Illawarra Academy of Sport Hockey Athlete Thomas Dolby has been selected to represent the NSW U18’s Men’s Hockey Team at the upcoming Australian National Hockey Championships being held in Launceston, Tasmania.
At the recent 2016 ClubsNSW Academy Games, Dolby who was identified and selected to attend the final Hockey NSW Accelerated Athlete Program (AAP) Camp which was held at Sydney Olympic Park on April 21-22. Dolby performed strongly at the AAP Camp, justifying his invitation to attend and subsequently selected in the state team.
IAS General Manager, Shannon Fraser acknowledged the commitment Dolby has made to his development.
“Thomas has had a fantastic month of Hockey and the selection into the State team is just reward for the hard work he has put in over the off-season with the IAS” said Fraser
Adding that his selection “is a testament to his commitment to training and reinforces the importance and quality of the IAS Hockey Program”
The U18 Men’s State Hockey Squad also includes two IAS graduates in Zac Nyrhinen and Callum Mackay while the U18 Women’s State Squad includes graduates Comfort Ferguson, Kelsey Hughes and Maddi Smith.
These six athletes are now in the NSW State Pathway, with the IAS Southern Phone Hockey Program being a significant vehicle in that process. They now join an exclusive group of athletes that include current kookaburra stars Blake and Kieran Govers, Tristan White, Flynn Ogilvie and Hockeyroos Star Grace Stewart who have progressed through the IAS Program into the State and National pathway and are now representing Australia and inline to represent at the Rio Olympics.
