New Zealand Olympic Ambassador Images Getty Kayla Whitelock (née Sharland) Olympian number: Discipline: Position: 951 Hockey Midfielder Kayla Whitelock (née Sharland) was born in Palmerston North in 1985. She developed a passion for hockey early in life, and started playing at the age of seven. She was Quick facts recognised for her talent and skill on the hockey field from a young age. She was still a student at Palmerston North Girls’ High School when she was selected for Favourite food: Good roast lamb or Thai curry the Black Sticks Women, the New Zealand women’s Favourite movie: Taken hockey team. Favourite music: Anything with a good beat – enjoy Six60 and Rudimental at the moment In 2003, Kayla debuted for the Black Sticks Women in a Childhood heroes: Moira Senior and Skippy Hamahona game against Canada, which was played in Palmerston (former Black Sticks) North. Her first Olympic Games were in Athens in 2004, Current favourite athlete: Roger Federer where the Black Sticks Women placed sixth. Most rewarding moment in sport: Olympic Games, Silver Medal at Commonwealth Games and being Kayla has always been committed to developing herself nominated for Junior World Hockey Player of the Year. as a world-class hockey player. In 2005, she played for Winning is always good. Mannheim, a National League Club in Germany. She was Talents other than sport: Shopping, photography coached by Germany’s national coach Markus Weise and Biggest injury: Ruptured ACL received specialist coaching on the drag flick technique. Biggest sacrifice: Missing special moments in life when That year, she was nominated for World Junior Women’s away with hockey, and financial sacrifices Player of the Year award by the International Hockey Job outside sport: Sales Territory Manager for DB Federation (FIH). Breweries (Christchurch) Other fun facts: Enjoying watching most sports and love Kayla went from high to low when she suffered a major to shop and hang out with friends and family knee injury – a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) – Copyright © 2014. The New Zealand Olympic Committee. All rights reserved. | 1 in 2006. She was sidelined from the Black Sticks Women squad while she recovered, but she kept herself busy in New Zealand’s hockey scene. While recovering, she Career was the assistant coach of the Central Mysticks, the Palmerston North National Hockey League Club. The highlights club placed fourth in the league that year. Kayla had recovered in time to be selected for the 2008 2012 London Olympic Games (Fourth) Beijing Olympic Games. However, Kayla and her fellow Amstelveen Women’s Champions Black Sticks Women experienced a disappointing result. 2011 Trophy (Bronze) The New Zealand team lost every game, coming in last place. As a result of this poor performance, the Black 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games (Silver) Sticks Women underwent a drastic overhaul in 2009. 2009 Cape Town Women’s Champions Ten new players were selected for the squad, but Kayla Challenge (Gold) remained one of the core senior players. That same 2005 Virginia Beach Women’s Champions year, the Black Sticks Women redeemed themselves Challenge (Gold) by winning the Women’s Champions Challenge in Cape 2004 Athens Olympic Games (Sixth) Town, South Africa. Kayla played club hockey in the Netherlands in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, she reached a significant career milestone, when she was selected for the World All-Stars team. Honours Kayla was also in the team that won Silver at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and won Bronze at the 2012 New Zealand Universities Blues Award 2011 Amstelveen Women’s Champions Trophy. 2012 Sportswoman of the Year, Massey University Kayla is one of the most experienced Black Sticks Manawatu-Wellington Blues Awards players. She is a skilful midfielder, known for her tight 2010 Selected for the FIH World All-Star Team, stick work, excellent elimination skills and range of goal- International Hockey Federation scoring shots. She began her hockey career as a striker, 2006 Nominated for World Junior Women’s but now plays as a midfielder. Player of the Year award, International Hockey Federation In 2012, Kayla co-captained the Black Sticks Women alongside Emily Naylor at the London Olympic Games. It was both captains’ third Olympic Games, and the Black Sticks achieved great success under their leadership. The team placed fourth and, despite missing out on a medal, they made history by becoming the Links highest ranked New Zealand women’s side at an Olympic Games. Kayla Sharland’s Olympic Museum profile: http://imuseum.olympic.org.nz/museum/athlete/profile/25131 Kayla is currently based in Christchurch and is studying extramurally for a degree in sports and exercise from Massey University. She plans to continue her Follow the NZ Olympic Team here: international hockey career. In September 2012, Kayla participated in the Live below the Line Challenge, a charity campaign aiming to raise funds and awareness NZ Olympic Team @nzolympics for people living below the International Poverty Line. nzolympics www.olympic.org.nz Kayla was appointed a New Zealand Olympic Ambassador in 2012. Copyright © 2014. The New Zealand Olympic Committee. All rights reserved. | 2 Official Olympic Sport Images Getty Hockey Men’s field hockey first appeared a competition where a winner needs to be decided, at the 1908 London Olympic Games. the teams will play overtime periods. If it is still a draw, there will be a penalty shootout. It was dropped from the Olympic Games in 1924, because there was Each team has 11 players on the field at a time no international governing body for and five substitutes on the sideline. There are the sport. After the founding of the four different positions: International Hockey Federation • attackers (forwards) • defenders (FIH, Fédération Internationale de • midfielders • goalkeeper Hockey), men’s hockey reappeared at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games. It has featured at the Olympic Games ever since. Women’s Olympic matches field hockey first featured at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. The FIH holds qualifying tournaments for the Olympic Games, because hockey is played in 118 countries. Twelve men’s and twelve women’s teams can qualify to compete at the The basics Olympic Games. • The twelve teams are divided into two pools: Field hockey is an outdoor team sport played with a ball Pool A and Pool B. There are six teams in and L-shaped sticks. The head of the stick is rounded each pool. Each team plays against all the on one side and flat on the other. Players can use only other teams in their pool. the flat side to dribble, control, pass, push, stop and • The top two teams in Pool A play against the hit the ball. Most players wear mouthguards and shin top two teams in Pool B in the semifinals. guards to protect themselves from balls or sticks. • The teams that don’t win in the semifinals play each other for the Bronze Medal. A game of field hockey is 70 minutes long (two • The semifinal winners play for the Gold 35-minute halves). The team that scores the most Medal. The team that loses earns the goals in this time wins. If the score is a draw, and it is Silver Medal. Copyright © 2014. The New Zealand Olympic Committee. All rights reserved. | 1 The field Important points Olympic field hockey is played on a field that is Free hits are awarded to the other team 91.4 metres by 55 metres. There are two open- when a hockey player is penalised outside front goal cages facing each other at opposite of the circle. ends of the field. Each goal has a semi-circle marked in front of it – goals only count if they If the defending team is penalised within are scored from inside this circle. Since 1976, the circle, the attacking team gets a penalty all international competitions have been played corner. Only five players from the defending on artificial turf instead of grass. team can defend the goal – the others have to go into the other half of the field. One player from the attacking team hits the ball in from 1 behind the backline (at least 10 metres along balls or sticks. themselves from to protect and shin guards Most players wear mouthguards pass, push, stop and hit the ball. can use only the flat side to dribble, control, Players on one side and flat the other. The head of the stick is rounded Field hockey is an outdoor team sport played with a ball and L-shaped sticks. THE BASI of grass. competitions have been played on artificial turf instead Since 1976, all international inside this circle. from scored count if they are of it – goals only marked in front of the field. Each goal has a semi-circle goal cages facing each other at opposite ends two open-front are There by 55 metres. Olympic field hockey is played on a that 91.4 metres THE FIELD at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. featured field hockey first at the Olympic Games ever since. Women’s featured Olympic Games. It has at the 1928 Amsterdam hockey reappeared men’s International Hockey Federation (FIH, no international governing body for the sport. After founding of was the Olympic Games in 1924, because there from It was dropped at the 1908 London Olympic Games. field hockey first appeared Men’s Copyright © 2013 The New Zealand Olympic Committee. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2013 The New Zealand Olympic Committee. All rights reserved. 5555m m from the nearest goalpost), and the rest of the attacking team try to score. H OCK C S Penalty strokes are given to the attacking team when a defending player makesE a Y deliberate foul to stop a goal being scored, or when they run too soon to defend a penalty corner.