayla-Marie has pulled on the Trinidad and Tobago shirt.
And yet, just from a brief interview with the player, you know that Kayla-Marie has the mindset needed to make it to the top. Not the least because she quit her first choice sport, football, because she wasn’t getting enough training.
That Kayla-Marie is now an international hockey player is thanks to a chance suggestion from a friend. Upon hearing that Kayla-Marie was leaving football, current international teammate Cyan Lue suggested that the talented teenager took up hockey. “She told me: ‘It’s basically football with a stick,’ says Kayla-Marie. “After that, I was hooked.”
Now the goalkeeper is playing catch-up and she is certainly getting enough training to satisfy her quest for excellence. “I train on average 10-12 hours a week for the national squad. I also get extra training sessions where I train with the junior men’s national team. As we get closer to the Championship, there are more sessions being added, as well as longer, more intense practices. It is how we know it's the final stretch before the big games.”
Jessica Lee is an old hand when it comes to the international scene. She first played in 2012 at the Junior Pan American Championship. Four years on and she has this to say about her sport and its impact upon her. “By being involved in elite sport and representing my country, as an individual, I have grown and developed in many ways with respect to my discipline, responsibility, maturity, time management, commitment and sacrifice. I have learned to work with others, I’ve developed the confidence to depend on others to do their jobs, on and off the field, and I have a better understanding of what they’re about; and how my actions can affect them.
“I was given a leadership role with another teammate and we were able to work together in building the team. I feel like the team has grown together tremendously and has also grown closer. There is far more encouragement and support for each other on and off the field. I have also learned so much more about the game of hockey, like tricks, skills and techniques.”
There is certainly a focus to the Trinidad and Tobago junior squad. The team trains five times a week, with gym sessions as well as pitch time. The players also meet with the team psychologist and if, like Jessica, players have to miss any sessions for study time or work, then there is an assumption that the players will make this time up on their own.
With both the men’s and women’s junior teams gearing up for the Pan Am Junior Championships, it can be tricky getting ‘turf time’, but the women’s junior side has entered a team into the Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Board’s hockey league so they are getting regular competition against top club teams.
Kayla Brathwaite has also represented the senior side at five tournaments in the past few seasons, so she will be bringing all that experience to bear later this month. She says: ‘Playing with the senior team as opposed to the junior team is a very intense experience. As one of the younger ones on the senior team, the older players push and expect a lot from me. Competition is also very tough and challenging for us but they always encourage me to never give up and continue working hard.”
Like Kayla, Jessica has represented the senior team, making her debut just recently at the 2015 Hockey World League Round Two, in Uruguay. She says that one of the things that stood out for her was the discipline. “Things didn’t have to be repeated more than once to be completed. Our Under 21 squad for these Pan Am Championship is quite young but the girls have shown their commitment, hard work and love for the sport. But, the level of discipline, seriousness and maturity is lower than the senior team, largely due to age difference.”
All three players are just embarking on the next stages of their lives as they prepare for university or the world of work, but all three say that hockey will be a big part of their lives in the years to come. For Jessica, the ambition is to continue to play for her country and, maybe, one day to lead Trinidad and Tobago to competitions all over the world. For now, she is doing the tricky juggling act of combining hockey and her studies. “Recently, it has become more challenging to balance everything, as I have begun university at UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad. So, I have clashes with some training sessions. I tend to do extra training on my own, especially with my father’s assistance, because it is hard to miss the work being taught in my courses.”
Kayla says that it has been her hockey experiences that have fired her career ambitions: “Being involved in elite sport and representing my country has encouraged me to focus upon my goal of becoming a physical therapist. Hockey has also opened a lot of potential avenues and has piqued my interest in coaching.”
While Kayla-Marie’s involvement in hockey has only been very short-term, her long-term aims are also centred around the sport. She says that she would like to go abroad to both study and develop her hockey.
With hockey still a relatively minority sport in the Caribbean, it is players such as this trio of Trinidadians who are at the forefront of raising the game’s profile. Inspiring others to follow in their footsteps begins with their obvious immense pride at representing their country. “Being able to represent my country is one of the most exciting experiences I've had,” says Kayla-Marie. “Not only have I gained knowledge on the field but also off field. I have a better understanding of people and how they work, as well as I've become more open and amiable. Knowing that I'm representing my country also made me more responsible and confident.”
Kayla echoes these sentiments: “To me being an international is an honor I cherish, I am very proud to represent and make my country proud. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication but it is all worth it.”
And for Jessica, both playing for her nation and the fact that Trinidad and Tobago are hosts to this year’s Women’s Pan Am Junior Championship is: “a chance to show what this country has to offer as well as attracting attention and publicity to this sport that we all love.”
