Student Chosen For Commonwealth Games Team
Posted On: Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Local hockey player and Sports and Exercise Science student Clarissa Eshuis has just been selected for the Black Sticks’ 2010 Commonwealth Games squad.
This year is an especially important one for Clarissa. As well as being selected to play for New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games, she is on her way to Argentina for the Hockey World Cup and has recently returned from playing in the Australian Hockey League (AHL) for the Southern Suns.
While being an elite hockey player may sound glamorous, the reality can be somewhat contrasting.
The Hamiltonian drag flick specialist spends up to five gruelling hours a day working on her hockey skills and general fitness, yet still manages to find time to study Sports and Exercise Science at Wintec.
“It isn’t easy,” she says. “With my full-on hockey schedule it’s difficult to find enough time to study. I’m lucky that my tutors at Wintec are so caring and understanding – they have a genuine interest in my hockey career.”
Following stints studying at teaching college and university, Clarissa has found that Wintec’s practical-based teaching style suits her best. She plans to work as a PE teacher after completing her Sports and Exercise Science qualification at Wintec.
Hockey commitments mean getting her qualification may take longer than your average student but Clarissa is determined to achieve her goals – both in the classroom and on the hockey turf.
Somehow Clarissa also finds time in her hectic schedule to coach Hamilton Diocesan girls’ hockey team – a job she enjoys. As a successful young hockey player herself, Clarissa demands respect and has a natural flair for teaching.
Her drive and competitive edge were evident from an early age. At seven years old, Clarissa wasn’t content to watch her father and brother play hockey in their backyard without her, so picked up a hockey stick and hasn’t looked back.
She made her first representative side at Tamahere Primary School and from there played in various age group teams for Waikato and Midlands whilst at Hillcrest High School before making the Black Sticks New Zealand women’s hockey squad at 18.
At just 23, Clarissa is now something of a veteran in the relatively young team.
Unlike the majority of professional male sports teams in New Zealand, the women’s Black Sticks side gets almost no funding. Players like Clarissa must financially support their sporting career with their own money or by sourcing sponsorship.
Clarissa says she is fortunate to have a Wintec scholarship and Prime Minister’s scholarship which both assist with her study fees.
That she continues to play despite the massive time commitment and financial burden demonstrates that she has a true passion for the sport.
“I love being successful at hockey, constantly improving my skills, the team comraderie and travelling – playing international games means I get to see so much of the world,” says Clarissa.