Baylee Engelke, a Rhenish Girls’ High School Grade 12 learner and u-18 Boland Hockey player, has been invited to the South Africa Ladies Indoor Hockey Camp, which will be held from 20 to 23 July 2023 in Cape Town. It forms part of the SA Indoor Hockey Team’s build-up to the World Cup in 2025.
Baylee has been identified as a possible future SA Indoor Hockey Team player. The camp will give her a great opportunity to experience what it is like in a national set-up while training with some of the best players in the country.
“It feels quite surreal,” she said, excitedly. “Being in the middle of the outdoor hockey season, the invitation took me by surprise. At first I even thought it may have been a mistake. But when the head coach confirmed my response I knew that it was for real, that it was really happening. I am being given the opportunity to work with and learn from the best in the game!”
She recognises the huge opportunity it is. “This is my chance to learn from players I have long looked up to and admired, and will now get to play alongside, while I experience the national training set-up – the stuff dreams are made of!
“I plan to work hard, take everything in and embrace each new experience as it comes. I want to learn from the players around me and do my very best to grow in my game. I recognise the privilege of working with the SA women’s head coach and want to use what I am taught to keep improving and getting better and better.”
There is always something new to learn and improve on. “Besides the hockey knowledge I hope to gain, this is an opportunity to connect with players from around the country. I want to leave the camp knowing I gave it my best shot, that I learnt a whole lot, exposed myself to different elements of the game and really made the most of the opportunity.”
Baylee is a member of the u-18 Boland Interprovincial Team that will compete in the Interprovincial Tournament in Bloemfontein next week.
