Ava Brewer

My hockey background

I began my hockey journey at the age of 7 when I was playing and trying a multitude of different spots.  By age 10 I was playing for my local travel club team, High Voltage, in Stafford County Virginia. While I had been playing a large variety of sports,  I knew from the moment I picked up my mum’s old hockey stick in the backyard it was destiny that I follow in her Division 1 field hockey footsteps. I have always been highly competitive and highly motivated in all that I do. I played in indoor and outdoor tournaments with my club hockey team leading me to playing on the top middle school hockey team and winning 2 county championships. This prepared me incredibly well for making the Stafford High School Varsity field hockey team when I was a freshman. I played both midfield and striker, which gave me a deep understanding of where I needed to be in different plays to best support my teammates. The highlight of my freshman varsity season was scoring the winning and lone goal to put us through to the State Quarterfinals. My team and I fought hard ultimately leading us to the State semi finals. It was an incredible season, with another highlight being playing with and learning from so many players that went on to play at the Division 1 level.

Half way through my freshman year I moved to New Zealand to learn more about my whanau and ancestry, as my dad is from there and I hold dual citizenship. When I first came over I played on my small, rural,  coastal school’s 1st XI team. While living in this small town I played U16 Representative hockey for the North Harbour region. I have always been one of the younger girls on many of the teams I make, which I have found really motivating to be able to play with older girls and women with more experience to help become a better player myself. After my hockey season my family decided it was best I attend a better academic school which was also known for winning the most National Championships across New Zealand. I became a boarder at St Cuthbert's College for Girls, a Presbyterian private school with a prestigious background for producing many National players and Division 1 field hockey recruits. I have played on the highly respected 1st  XI hockey team where we placed 1st in the Supercity Premier grade and 2nd in the country in the top grade 1st XI National tournament this year. 

Last year I represented the Auckland region in both the U16 and U18 age categories. I was one of the older girls on the U16 team which gave me a big leadership opportunity for the younger girls on the team and helped motivate them like older girls once did for me. It was also awesome to play U18s and compete at the National tournament where I got to play against the top competition for girls my age and a few years older. This year I represented Auckland again in the U18 category this time on the top U18 team and competed at the National tournament where we placed 3rd. For the past two years now I have been playing in the Women’s Premier Reserve grade for my club Western.

My strengths include playing and understanding several positions, across all my teams I have played each position for a season. The opportunity to do so has given me knowledge of where to be in order to best support my teammates. Another one of my strengths is my speed on and off the ball as well as staying calm under pressure. My stick skills are also a noteworthy skill that I continuously put time into on a daily basis.

Why I want to play college field hockey in the USA

I am really excited about the prospect of going back home and attending college where I can further my academic and athletic career. I love the academically rigorous opportunities that the U.S. universities offer. I am excited to experience the school and sports pride that American universities have. My family used to go to college football and basketball games and I cannot wait to be involved in going to all those different events.  My mom’s closest friends are her college field hockey teammates and I am super excited to make lifelong friends and create many amazing memories.