Hazel Merry

My hockey background

I started playing hockey at the age of 7 when I joined London Wayfarers Hockey Club. This is the club that I still play at now, and in the last 10 years I have played both indoor and outdoor for the junior teams (whilst being the captain of my age group), along with being part of the ladies’ performance squad. I am currently playing my second season for the Ladies 2s in the London Premier League and training with the Ladies 1s (National League), which I thoroughly enjoy as I am able to play in various positions. Although I can play in half back and midfield, my preferred position is centre back, which I have played since starting hockey. With LWHC, I captained the U16 indoor team to win the London regionals and qualify for the national finals, and more recently the U18 team to win the South East England T2 regional final.

From ages 12-14, I played at regional level for Surrey County, which led to me being selected for Guildford Performance Centre, part of the England Hockey player pathway, in 2021. In 2022, I was proud to be selected by Guildford for the England Hockey U15 National Challenge Cup tournament which we won. I then progressed to Wimbledon Talent Academy, and in 2023 we won the England Hockey U18 National Talent Academy Festival tournament. I have been in TA since I was 16 and captained my team at the most recent Talent Academy Festival (2024). By being in PC and TA, and being coached by a number of national coaches, I have deepened my understanding of the game and have the experience of what it is like to play at a high level.

Throughout my journey, my school hockey has been a key part of my development, and I have loved playing with the same girls for so long. In 2022 (aged 15), I captained my team to win the national schools final, and to come runners up in the indoor regional finals in 2022 and 2024. Most recently, I was part of the 1^st XI team that became double national champions by winning both the U18 Independent Schools final and the U18 England Hockey T2 national final in 2024.

I have been the captain of nearly all the teams that I have represented, which I believe is due to my large presence on the pitch and my game-management skills. I am extremely calm and vocal to organise the team, whilst always providing encouragement to my teammates.

One of my biggest strengths is my distribution as I am always looking to play line-breaking passes. Aerials are a particular strength of mine, and I have worked hard to increase the distance of them whilst maintaining their accuracy. I am also able to effectively read the opposition to make tackles and am always strong on the ball to retain possession.

Why I want to play college field hockey in the USA

I am so excited at the thought of playing hockey in the US. Not only would it allow me to explore another country, but I would be able to experience life as a student-athlete, where sport is taken extremely seriously. I have always loved being part of a team, and to be in a team made up of people from many different places would be amazing.

I love hockey, and to have the opportunity to train almost every day whilst playing at a high level would further improve my game. This, whilst being with the same group of people, would allow me to create strong friendships, both on and off the pitch.

Not only does the sporting opportunity in the US excite me, but the academics do too! As someone with a broad range of interests, studying liberal arts feels like the perfect fit for me. The opportunity to begin studying a variety of subjects and specialise later would allow me to try many new things and help me to be well-rounded in my education. I can’t wait to see what I can learn in the US, and how it will prepare me for my future career.

Most of all, I am looking forward to the close-knit community that comes with being a student-athlete in the US and am looking for a team that is driven to always improving. I strongly believe that a bonded team off the pitch transfers into success on the pitch, and so the team environment is essential to me.

Overall, I am excited to broaden my knowledge of the world and become the best version of myself. I can’t wait to meet lots of new and exciting people that share my passion for hockey!