Articles

17th August 2023 

Redlands Hockey Association are proud to announce that one of our former members has made the Australian U21s Country Mens’ team.

Sam Systa started his hockey career with Redlands Hockey in 2012 when he was 9 years old. He has represented Redlands at U11s, U13s, U15s and U18s state championships. And in 2015 he captained the U13 men’s team when they won their Division 3 championships in Bundaberg.

Due to the lack of turf facilities in the Redlands, players had to look for development opportunities elsewhere if they wanted to develop their skills. In 2015 Sam was part of the first Redlands team to be entered in the Gold Coast junior turf competition on Friday nights. The first season was a steep learning curve and they lost most of their games, and the following year there were not enough players to continue the team. Sam therefore made the move to Roosters Hockey Club.

Sam coached junior teams at Redlands and some members he coached are still with us today. He continued to play grass with Redlands Men's Teams and turf with Roosters Hockey club until 2019 when he moved to Gold Coast and Bulimba Hockey Club. He is still at Roosters and Bulimba and currently plays men’s in Division 1 and 2.

Sam has represented Gold Coast Hockey at U15s, U18s and at Hockey Queensland Opens championships. He has also represented the Metropolitan East region in primary and secondary schoolboy championships.

This year Sam was selected to play for Queensland at the Australian Country Championships in Shepparton, Victoria, and was subsequently selected for the U21s Hockey Australia Country Team.

Sam’s perseverance, determination and hard work to field hockey has finally paid off with his selection in the Hockey Australia U21s Country Team. He has dedicated a considerable amount of his life to hockey and his commitment and natural ability has been recognised.

He is incredibly proud to be representing Australia and participating in this amazing opportunity. This is the chance of a lifetime, but it is also self-funded. An Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) fundraising page has been set up to help offset some of the costs associated with flights, accommodation and uniforms. ASF is one of the few sporting organisations where you can make a tax deductible donation to help athletes achieve their goals.

It is wonderful to see one of our former members reach such an amazing level and Redlands Hockey are proud to be supporting Sam on his journey to represent Australia. You are also welcome to show your support by donating to Sam’s ASF page. Every little bit helps and he will be very grateful for your kind donation.

2022

Redlands Hockey – fun for all the family! 

I am often asked why I play hockey, and the answer is that I love the family atmosphere of hockey. It is one of the few sports open to everyone regardless of age, gender or ability and is such a fun and exciting sport. I didn’t have the opportunity to play hockey as a child, so I began playing as an adult to get fit and to set a positive example for my kids. I didn’t realise at the time that it would become such a huge part of my life and my family. 

My husband and my son started playing hockey in 2011. The following year the rest of our kids and I joined, and all seven of us have played ever since. I love that I can play with my daughters, and my husband has been able to play with our sons. Even in the off-season, we play indoor hockey where we can all play together. 

I find hockey players tend to be more passionate than other sports. Once you mention you play hockey or used to play hockey to someone, there is an instant connection, and our family have made many lifelong friends in the hockey community right across the state. 

Our family is one of many families who play with Redlands Hockey Association, first established in 2008. Since that time, hockey has continued to grow and prosper in the Redlands community. It is a sport that teaches endurance, improved hand-eye coordination and the importance of teamwork. 

A number of our members have achieved Hockey Queensland and Hockey Australia coaching and umpiring accreditation at various levels. 

Redlands Hockey Association has a reputation for being a very friendly, family orientated and an inclusive community. Some people travel long distances to play with our association, and we have several whole family groups playing with us. One year my senior women’s team was made up of all mothers and daughters and sisters all playing together. This is what makes Redlands hockey unique and special. 

Many of our players dual and play with other associations who have access to turf fields. Having a turf field in the Redlands area remains at the top of our wish list. With the success of our national mens’ and womens’ hockey teams and with the Olympics coming to Brisbane in 2032, we hope this may have some influence on providing new facilities throughout Brisbane and the Redlands area. 

Redlands Hockey offers our members numerous opportunities to play at the representative level across junior, senior and masters levels. And my whole family have been able to represent Redlands at numerous tournaments across the state. I am 53-years-old this year and have played in many masters’ state championships which goes to show you are never too old to play hockey! 

I love playing hockey and the opportunities it has provided our family and I would strongly encourage everyone to get involved with hockey, it may change your life