A matric learner from a local high school was recently chosen as one of the co-captains of the 2023 South African U18A Schools Hockey team (SASHOC). Baylee Engelke, who attends Rhenish Girls’ High School (RGHS) in Stellenbosch, told SMF News that she was chosen as co-captain on 7 July.
Baylee Engelke (pictured above) used to play hockey in her back garden with a sawn-off hockey stick, tennis ball and wash basket as a goal, she said. PHOTO: Supplied/Ludi Vogel
Repping the green and gold
Being appointed captain of the team is about the rapport you have with the other players, explained Jarred Pitout, Engelke’s provincial hockey coach.
“[Engelke] has a very good standing with all the players and people around her. She’s a very well liked [and] respectful person,” he said.
Alongside her selection for the national outdoor hockey team, Engelke was also invited to attend the South African Women’s Indoor Hockey Camp, from 20 to 23 July in Cape Town, according to Eikestadnuus.
“I feel privileged and proud to have been recognised and given the opportunity to play the game in green and gold, and represent my country in both indoor and outdoor hockey,” said Engelke.
“[Engelke] will always put the team first and is the most hardworking player I have ever met,” said Chris Gerber, Engelke’s first team coach at RGHS.
Rhenish Girls’ High School matriculant, Baylee Engelke, played in the Boland U18A girls’ hockey team in a recent interprovincial tournament, she said. The team won a silver medal, stated Engelke. She was then selected as a co-captain of the South African U18A Schools Hockey team, said Engelke. PHOTO: Jodi-Mari Adams
Eye on the prize
A player first needs to represent a provincial team that will compete in the A-section of an interprovincial tournament, before being eligible to qualify for the U18A SASHOC team, said Pitout.
“[Engelke] has all the attributes to go further in hockey. I haven’t met a young player that has this determination and attitude to perform and reach goals,” said Gerber.
Making the U18A SASHOC team is a good stepping stone towards reaching her goal to play for the SA Women’s National Hockey Team, said Pitout.
Staying in South African hockey is a big part of Engelke’s plan for the future, she said. She has applied to the top hockey universities in South Africa and plans on taking the best opportunity that comes her way, she told SMF News.
Local matric learner Baylee Engelke was recently selected for the South African U18A Schools Hockey team and her strength lies in playing the position of midfielder in outdoor hockey, she said. PHOTO: Jodi-Mari Adams